Covid-19 and Supply Chain Agility: Case of Moroccan Small and Medium Enterprises

ABSTRACT

The Covid-19 crisis had a devastating impact on supply chains. As a consequence as they were not prepared, many companies were severely impacted. The supply difficulties that arose with the pandemic revealed the fragility of these chains and the strong dependence of our economy on external sourcing. The COVID-19 crisis called into question the ability of companies to anticipate new risks, particularly health hazards when defining their supply chain strategy. It is in such situations that the importance of adopting an agile strategy inside the organization shows. So, faced with such a serious situation, Moroccan companies have been forced to rethink their strategies by implementing new agile practices allowing them to adapt to this critical context. In this perspective, the present research paper aims to explore the main agile managerial practices implemented within Moroccan companies to support their supply chains during the covid-19 health crisis. To do so, a qualitative approach of an exploratory nature was adopted. Semi-directive interviews were conducted with eight logistics managers from various sectors. This research is mainly focused on the exploration of an original concept in the strategic and organizational management of Moroccan supply chains, which is agility that has been poorly studied in the past especially within Moroccan companies. The originality also relates to the current status of the research field as the subject will be treated in the current context of the covid-19 health crisis. © 2022 IEEE.