Analysis of the challenges faced by companies while managing their international supply chains

The aim of our study is to analyse the challenges companies face when managing the international supply chain. It is to understand the underlying causes of these challenges, in particular the economic, political, logistical and technological factors. The choice of our topic is based on several observations, notably globalisation, which increases the complexity of supply chains and makes them vulnerable to economic and geopolitical disruptions. Recent events such as COVID-19 and geopolitical tensions have underlined the vulnerability of supply chains. Our research is based on two main methods: documentary research (review of academic literature, industry reports, case studies to identify challenges and practices to adapt). The second method is mixed research (statistical analysis and case studies) using quantitative data to identify trends and correlations. The results of our research highlighted some of the key challenges facing companies, including the increasing complexity of supply chains due to the proliferation of suppliers and regulations, and the high risk of disruption caused by economic crises, geopolitical conflicts and natural disasters. We also observed an increase in logistics costs, which limits companies' competitiveness. In response to these major challenges, a number of new strategies can be implemented, notably supplier diversification and partial relocation of production. This research therefore emphasises the need for companies to implement more flexible and technological strategies to secure their supply chains against current and future challenges. Keywords : International supply chain ; Logistics ; Logistics challenges ; International strategy