Supply chain flexibility: a state-of-the-art survey

Supply Chain Flexibility (SCF) is a complex, dynamic and multifaceted concept viewed from a strategic and customer perspective. In the present study, an elaborate literature review of SCF was carried out, which helped in encapsulating various research outcomes in a structured manner, wherein the available SCF publications were reviewed and salient features related to conceptual frameworks, empirical studies, field and case studies, modelling studies and Supply Chain (SC) performance measures, the assessment of SCF, etc., were brought out. The details presented in this paper would reveal several crucial issues for future research. This paper also recognises how several business practices such as lean SC, agile SC, responsive SC and resilient SC distinguish their real relationship to SCF. Lastly, several avenues for future work have been suggested, which will provide an impetus to strengthen the research in the field of SCF.

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