A Manufacturing Industry Perspective on Pandemic-Induced Supply Chain Disruptions

Qi, Baomin and McCauley, Emma and Baxter, Katherine and Poo, Mark Ching-Pong and Lau, Yui-yip (2025) A Manufacturing Industry Perspective on Pandemic-Induced Supply Chain Disruptions. Businesses, 5 (1). ISSN 2673-7116

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Abstract

This study explores the impact of COVID-19-related supply chain disruptions on manufacturing firms, focusing on external risks: demand, environmental, and supply. Our literature review reveals the general lack of comprehensive disruption plans and exposes the vulnerabilities in manufacturing firms with limited research addressing this issue. By adopting an interpretive research philosophy and a qualitative, inductive approach, our research delves into the operational challenges and adaptations implemented in the manufacturing sector during the pandemic through case studies. The findings reveal that COVID-19 significantly increased risks, causing demand surges, logistical disruptions, extended lead times, and labour shortages due to lockdowns, necessitating strategic shifts towards localised and digital supply chains in the manufacturing sector. Our study not only enriches the supply chain literature by detailing the pandemic’s effects and emphasising the need for robust disruption plans for enhanced resilience but also offers new insights into managing supply chain disruptions in crises, highlighting the necessity of strategic adaptations for future crisis preparedness across various industries.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information and Comments:	© 2025 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Faculty / Department:	Faculty of Business, Law and Criminology > Liverpool Hope Business School
Depositing User:	Ching Pong Poo
Date Deposited:	26 Feb 2025 12:00
Last Modified:	26 Feb 2025 12:00
URI:	https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/4628

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