Martin helps Industry Build Resilience in a Dynamic and Increasingly Uncertain World

Just a year after earning his Master of Science in Engineering, Martin Seif realised that his education had not fully captured the reality unfolding before him. The pandemic had caused major disruptions in global supply chains, bringing everything to a standstill: ”The industry was not prepared for what happened, either theoretically or practically. That’s why it became obvious to me to research how data-driven decision-making can be used to build resilience in supply chains.”

Martin Seif describes himself as a typical Jönköping native and is well acquainted with the region’s logistics sector. He grew up just outside the city centre, studied science in upper secondary school, and worked summer jobs in warehouses at Torsvik.
”After finishing school, I was a bit uncertain. I knew I wanted to continue on the technical path and work with the manufacturing industry, but I also wanted a mix of other subjects. In the end, I chose Industrial Engineering and Management in Linköping, and it turned out to be a perfect fit for me,” says Martin, who is now one of the doctoral researchers in the AFAIR project, which he has been involved in since its inception.

What drew you back to Jönköping and AFAIR?

”There were several connections to Jönköping. Besides being open to moving back, I was also curious about an academic career. By chance, I heard about a newly launched research project at the School of Engineering in Jönköping, focusing on e-commerce logistics, where I later had the opportunity to write my thesis. At the same time, planning and preparations for AFAIR were underway, and I heard about it. It became quite natural for me to transition into AFAIR when it was approved and launched. Today, I am part of the Department of Logistics and Operations Management at the School of Engineering. I have been involved in the AFAIR project since its start in 2021, participating in the sub-project ‘ReDSe – Responsive Data-driven Servitization’ and its continuation, which we have chosen to call ‘DARe – Data-Analytics for Resilience’.”

Your research focuses on supply chains, which are a major concern for industry right now?

”Yes, both the ReDSe project and my dissertation focus on what is known as ‘Supply Chain Resilience’. Resilience refers to creating supply chains that are flexible and robust enough to withstand various disruptions in material flows. You could say resilience is an overarching term for the ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from major disruptions. And there have been plenty of crises in recent years. For many manufacturing companies, the conditions have changed entirely. Uncertainty has increased significantly as global supply chains no longer function as they should. Through my research, I aim to help companies develop strategies and solutions to tackle these challenges.”

What kind of disruptions have occurred?

”The long string of crises in supply chains began with the pandemic. Suddenly, it was as if someone had turned off a tap. Production decreased or stopped entirely when entire factories shut down, and those relying on suppliers or their own production in other parts of the world couldn’t get their goods delivered. Then, a ship ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking one of the world’s major trade routes. After that, Russia invaded Ukraine, and we now have an ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Right now, we’re also seeing a series of geopolitical changes worldwide that could affect free trade and the ability to source materials and components from other countries or continents. But as I said, the pandemic was the beginning. Just a year after I graduated, I realised that large parts of my knowledge might already have become outdated, if I’m being blunt. None of us, in academia or industry, were theoretically or practically prepared for what happened.”

What do you and your colleagues do?

”If you’re a decision-maker in a company and face a crisis, you often have to make quick decisions about complex issues. If you don’t have enough information as a basis for those decisions, it becomes even more difficult. In ReDSe, we explored how data-driven decision-making can be used in these situations. By leveraging data-driven decision-making, you can extract insights from vast amounts of existing data, analyse the situation, and develop an action plan. For example, we conducted a survey with 200 Swedish companies, evenly split between manufacturing firms and retail/wholesale businesses. Based on the information we gathered, we examined the capabilities these companies had in terms of data-driven decision-making. What tools do successful crisis managers have in their toolbox? Which companies have resilience, and why?”

What does a company need to be resilient?

”It comes down to a range of different capabilities that must be in place. Our preliminary results show that data-driven decision-making alone isn’t enough. A company’s ‘toolbox’ for building resilience needs to be broader. It can include factors such as the strength of relationships with suppliers and partners or the level of visibility in the supply chain –meaning an understanding of which actors are involved (suppliers, intermediaries, customers) and their current status, such as stock levels and lead times. Having a data-driven approach to decision-making is also a key capability that helps when disruptions occur. In the ReDSe project, we focused on identifying overarching trends and opportunities. We found that many companies weren’t as adept at data-driven decision-making as the future demands, and we identified obstacles and opportunities. The challenge is that every company has different conditions, depending on its operations and the complexity of its supply chain. You need multiple tools in your toolbox, but the mix varies—there’s no single checklist that applies to everyone. By gathering and processing historical and real-time data about operations, companies can create various scenarios to base their decisions on. In our new project, DARe, we’re delving deeper with the aim of creating streamlined solutions and developing clear actions and tools. I hope our research will become highly relevant in the future. There’s a need to write a whole new ‘dictionary’ on these topics.”