Building Resilient Supply Chains in Industry 4.0 : The case of the medical equipment industry

Abstract

The medical equipment industry is facing a new set of challenges in the era of Industry 4.0, where supply chains are becoming more complex and vulnerable to disruptions. The research question is "How to build resilient medical equipment supply chains in industry 4.0?" The study employs a qualitative approach, including a single case study, using interviews. The study identifies the critical success factors and the main challenges faced by the medical equipment industry in building resilient supply chains. The study also presents a framework for building resilient medical equipment supply chains in Industry 4.0, which includes an interdependency of strategies to enhance the resilience of medical equipment supply chains by addressing the different phases of supply chain resilience. This thesis contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the influence of Industry 4.0 on supply chain resilience in the medical equipment industry, and by providing practical recommendations for building resilient medical equipment supply chains.