Agile supply chain management based on critical success factors and most ideal risk reduction strategy in the era of industry 4.0: application to plastic industry

In the global trade economy, the degree of competition and differentiation among organizations working in the sector of Supply Chain Management (SCM) is expanding gradually. For companies, SCM operations are becoming more important than manufacturing, sales, and marketing activities, and new ways and methods are preferred for efficiency and performance. The agility (or agility phenomenon) is one of the applications that aids effective SCM operations in this context. Agile Supply Chain Management (ASCM) and the emergence of Industry 4.0 practices, in addition to offering a cost advantage and business performance improvement, are crucial in providing flexibility to companies and ensuring their survival in the era of Industry 4.0. Meanwhile, companies aim to deal with uncertainty and implement various risk-reduction strategies as part of effective SCM. In this context, the study lists the critical success factors of ASCM and selects the most appropriate risk reduction strategy for companies that manufacture and market rubber and plastic products with a corporate identity and conduct import and export business in Istanbul. For this purpose, the criteria and alternatives specified in accordance with the literature review and experts’ opinions are examined using Bipolar Neutrosophic Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (BN-SWARA) and Bipolar Neutrosophic Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (BN-TOPSIS) methods. The ranking results are then discussed in line with the practical implications to provide managerial insights and decision aids. Finally, the main limitations are expressed in order to delineate useful future research directions.