Operational resilience strategies in times of global disruptions : A study of a Swedish national energy company

Abstract: This study investigates strategies for improving the operational resilience, i.e. an organisation’s capacity to minimise, manage, and recover from disruptions quickly, ensuring continuity in its primary business processes. The focus has been a national infrastructure company, specifically in energy production, and the large supply chain disruptions it has experienced in the wake of COVID-19 and the Ukraine war. The study primarily compares the investigated strategies with literature and theoretical frameworks from a procurement research perspective. The study is an embedded multiple case study investigating three cases with delayed renewal projects. The identified disruptions and their effect on the projects’ performance have been studied, as well as more direct reasons for delays in the cases, such as organisational issues and procurement processes. A framework for categorising disruptions has been developed and three different portfolio purchasing models were investigated in order to be applied to the findings of the study. Key findings reveal that disruptions have affected the case company’s operations significantly, with more projects being delayed and fewer available suppliers in the wake of these disruptive events. Inefficient decision making processes have also been identified as sources of delays, as well as lack of communication within the organisation. The study concludes in practical recommendations for the case company, which can be applicable for similar companies as well. A significant recommendation was that the case company should form strategic partnerships with suppliers of generators, transformers and control systems in order to ensure ample future availability of key components. Other recommendations include working towards more efficient decision making processes when deviating from the group instructions surrounding competitive tendering as well as improving the communication of procurement strategies within the organisation