Supply Chain Resilience in VUCA World: Towards a Holistic Approach of Quality Assurance and Risk Management

Abstract

Supply chain management is often associated with disruptions and chaos. This paper intends to explore the factors causing supply chain disruptions and develop a framework for supply chain resilience, thereby highlighting the significance of integrating quality assurance and risk management. With the help of in-depth interviews of management officials involved in the pharmaceutical supply chains in Pakistan, the study finds that a holistic approach towards quality assurance function is indispensable in the supply chain of pharmaceuticals. Drawing on the theoretical framework of chaos theory and complexity theory, the results of this study show that supply chain resilience can be achieved effectively by implementing a proper risk management system identifying the possibilities, and quantifying and mitigating the risks before they emerge. The study also highlights the differences between the supply chain resilience capability of large and small-scale pharmaceutical firms in Pakistan