The effect of supply chain disruptions during the pandemic on production costs in the food sector: An application in Kayseri Sugar Factory

In the globalizing world, large enterprises continue their activities in an integrated manner. Since the world has become a small village, an event that occurs in the most remote place affects most enterprises. Examples include natural disasters and pandemics. These negative events put businesses in a difficult position in the supply of goods and services. Businesses should develop possible scenarios by considering all risk factors in supply chain management. This situation provides businesses with the opportunity to manage their activities with the least damage, to respond to customers as quickly as possible by keeping the delay between supply and demand at the minimum level possible, and to manage the supply chain in the most accurate way while supplying the necessary raw materials and supplies quickly and at low cost. Supply chain management is affected by many natural and man-made disasters and the extent of the disaster. Such disasters and catastrophes that have occurred in the past and today and continue to have an impact have also revealed the importance of proper and planned management in the supply chain. The importance of supply chain management was understood more clearly with the coronavirus case that emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019. With COVID-19, countries have closed themselves and closed their borders, and intercity restrictions have caused serious disruptions in the supply chain. This has led to production delays or halts, demand not being met, and production costs increasing. Based on the problems caused by supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic, this study investigates the impact of supply chain disruptions experienced in the food industry during the pandemic period on production costs. In this context, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of supply-related disruptions experienced by Kayseri Sugar Factory, which operates in the food sector, on production costs during the pandemic period.