Evaluating Supply Chain Resilience within Fast Moving Consumable Goods Distribution Companies: A Case Study Approach

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the supply chain resilience of Fast-Moving Consumable Goods FMCG distribution companies in KSA. With the increased complexity of the business, companies showed interest in adopting proactive risk management strategies such as Supply Chain Resilience. This thesis begins by presenting the methodology of selecting the most suitable resilience assessment tool for the FMCG distribution company supply chain by using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) decision-making methodology. Based on criteria such as Usability, Adaptability, and Completeness, the result reveals that one optimal choice. The chosen assessment tool was applied to a case study of an FMCG distribution company in Saudi Arabia. The Findings indicate that the tool effectively offers a preliminary evaluation of supply chain resilience for the company. The factors used to assess resilience were Supply chain design, supplier-related factors, relational competencies, physical capital resources, and human capability resources. with some limitations and need for improvement such as the lack of standard metrics for parameters. The case study result concluded that the supply chain resilience of FMCG distribution company has a limited capability to enhance the resilience in the supplier-related factors. According to the used assessment tool in this thesis, an FMCG distribution company can reach 82 % overall resilience at maximum. While rooted in a specific case study, the finding offers insights applicable to the broader FMCG distribution industry. Additionally, this thesis contributes to the existing literature by spotlighting supply chain resilience assessment tools. It recognizes limitations in factors' weighting assumptions and interdependency considerations, which could influence assessment accuracy.