Purchasing organization involvement in risk assessments, contingency plans, and risk management: an exploratory study

• Published in: Supply chain management Vol. 5; no. 4; pp. 187 - 198
• Main Authors: Zsidisin, George A., Panelli, Alex, Upton, Rebecca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford MCB UP Ltd 01.10.2000; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Assembly lines; Competitive advantage; Contingency planning; Corporate purchasing; Gold; Logistics; Overexpansion; Process controls; Product design; Purchasing; R&D; Research & development; Risk; Risk assessment; Risk management; Strategic planning; Suppliers; Supply chain management; Supply chains; Supplychain management; Technological change; Risk; Supply-chain management; Suppliers; Purchasing; Contingency planning
• ISSN: 1359-8546; 1758-6852
• DOI: 10.1108/13598540010347307

Purchasing organizations use various strategies and techniques to minimize the chance and impact of detrimental events occurring in the supply base. Supply risk assessments are a necessary first step in managing those risks. An analysis of in-depth interviews with purchasing professionals from nine companies indicates that purchasing organizations often create contingency plans, and implement process-improvement and buffer strategies in response to perceived supply risks discovered in assessments. Even though risk assessments, contingency plans, and risk management efforts are generally acknowledged as being important, many of those interviewed believed that there was not enough done in their organizations to mitigate supply-related risks.