Resilience by the Numbers: Harnessing Data Analytics for Supply Chain Reliability

Globalization has opened new markets to Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) and given them access to better suppliers. However, the resulting lengthening of supply chains has increased their vulnerability to disruptions. SMEs now recognize the importance of reliable and resilient supply chains to meet customer requirements and gain competitive advantage. Data analytics play a crucial role in developing the insights needed to identify and deal with disruptions. At the company level, this entails the development of data analytic capability, a complex socio-technical process consisting of people, technology, and processes.
At the supply chain level, the complexity is compounded by the fact that multiple actors are involved, each with their own resources and capabilities. Each company’s data analytic capability, in combination with how they work together to share information and thus create visibility in the supply chain will affect the reliability and resilience of the supply chain. The proposed study therefore examines how SMEs can leverage data analytics in a way that fits with their available resources and capabilities to improve the reliability and resilience of their supply chain.
The consortium for this project consists of Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas), Logistics Community Brabant (LCB), Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN), Logistiek Digitaal, Kennis Transport, Smink and Devoteam. Together, the partners will develop a tool to benchmark SMEs’ progress towards developing data analytic capability that enhances the reliability of their supply chain. Interviews will be conducted with various actors of the supply chain to identify the enablers and inhibitors of using data analytics across the supply chain. Finally, the findings will be used to conduct action research with the two SMEs partners, Kennis and Smink to identify which technological tools and processes companies need to adopt to develop the use of data analytics to enhance their resilience in case of disruptions.

Eindrapportage

Globalization has opened new markets and supplier options for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), but has also made their supply chains more complex, and more vulnerable to disruptions. SMEs increasingly recognize the importance of reliable and resilient supply chains to meet customer requirements and maintain competitive advantage. Data analytics play a crucial role in developing the insights needed to identify and respond to disruptions, yet SMEs often lack clarity on how to implement these capabilities given their limited resources. This project examined how SMEs can leverage data analytics in collaboration with their supply chain partners to improve supply chain reliability and resilience, paying particular attention to the interplay between technology and trust.
Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas), Logistics Community Brabant, Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN), Logistiek Digitaal, Kennis Transport, Smink, and Devoteam executed three interconnected sub-projects. First, a scientifically grounded benchmark instrument was developed and validated, enabling companies to assess their progress in developing data analytic capability for supply chain resilience. Second, interviews and observations with logistics-intensive companies identified key enablers and inhibitors of data analytics adoption across supply chains, with trust between partners emerging as a critical factor. The rapid emergence of AI solutions and strong interest from partners and SMEs progressively re-directed the project towards Artificial Intelligence as a key enabler of data analytics for resilience. This shift also revealed the important role that AI-enabled decision-support systems play in bridging analytics and human decision-making for resilience.
The project contributed to education, practice, and science, including an online benchmark tool published on Logistiek Digitaal, conference papers at HICSS, EFLE and EUROMA, industry presentations, and workshops. Findings were embedded in both the Bachelor Logistics and Master Supply Chain Management curricula at BUas.