This study, grounded in Supply Chain Resilience Theory, explores the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMEs within international supply chains. It aims to understand how SMEs adapt to procurement disruptions, transportation issues, and inventory management challenges, offering insights to enhance their sustainability and resilience during crises. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews with 10 supply chain professionals were conducted. The study focused on procurement, transportation, and inventory management to analyze pandemic-induced disruptions and SMEs’ resilience-building strategies. The research identifies key strategies employed by SMEs, such as revising procurement processes, optimizing transportation, and innovating inventory practices. These findings contribute to the understanding of challenges SMEs face and their efforts to maintain resilience. While the findings enhance conceptual understanding, the study is limited to perspectives within specific supply chain domains. Broader studies across diverse sectors are needed. The study offers strategies to strengthen SMEs’ supply chain resilience, aiding recovery from disruptions. Policymakers and practitioners can use these insights to design targeted support for SMEs. This research fills a gap in understanding how SMEs navigate global crises, contributing to academic discourse on resilience and providing a practical roadmap for enhancing SMEs’ adaptability.
Yuxuan Gao (Tue,) studied this question.
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