PROCESS VULNERABILITY OF RAILWAY TRANSPORT ENTERPRISES: ESSENCE, ASSESSMENT, AND DIRECTIONS FOR MINIMIZATION

Анотація

The article is devoted to the study of process vulnerability of railway transport enterprises under conditions of increasing environmental turbulence, growing complexity of intersystem interactions, and a higher level of risk intensity in economic processes. It is substantiated that traditional management approaches, primarily focused on achieving operational efficiency, do not ensure an adequate level of enterprise resilience, as they fail to account for latent internal dysfunctions within the process architecture. In this context, the need to develop proactive management models aimed at the timely identification and minimization of internal sources of instability is emphasized. The paper clarifies the essence of process vulnerability as an integral multidimensional characteristic of business processes, reflecting their susceptibility to degradation under the influence of internal and external disturbances. Its distinction from related categories such as flexibility and adaptability is defined, which deepens the theoretical understanding of this economic concept. A systematic approach to the identification of process vulnerability is proposed, involving the decomposition of business processes, detection of bottlenecks, and classification of vulnerabilities into structural, resource, informational, and managerial types. A methodological approach to assessing process vulnerability is developed based on a system of quantitative and qualitative indicators, including time characteristics, variability, reliability, and workload levels of processes. An integral index of process vulnerability is proposed, enabling the aggregation of partial indicators, monitoring of the process system state, and identification of critical areas within the enterprise. It is substantiated that the application of this toolkit provides a foundation for the transition from reactive to proactive management. Key directions for minimizing process vulnerability are identified, involving the formation of a comprehensive system of managerial measures aimed at increasing the reliability, balance, and adaptability of business processes. The obtained results have both theoretical and practical significance and can be used to improve management systems of railway transport enterprises in a transformational economy.