Introduction
Please note that this is a preliminary course description. The final version will be published in June 2027.
Today’s turbulent environment has put supply chain resilience and risk management (SCRM) on top of the strategic agenda in many organizations across industries and sectors. Resilience can be defined as the ability to avoid, resist, and recover from disruptions. Resilience is also about detecting and acting upon both internal and external factors, or signals, which may threaten societies’ and organizations’ ability to operate. Risk management in supply chains deals with uncertainties related to matching supply and demand in regular operations, as well as severe events with prolonged disruption effects, such as epidemics or war. Supply chains are increasingly complex, with many interdependent actors crossing organizational and national boundaries. Global supply chains are more vulnerable to disruptions, but at the same time, a global footprint may also increase resilience. Therefore, resilience and risk management require an understanding of the entire supply chain: from where the raw materials are sourced to the end customers. Furthermore, resilience and risk management depend on a fine balance between flexibility and stability, between various goals, such as social (ethical), environmental, and economic sustainability, and between the short- and long-term perspective. To cope with these challenges, collaborative strategies and practices are often recommended. However, these come with their own costs and challenges. In other words, to achieve resilience and manage risks in supply chains, leaders in organizations must prepare strategies and practices to recognize and cope with vulnerability and uncertainty.