Case Study: Uncertainty, Disruption and Resilience

This case study illustrates the reverberations of a catastrophic natural disaster on modern supply chains by studying the response of various companies based in Thailand to the Bangkok floods in 2011, and how they fared to restore activity back to normal levels in Thailand and the region.

Aimed at students on supply chain management courses, it explores how various plans of actions were put into action, how consequences trickled down the global supply chain and ultimately how some companies escaped more unscathed than others.

By detailing how process continuity plans can step in and respond to disruptions to supply chains, this case demonstrates how operations management can be more adequately prepared to deal with supply chain risks and can protect its operations, staff and resources from unforeseeable catastrophic events like floods, earthquakes or severe weather.

This case study illustrates how vulnerable global supply chains can be to catastrophic events like extreme weather and how this affects global operations of companies across industries. Brian Lawrence details how setting up business continuity plans will protect operations, staff and resources and ensure a quick and adequate response to extreme events. Readers are also provided with a clear indication of how far reaching poor planned supply chains can be on overall operations and performance.

About the Author

Brian Lawrence is a Lecturer in the School of Management at the Assumption University in Bangkok, Thailand.