Global Resilience in Transport and Logistics: Navigating Disruptions With the GRIT Framework

Introduction

Recent years have seen significant supply chain disruptions—the COVID-19 pandemic, the Suez Canal blockage, port congestions, the Ukraine war, Middle Eastern conflicts, and the Houthi blockade of the Red Sea. These events reinforce the need for improved disruption management in supply chains to ensure continuity, highlighting the prominent theoretical trend of resilience planning (Grzybowska, 2021). The expansive structure of multiple nodes linked by transportation makes global supply chains vulnerable (Grzybowska & Stachowiak, 2022). Disruption at one point creates a ripple effect downward and across other supply chains. A lack of empirical data presents a unique challenge in estimating probabilities and magnitudes (Monostori, 2021). The aggregative effect of supply chain disruption increases shipping times, raises prices, and causes stock outs, especially for goods relying on delayed inputs. It significantly slows down the economy and is not fully offset by the recovery boost from faster shipping (Alessandria et al., 2023).

Logistics and transportation between nodes are critical in managing disruptions through geographical differences, varying regulations, and environmental standards. It requires sophisticated logistics planning and compliance (Bookbinder & Matuk, 2014). Global logistics and transportation are interconnected cyber-socio-technical systems that are maneuvered in their entirety when managing disruptions. Supply Chain Resilience (SCRes) is its adaptive capability of readiness, response, and recovery, ensuring operational continuity (Ponomarov & Holcomb, 2009). The principles of resilience include “control” in managing actions within the network, “coherence” or understanding disruptions, and “connectedness” of people uniting during crises. Flexibility, agility, and risk-sharing are associated with response and coherence.

With several global disturbances, 2022 revealed supply chain issues as a predominant vulnerability. It became the prime focus of corporate and investment strategies (EBRD Transition Report 2022-23 Business Unusual, 2022). Industry 4.0 technologies impact SCRes and enhance related key performance indicators (KPIs) (Marinagi et al., 2023). Companies have preferred maintaining their existing supplier relationships and network configurations, choosing tactical adjustments to improve resilience and competitiveness in managing risks (de Lucio, et al., 2023). The improvised solutions to the immediate issues of recent disruptions highlights the need for robust responsiveness in the present logistics market. This study introduces the GRIT framework, aimed at assisting in a thorough investigation of Performance Indicators (PIs) for addressing disruptions and reinforcing resilience. Grounded in Global Transport and Logistic (GTL) principles and business sustenance, the GRIT framework is designed to be a preliminary tool that could evolve into a widely accepted industry standard.