Warehouse resilience framework for the Covid-19 disruption

The COVID 19 pandemic consistently impacted Supply Chains (SCs), involving the agri-food sector. Compared to other SCs, agri-food SCs have not suffered complete interruptions, but the effect of various exogenous and endogenous phenomena has impacted all the actors in the chains. Within the agri-food SC, wholesalers play a strategic role influencing the performance and service level of a large number of players. Despite their importance, there has been no in-depth analysis of the effect of the pandemic on wholesalers. The paper fills this gap by proposing a framework to guide wholesaler during a severe disruption event. The MARLIN framework (fraMework wArehouse ResiLience dIstruptioN ) starts from a collection of the principal warehouse KPIs and from the identification through a literature analysis of the most significant factors and indicators on the pandemic disruption. The proposed framework supports wholesalers in identifying the most critical warehouse areas and defining interventions to mitigate the effects of future phases of the disruption. The framework has been tested on a case study involving an Italian wholesaler’s warehouse located in central Italy. The results obtained have demonstrated the effectiveness of the framework by highlighting aspects that are difficult to identify in an emergency situation.