Supply Chain Endurance: Can It Be Achieved?

Eric Viardot ()
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Eric Viardot: Skema Business School, Skema Executive Education

Chapter 7 in The Timeless Principles of Successful Business Strategy, 2026, pp 69-79 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Enduring companies view the supply chain as a strategic asset essential to long-term success. This chapter explores how these firms manage volatility over time and across industries, emphasizing that longevity exposes them to both cyclical and structural disruptions. It outlines general and sector-specific drivers of supply chain instability and introduces the Anticipate–Absorb–Adapt framework. Resilient firms anticipate disruptions through deep supplier relationships, geographic awareness, and experiential foresight. They absorb shocks by building strategic redundancies, maintaining financial buffers, and leveraging infrastructure control. Adaptation is driven by organizational learning, workforce flexibility, and evolving supplier partnerships. These companies redesign supply chains around customer needs and treat every disruption as a learning opportunity. Their resilience is not reactive but methodical, rooted in empowered people, strong relationships, and a commitment to continuous evolution. The chapter highlights how enduring firms transform adversity into strategic advantage through disciplined, experience-driven practices.

Keywords: Supply chain resilience; Enduring enterprises; Anticipate–Absorb–Adapt; Organizational learning; Workforce flexibility; Strategic redundancy; Supplier partnerships; Supply chain volatility; Supply chain robustness; Supply chain adaptation; Strategic discipline; Risk management; Long-term competitiveness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:mgmchp:978-3-032-14617-5_7

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-14617-5_7

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