Improving the Supply Chain Management

Abstract

This paper develops a methodological approach to assessing the supply chain management in small- and medium-sized businesses with further testing it in the companies in the post-Soviet economies. The research objectives were achieved in terms of a sophisticated multi-country project resulting in assessment of the supply chain management for small- and medium-sized businesses in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan (256 businesses in total). The study was implemented through a phased application of online survey methods using closed-ended single-choice questions, including a 5-point Likert scale, mean score ranking, and ABC analysis using the Pareto principle. The assessment showed that, regardless of the surveyed country, almost all respondent businesses use a reactive supply chain design. Since the reactive design does not allow for the implementation of resilient supply chain development, the recommended practices, which have been developed during the pilot phase, deal with improving the supply chain management and gradual transformation of the reactive design into a cooperative management model to ensure resilient supply chain development under uncertainty.