Blockchain-backed resilient strategies in a stochastic supply chain sourcing and distribution environment under disruption: implications for B2B sector

Purpose With the changing landscape of the globalised business world, business-to-business supply chains face a turbulent ocean of disruptions. Such is the effect that supply chains are disrupted to the point of failure, supply is halted and its adverse effect is seen on the consumer. While previous literature has extensively studied risk and resilience through mathematical modelling, this study aims to envision a novel supply chain model that integrates blockchain to support visibility and recovery resilience strategies. Design/methodology/approach The stochastic bi-objective (cost and shortage utility) optimisation-based mixed-integer linear programming model integrates blockchain through a binary variable, which activates at a particular threshold risk-averse level of the decision-maker. Findings Firstly, visibility is improved, as identified by the average reduction of penalties by 36% over the different scenarios. Secondly, the average sum of shortages over different scenarios is consequently reduced by 36% as the recovery of primary suppliers improves. Thirdly, the feeling of shortage unfairness between distributors is significantly reduced by applying blockchain. Fourthly, unreliable direct suppliers resume their supply due to the availability of timely information through blockchain. Lastly, reliance on backup suppliers is reduced as direct suppliers recover conveniently. Research limitations/implications The findings indicate that blockchain can enhance visibility and recovery even under high-impact disruption conditions. Furthermore, the study introduces a unique metric for measuring visibility, i.e. penalty costs (lower penalty costs indicate higher visibility and vice versa). The study also improves upon shortages and recoveries reported in prior literature by 6%. Finally, blockchain application caters to the literature on shortage unfairness by significantly reducing the feeling of shortage unfairness among distributors. Practical implications This study establishes blockchain as a pro-resilience technology. It advocates that organisations focus on investing in blockchain to enhance their visibility and recovery, as it effectively reduces absolute shortages and feelings of shortage unfairness while improving recovery and visibility. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is a unique supply chain model study that integrates a technology such as blockchain directly as a binary variable in the model constraint equations while also focusing on resilience strategies, costs, risk aversion and shortage unfairness.