The impact of COVID-19 on supply chains: systematic review and future research directions

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate how COVID-19 impacted supply chains and to develop future research directions from thereof. Using a systematic literature review methodology, this study analyzes publications on Google Scholar and Scopus that explored the impact of COVID-19 on supply chains. The research thoroughly reviews and analyzes a total of 95 studies that were found relevant and significant. COVID-19 had a significant impact on supply chains and organizations a like and therefore the study has revealed the following findings. Although some scholars claim that the pandemic revealed the fragility of supply chains, brought many logistical activities to standstill, and completely disrupted markets, but other researchers found that it has also created unlimited opportunities for organizations and industries. This review concluded that extant of literature falls into four themes; those who believe that COVID-19 was a complete threat, researchers who believe that it was both a threat and opportunity, those who believe it created enormous opportunities and lastly scholars who proposed a model that can help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on supply chains. This study opens the door wide for other researchers to explore how COVID-19 pandemic impacted supply chains positively and negatively across many industries and contexts. The study also provides an easy reference for business managers who are interested in knowing what would be the consequences of such pandemic on their organizations and how to take the right decisions that can help mitigate the many threats while at the same time maximize any opportunities created.

How Was the Staple Food Supply Chain in Indonesia Affected by COVID-19?

“…Companies are now reimagining their supply chain strategies and finding ways to include operational excellence and standard work to enable continual supply chain cost reduction. While there have been numerous studies on the impact of COVID-19 on supply chains, few stand out for providing a roadmap on how to recover from the pandemic consequences (Younis et al 2023). Future research should focus on understanding the long-term effects of the pandemic on supply chains and developing strategies for building more resilient and sustainable systems (Younis et al 2023).…”