A generic framework of an agile supply chain to confront the consequences of COVID-19

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19 affected all business and supply chain is no exception. The objective of this article is to provide new insights into how logistics service providers (LSPs) managed to maintain supply chain agility and what priority areas were adjusted to keep operations functional and maintain financial stability in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study acquired primary data through semi structured interviews with informants from selected worldwide LSPs, using data-gathering approaches from interpretive research. The findings of this study shed light on how LSPs dealt with the negative aspects of the COVID-19 outbreak and devised creative solutions to operational and financial issues. This study categorizes the LSPs' reactions and gives a framework from a managerial perspective. It is one of the first studies to specifically focus on the involvement of LSPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This work analyses the strategic function of LSPs in supply chain management from a theoretical standpoint, and so adds to the present supply chain literature by focusing on LSP agility