Challenges in Supply Chain due to the Pandemic: A study on shoe industry of Bangladesh.

Abstract: Aim  This study has investigated the supply chain of shoe industry in Bangladesh those who does business internationally. The study concentrates on the supply chain of our selected industries and what are the difficulties they have faced during the time of pandemic. We have also discussed about the difficulties faced in general times but those has been mentioned to gain a better understanding and diversity of the difficulties faced during the time of pandemic.  Method The study has been done by using qualitative approach and Inductive method. Four shoe manufacturing organization were selected and among them twelve staff members has been interrogated in order to generate the primary data. The secondary data has been collected from the published literatures and the considered theories are based on the concept of supply chain process.   Result and Conclusion The study has been formulated on a platform where supply chain is influenced by supply chain process and the difficulties that we have discussed in regards to the process affects the whole supply chain and these difficulties has been classified into three areas for the purpose of our study. Our investigation regarding the supply chain difficulties in time of pandemic, also projects similar scenario and those difficulties has been also classified according to the three areas. As result of fact the pandemic affected the intensity of the difficulties but it does not arise any kind of new area of difficulties. Though we did not find any diversity in terms of the categorised areas but it has increased the severity of the difficulties among the factors. The most effected factors have been indicated by the end of the study and projected with the help of a framework.  Contribution  There have been many studies in regards to the supply chain and its challenges. There were also studies were environmental uncertainties were discussed and few recent studies also contributed towards the present situation of (COVID-19). Adding to those studies we have examined the situation further on challenges of supply chain process in shoe manufacturing industries of Bangladesh as this is a very rare area of investigation. In addition to these researchers, other studies discussed challenges in different forms. We have try to synchronize these scattered challenges into particular and precise areas, according to their category of activities. Previously the challenges were discussed with a general view and we have tried to discuss by relating them to the pandemic situation which can add more diversity to the previous researches done on the same situation. The study also contributes to the literature of supply chain in regards to the pandemic situation that the whole world is going through. It investigates the challenges faced due to the pandemic situation and these can contribute to develop managerial aspects of risk management in such diverse situation in future.  Future research suggestions This study mainly focuses on the effects of (COVID-19) on the supply chain process and how this pandemic situation all around the world has effected the shoe manufacturers of Bangladesh in terms of maintaining their operations in supply chain process. Similar kind of further research can be conducted in relation to other industries or even service industries. From managerial aspect new studies can be formulated in order to develop strategies that could manage this kind of pandemic situations more efficiently.