Risk management in the supply chain in the light of the enterprises’ experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify key reasons for intensifying risk management activities in supply chains. To achieve the objective, the following research hypotheses were adopted: H1 - the extent of business activity is not correlated with problems related to demand constraints and timeliness of payments, H2 - disruptions in supply chain continuity during a COVID-19 pandemic are independent of the type of chain. Design/methodology/approach: These paper highlights the importance of risk management in the supply chain management in addressing the pandemic induced disruptions and supply chain risk management activities. Achieving the stated goal requires answering two questions: (1) What problems are companies facing due to the coronavirus pandemic, and (2) What actions are companies taking to ensure supply chain continuity, especially in Poland conditions. 137 enterprises participated in the research, including 118 with foreign capital. The survey was conducted online. The research sample included entities from the manufacturing, trading, and service sectors located throughout Poland. Companies were selected using a snowball method, starting with supply chain managers from friendly entities and asking them to identify other entities that could take part in the study. Findings: The research showed that the continuity of supply chains in Poland was not maintained, and companies were able to keep inventories only at a minimum level. The research also analysed the impact of remote work on the effects of the functioning of enterprises and assessed the effects of support under anti-crisis shields. Originality/value: The research has been carried out in order to identify the factors that have the greatest influence on the efficiency of the supply chains of Polish enterprises. The research showed that the continuity of supply chains in Poland was not maintained, and companies were able to keep inventories only at a minimum level.