Supply chain resilience : a benchmarking model for vulnerability and capability assessment in the automotive industry

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate two supply chain resilience key elements of vulnerability and capability in the automotive industry. Design/methodology/approach: We propose a fuzzy approach for statistical hypothesis testing and analyze two research hypotheses by synthesizing the results of a questionnaire given to 44 companies in the Iranian automotive industry. Findings: The results indicate that the automotive industry in Iran should: (1) resist five elements of vulnerability, i.e. “external pressures,” “sensitivity,” “connectivity,” “supplier/customer disruptions,” and “resource limits,” and (2) embrace nine elements of capability, i.e. “flexibility in order fulfillment,” “capacity,” “efficiency,” “visibility,” “adaptability,” “recovery,” “dispersion,” “organization,” “market position” and “security” to achieve greater resiliency elasticity in the supply chain. Originality/value: This is the first study on the supply chain resilience vulnerabilities and capabilities in the Iranian automotive industry.