Supply chain challenges with complex adaptive system perspective

Abstract

At first glance, a supply chain is a complex system, since a slight change in one activity may cause tremors everywhere. In fact, the system is an interconnected autonomous entity that makes choices to survive, to evolve, and to be self-organized over time. Within a dynamic environment, several disciplines have adopted the Complex Adaptive System (CAS) perspective. Hence, the main purpose of this paper is to explore the supply chain as a CAS. In addition, using the complexity theory, the knowledge gained from this matching can be beneficial for supply chain to move from the static and the isolated field to dynamic and connected one.