{"title":"Supply chain disruptions during COVID-19 pandemic: Key lessons from the pharmaceutical industry","authors":"Blessing Takawira, R. Pooe","doi":"10.4102/sajbm.v55i1.4048","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: This study extends previous research by exploring the key lessons learned by the pharmaceutical industry in South Africa from the COVID-19 pandemic supply chain disruptions.Design/methodology/approach: Having embraced the interpretivist paradigm, 25 supply chain professionals were purposively selected on the basis of their experience and deep knowledge of the industry and interviewed using the semi-structured approach of interviews. A qualitative data analysis programme, ATLAS.ti (version 9.1), was used to analyse the transcripts.Findings/results: Following thematic analysis, the following themes emerged from the primary data: supply networks, demand planning and management, supply chain coordination, inventory management, logistics management and local production.Practical implications: It is crucial to build resilience in the design of pharmaceutical supply chains. A comprehensive demand management strategy and use of data analytics need to be adopted by pharmaceutical companies to improve demand visibility, responsiveness and supply chain resilience. The study also revealed the need for local production, as local skills and enterprises are being developed.Originality/value: This study has extended the body of knowledge on the supply chain disruptions, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry by building on the studies that were conducted during COVID-19, many of which were not based on empirical data. It also points supply chain professionals in a direction which enables them to develop a disruption strategy while providing justification for policymakers to support investment in the development of the requite skills for the pharmaceutical industry and the development of local production facilities.","PeriodicalId":45649,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Business Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"South African Journal of Business Management","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v55i1.4048","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"BUSINESS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose: This study extends previous research by exploring the key lessons learned by the pharmaceutical industry in South Africa from the COVID-19 pandemic supply chain disruptions.Design/methodology/approach: Having embraced the interpretivist paradigm, 25 supply chain professionals were purposively selected on the basis of their experience and deep knowledge of the industry and interviewed using the semi-structured approach of interviews. A qualitative data analysis programme, ATLAS.ti (version 9.1), was used to analyse the transcripts.Findings/results: Following thematic analysis, the following themes emerged from the primary data: supply networks, demand planning and management, supply chain coordination, inventory management, logistics management and local production.Practical implications: It is crucial to build resilience in the design of pharmaceutical supply chains. A comprehensive demand management strategy and use of data analytics need to be adopted by pharmaceutical companies to improve demand visibility, responsiveness and supply chain resilience. The study also revealed the need for local production, as local skills and enterprises are being developed.Originality/value: This study has extended the body of knowledge on the supply chain disruptions, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry by building on the studies that were conducted during COVID-19, many of which were not based on empirical data. It also points supply chain professionals in a direction which enables them to develop a disruption strategy while providing justification for policymakers to support investment in the development of the requite skills for the pharmaceutical industry and the development of local production facilities.
期刊介绍:
The South African Journal of Business Management publishes articles that have real significance for management theory and practice. The content of the journal falls into two categories: managerial theory and management practice: -Management theory is devoted to reporting new methodological developments, whether analytical or philosophical. In general, papers should, in addition to developing a new theory, include some discussion of applications, either historical or potential. Both state-of-the-art surveys and papers discussing new developments are appropriate for this category. -Management practice concerns the methodology involved in applying scientific knowledge. It focusses on the problems of developing and converting management theory to practice while considering behavioural and economic realities. Papers should reflect the mutual interest of managers and management scientists in the exercise of the management function. Appropriate papers may include examples of implementations that generalise experience rather than specific incidents and facts, and principles of model development and adaptation that underline successful application of particular aspects of management theory. The relevance of the paper to the professional manager should be highlighted as far as possible.