Preface to the Special Issue on “Managing Supply Chain Resilience in the Digital Economy Era”

Abstract

We are pleased to present this special issue of International Transactions in Operational Research, titled “Managing supply chain resilience in the digital economy era.” By linking production, circulation, and consumption, supply chains play important roles in economic and social development. However, with the frequent occurrence of unexpected events, supply chains are striving to increase their efficiency and sustainability. Establishing a secure and resilient supply chain has become a priority for managers and policy-makers. The eight articles in this special issue cover a broad spectrum of topics, including understanding supply chain resilience, decision-making, and responsive measures in the face of risks and shocks. The research subjects encompass various supply chains, including traditional, e-commerce, maritime, and green supply chains. Understanding supply chain resilience in the context of the digital economy is a fundamental question. The first article in this special issue provides an overview and trend of digital technologies-enabled supply chain resilience management. It shapes the understanding of how different digital technologies (e.g., AI, IoT, and blockchain) enhance supply chain resilience. Another manuscript provides a new perspective on product supply chain resilience and uncovers the interaction between product supply chain resilience and firm-network resilience. The decision-making mechanisms for dealing with risks and shocks are core issues in supply chain resilience management. Specific studies focus on the above questions. An article models supply chain resilience as the combination of supply chain viability and stability, highlighting how third-party logistics (3PL) provides financing schemes for capital-constrained enterprises. Another contribution models influencer's livestream accidents in the context of livestream e-commerce and uncovers the potential benefit of livestream accidents for the brand. Another study introduces two types of business interruption insurance (self-insuring and joint insuring) to cope with supply interruptions and to uncover their role in coordinating supply chains. A manuscript focuses on maritime transport disruptions and models its effect on manufacturing supply chain performance using a system dynamics-based simulation model. Based on a specific case, it provides mitigation strategies for different disruption scenarios. Another manuscript highlights the role of blockchain technology in increasing financial resilience in green supply chains. Finally, an article focuses on the interaction between traffic and product supply chains in the digital economy era, and designs supply chain contracts to increase supply chain efficiency. We are very grateful to the Editor-in-Chief of ITOR, Professor Celso Ribeiro, for his support, the authors for their contributions, and the reviewers for their constructive evaluations. Their close collaboration upheld the high standards of International Transactions in Operational Research for this special issue.