In the contemporary global environment, supply chains are increasingly vulnerable to disruptions, with environmental and supplier disturbances posing frequent challenges. This research aimed to understand the influence of a systematic supplier selection approach, combined with an effective risk mitigation strategy, on supply chain performance amidst supply-side disruption risks. We identified a significant gap in current supply chain management: the lack of a structured supplier selection methodology, which can lead to inefficiencies and performance declines. To address this, our study employed the best worst method (BWM) for systematic supplier assessment and ranking. Simultaneously, a discrete-event simulation model on the Simio platform was utilized to emulate supply chain dynamics, factoring in various suppliers and potential disruptions. Our findings, contextualized within the polymer industry, highlighted Material Quality, Supply Reliability, Price, and Lead Time as the most critical criteria for supplier selection. The BWM rankings correlated strongly with actual supply chain outcomes, emphasizing its effectiveness. In terms of risk mitigation, flexibility-oriented sourcing strategies were superior to redundancy-oriented ones, demonstrating better management of supply-side disruptions and reduced safety stock levels. These results have both societal and scientific implications. Societally, a methodical supplier selection process ensures resilient supply chains, essential for sectors like healthcare and food, and promotes global collaboration and innovation through diversified supplier sourcing. Scientifically, our research validates the BWM's utility for supplier selection, challenging conventional beliefs linking higher costs to superior risk mitigation. A key insight was the growing importance of flexibility in modern supply chain risk management. For the polymer sector, we recommend a BWM-based structured supplier selection process. By partnering with top-ranked suppliers and diversifying geographically, businesses can reduce safety stock levels. Our simulation model provides a practical tool for decision-makers, facilitating scenario testing to identify optimal strategies. However, our study's limitations must be acknowledged. Tailored primarily for the polymer industry, the specific assumptions underpinning our simulation may not be universally relevant. Thus, while our insights are valuable, their applicability might be limited by data constraints and the polymer sector's distinct attributes. In conclusion, a methodical supplier selection, paired with a flexibility-oriented sourcing approach, optimizes supply chain performance in the face of supply-side disruptions. Enhancing these elements can guide businesses in developing agile supply chains, ensuring cost-effectiveness and improved performance.

The expansion of the cruise market in the last decades and the significant increase in the size of cruise ships, led to a revision of the safety standards for passenger vessels which resulted in the introduction of the so-called "Safe Return to Port" regulatory framework (SRtP). These regulations strongly impacted every aspect of the life of passenger ships, from commissioning to operations. Clearly also the design of these vessels was highly affected, inducing the design companies to face with the risks entailed by SRtP regulations on a daily basis. Indeed these regulations require great complexity of the systems in terms of redundancy and segregation, and their great interdependence further complicate the assessment of the functional capabilities requested by SRtP. The complexity required in the designs and the difficulties in assessing the compliance with the regulations contribute to increase the risks associated with SRtP projects. Obviously design companies are negatively affected by these risks and preventing expensive re-designs in later stages of the process is mandatory to improve the company's performance. Due to the complexity of the task, a support method for the mitigation of the risks entailed by the non compliance of the designs with SRtP regulations is proposed. The method comprises a through analysis of the spaces on board and a software tool to support designers in the assessment of the correct placement of the components of the systems, in order to guarantee the required capabilities in every casualty scenario.