Title: Towards supply chain viability: mapping the trade-offs between efficiency, resilience and sustainability

Authors: Marcel Jaun; Joerg H. Grimm; Tim Auer

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Quellgasse 12, 2502 Biel/Bienne, Switzerland ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Quellgasse 12, 2502 Biel/Bienne, Switzerland ' Institute for Production and Supply Chain Management, University of St. Gallen, Dufourstr. 40a, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland

Abstract: Global supply chains are reaching the limits of a decades-long profit-maximisation dogma. Rising geopolitical instability, climate pressure and social expectations are questioning this logic. To remain viable, companies must manage more complex trade-offs between efficiency (E), resilience (R) and sustainability (S). This study maps these trade-offs from the perspective of supply chain viability (SCV) and paradox theory. An exploratory research design with 31 semi-structured interviews identified 21 recurring trade-offs, categorised along the SCOR processes and grouped into four conflict types: E vs. R, E vs. S, R vs. S and E vs. R vs. S. Efficiency was the dominant driver, often at the expense of resilience and sustainability. The study extends the SCV concept by proposing that these trade-offs form the basis for discussion about the long-term development of SCV and the identification of synergies. For practitioners, the trade-off map offers a tool for analysing recurring tensions.

Keywords: supply chain viability; SCV; resilience; sustainability; efficiency; supply chain trade-offs; trade-off mapping.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISM.2026.152990

International Journal of Integrated Supply Management, 2026 Vol.18 No.2, pp.132 - 155

Received: 07 Jul 2025
Accepted: 14 Dec 2025
Published online: 17 Apr 2026 *

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