OPTIMISING FIRM SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE THROUGH BIG DATA ANALYTICS CAPABILITIES: THE INTERMEDIARY ROLE OF SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE AND SUPPLY CHAIN FLEXIBILITY

Abstract

Big Data Analytics plays a pivotal role in enhancing business performance, enabling organizations to harness data-driven insights for improved decision-making, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage. This research seeks to investigate the relationship between big data analytics capabilities and a firm’s supply chain performance with supply chain resilience and supply chain flexibility acting as mediators. Building on the perspectives from the dynamic capabilities view, the study shows how big data analytics capabilities improve a firm’s capacity for the identification and exploitation of market opportunities and threats. An exploratory quantitative research study was carried out using data from Pakistan’s textile sector whereas data was analysed through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results presented here confirm that big data analytics capabilities have a relatively less direct impact on a firm’s supply chain performance, though its potential is multiplied by the mediating roles of supply chain resilience and supply chain flexibility. The findings of this study validated that big data analytics capabilities not only enhance the mobilisation of resources but also build up resilience and flexibility, which may help firms handle disruptions, prevent risks and increase operational effectiveness. The findings of this research provide both practical and theoretical implications by proposing solutions for firms to implement analytics with flexibility and resilience to achieve future market agility for sustained competitive advantage.