Risks in the first‐tier suppliers' sphere
Along the lines of the virtual supply chain, the first‐tier supplier is exposed to mainly the same process and control risks as the focal company, namely long‐term production downtimes (7), IT breakdown (8) and short‐term production downtimes (9), respectively. On the supply side, the relevant risks are different which we call logistics risks. As regards the relationship to its 3PL, the first‐tier supplier is facing primarily theft (10), poor delivery quality (11) and a lack of sufficient equipment, staff or transport/warehouse capacity (12). In contrast to delayed deliveries, poor delivery quality means deviance in quantity, sort and condition.