Co-ordination and integration mechanisms to manage logistics processes across supply networks

Literature on supply chain management (SCM) emphasises the importance of co-ordination and integration mechanisms to manage logistics processes successfully across supply networks. This requires managers to (1) know the driver variables that must be addressed, since they determine how such processes can be designed and managed; and (2) understand how co-ordination and integration mechanisms interact with such variables and—as a consequence—with logistics processes. The paper addresses the second issue, as it tries to explain how logistics processes can be structured and controlled across supply networks by leveraging co-ordination and integration mechanisms, with consequences for strategic and operational choices for both the individual companies and the whole supply network. This issue has been investigated by analysing three case-studies of SCM interventions on logistics processes across different supply networks, involving central firms as well as several suppliers and customers.     

Information technology and supply chain management: a study of the food industry

This paper's topic is the use of information technology (IT) for the development of supply chain management (SCM). In today's business environment, both in academics and industry, the term SCM has become a popular paradigm. In particular, the use of IT to facilitate the development of supply chain partners is gaining interest within industry. This paper develops the topic of SCM and further develops the relationship between the use of IT, in the form of electronic data interchange, and the development of supply chain integration. The goal of using SCM along with IT is to develop a supply chain that is capable of responding more quickly and efficiently in the meeting of consumer's requirements.     

Enhancing hospital supply chain performance: A relational view and empirical test

Improving hospital supply chain performance has become increasingly important as healthcare organizations strive to improve operational efficiency and to reduce cost. In this study, we propose a research model based on a relational view, delineating the factors that influence hospital supply chain performance: trust, knowledge exchange, IT integration between the hospital and its suppliers, and hospital–supplier integration. Testing results of the research model based on data from a sample of 117 supply chain executives from U.S. hospitals show positive direct effects: (1) from trust and from IT integration to knowledge exchange respectively; (2) from knowledge exchange and from IT integration to hospital–supplier integration respectively; and (3) from hospital–supplier integration to hospital supply chain performance. The results also show the following indirect effects: (1) the influences of knowledge exchange and IT integration on hospital supply chain performance are partially and fully mediated by hospital–supplier integration, respectively and (2) the influences of trust and IT integration on hospital–supplier integration are fully and partially mediated by knowledge exchange, respectively. In addition, the results show the following moderating effects: (1) hospital system membership moderates the relationships between IT integration and knowledge exchange and between trust and knowledge exchange; (2) hospital environmental uncertainty moderates the relationship between trust and knowledge exchange; and (3) trust moderates the relationship between knowledge exchange and hospital–supplier integration. Implications of the study findings and directions for future research are discussed.     

网络信息技术在农产品供应链管理中的应用

随着信息技术应用的不断深入。越来越多的实践表明,农产品供应链管理必须依托网络信息技术。文章介绍了农产品供应链管理的含义及特点．并针对我国农产品供应链管理的现状．探讨了农产品供应链中的网络信息技术应用的关键。为提高我国农产品供应链管理的运作效率提出了值得参考的建议。     

Information technology and firm performance: the role of supply chain integration

This study analyzes the correlation among integrative information technology (IT), supply chain integration (SCI), and firm performance. The results show that integrative IT is positively associated with firm performance through SCI. However, the results of this study show that integrative IT does not have a positive correlation directly with firm performance. It is considered that in the relationship between integrative IT and firm performance, a new approach such as business process-oriented view arguing that performance is yielded through the primary influence of IT is necessary rather than a traditional view that sets up their direct correlations. The findings have the following implications. First, this study presents an endeavor to investigate the consequences of integrative supply chain strategy. Second, this study provides implications in decision making so that supply chain managers can use IT in an effective way.     

猪肉食品供应链分析及其优化

文章以猪肉的生产、流通和消费为主要研究对象,针对传统猪肉供应链模式和“公司＋基地＋农户”模式做对比分析,然后指出现阶段猪肉食品供应链管理存在的主要问题,如缺乏信息技术的支撑、供应环节的质量得不到保障,价格波动大、猪肉供应链成员间的合作与信任程度较低等,最后提出建立先进的信息系统,实现信息共享、加大猪肉产业链一体化投资力度,形成品牌效应、建立协调的、利益一体化的供应链合作伙伴关系等措施,对猪肉供应链进行优化。     

The use of electronic data interchange for supply chain coordination in the food industry

Supply chain management (SCM) is concerned with the relationship between a company and its suppliers and customers. It is characterized by interorganizational coordination: companies working jointly with their customers and suppliers to integrate activities along the supply chain to effectively supply product to customers. More developed SCM is indicated by systematic integration, i.e. standardized and automatic interorganizational interfaces. Information technology (IT) engenders such systematic integration by allowing more efficient and automatic information flow.This research focuses on electronic data interchange (EDI), an important class of IT used for interorganizational information transfers in the supply chain. Data from a survey of the food industry is used to examine the use of EDI with respect to interfirm coordination activities involving suppliers and customers. The influence of demographic characteristics on EDI use is also investigated. The results suggest that firms view EDI as a tool for improving efficiencies rather than as a tool for facilitating supply chain integration. There is also a surprising difference in firms use of EDI with customers vis-à-vis suppliers. Firms tend to be much more accommodating of the desires of their customers than of their suppliers.     

Supply chain practice and information sharing

Effective supply chain practice and information sharing enhances the current supply chain management environment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the integration of information sharing and supply chain practice in supply chain management. Data from 125 North American manufacturing firms were collected. The results show that (1) effective information sharing significantly enhances effective supply chain practice; (2) supply chain dynamism has significant positive influence on effective information sharing as well as effective supply chain practice. Supply chain dynamism has more influence on information sharing than supply chain practice; (3) and effective supply chain practice becomes more important when the level of information sharing increases. The findings show that both effective information sharing and effective supply chain practice are critical in achieving good supply chain performance.     

ITIL管理标准在医院IT运维服务管理中的实践探讨

医院多种IT软件系统和网络设备的并存,使得IT运维管理变得越来越复杂、技术难度也越来越高,因而有效利用现有资源,提高运维工作效率,不断提高IT运维管理人员和技术人员的业务能力,正逐渐成为医院IT部门高效运行的关键因素。本文结合课题组正在进行的研究,导入ITIL标准进行医院IT运维服务管理实践应用,旨在打通IT部门和业务部门之间的结构性障碍,全面系统地实施IT运维服务管理,规范IT服务管理工作,提高IT管理工作的效率。     

企业现代物流信息系统应用的分析与探讨

物流信息系统通过物流供应链一体化和信息化实现了企业物流管理的系统性和集成性.它既是企业信息化和网络化的基础,也是降低物流成本和提高物流运作效率的关键因素.本文对物流信息系统的总体功能进行了介绍,分析了我国企业对物流信息系统的需求、应用现状及发展趋势,并提出了系统设计的步骤,同时还对企业间电子供应链的高度集成进行了展望.     

An industrial network flow information integration model for supply chain management and intelligent transportation

Industrial network flow involves three domains: infrastructure, individual subjects of movement, and planning and control of the movement. Examples include supply chain and intelligent transportation. These traditionally isolated domains can be digitally connected to enhance their performance. Digitization of the infrastructure provides real-time data to facilitate its operation, while digitally connecting the subjects to the infrastructure allows for tailored services and support to particular subjects. Connection of both to the enterprise information systems enables adaptive control for the application (e.g. logistics) at a global optimization level. Previous results in the field cover separate aspects of planning/routing, real-time monitoring, and trip support. Toward this end, a new highway-based subject-infrastructure-enterprise (SIE) information integration model using digital connection is proposed to the field of industrial network flow control for application to intelligent transportation and supply chain management. The SIE model supports industrial network flow control in a way comparable to an adaptive control panel administering an automated material handling system. In this metaphor, the global infrastructure becomes ‘controllable’ similar to factory conveyors and automated guided vehicles. This paper presents a conceptual design substantiated with information requirements analysis. An empirical experiment at locations in New York State shows the technical feasibility of the digital connection envisioned.     

基于集成化供应链的ERP、CRM与SCM的整合

在企业信息化建设进程中,ERP、CRM与SCM作为关键技术在不同的领域中发挥着重要作用。本文运用集成化供应链管理模型,对于如何从供应链的角度出发,实现三者的有机整合进行了探讨,提出了以集成化供应链为基础的将三者集成的设想。     

电子商务环境下的敏捷供应链动态集成

在分析电子商务对集成化供应链影响的基础上,作者以信息与知识为对象研究了敏捷供应链的动态集成理论与方法.本文首先探讨了供应链信息流存在的问题以及供应链集成的层次与步骤,并从管理思想与技术发展的角度重点探讨了敏捷供应链的动态集成策略与方法,最后指出了供应链智能集成的研究方向.     

Investigating the value of information sharing in multi-echelon supply chains

Under the structure of multiple business entities, supply chain management (SCM) offers the external and internal integration of business processes in enterprises. The most important objective of SCM is to enhance the supply chain performance such as reinforcing the service level and increasing profit as well as reducing order cycle time and inventory. In recent years, due to the advancement of information technology, enterprises can manage the product flow and the information flow via economical and efficient mechanisms. The well-organized information sharing can enhance the supply chain performance and allow enterprises to refine their strategies of supply chain in order to maximize their profits. The previous studies pointed out the positive effect of information sharing on the efficiency of supply chain. However, relatively little literature focuses on the performance analysis for multi-echelon supply chain with various information sharing scenarios. By using the simulation technique, this paper models different scenarios of information sharing, and further analyzes the impacts of information quality on multi-echelon supply chain performance. In addition, this paper employs Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to integrate multiple performance measures to ensure the information sharing scenarios with enhanced performance.     

Information technology developments of logistics service providers in Hungary

The objective of this research is to examine the role of sector-specific information technology (IT) developments and their significance in terms of the revenue and earnings before tax of Logistics Service Providers (LSPs), as well as the impact of these developments on the flexibility and integration of LSPs. A survey questionnaire was conducted with 284 LSPs participants. The data provided by the 51 responding enterprises provided a representative sample for the analysis of the sample population and the drawing of general and relevant conclusions related to basic population. It can be concluded that their revenue, earnings before tax and degree of integration into the supply chain depend on the sector-specific IT developments carried out by the given enterprise. IT investments will remain important in the future and the introduction and leveraging the best technologies may yield competitive advantages and higher financial rewards for LSPs.     

引入ERP优化企业供应链管理

供应链管理是近来企业关注的问题,企业上ERP也是为提高整体竞争力,两者管理的实质都是供应链,随着信息技术的发展,在网络通信技术支持下实现需产供合作三方的信息集成,提高企业供应链的竞争优势.     

Managing supply chain risk and disruption from IT security incidents

Supply chain practices often put companies and their supply chains at risk. One of the most serious risks is disruptions. While many types of disruptions have been considered, little attention has been given to disruptions caused by information technology (IT) security incidents. Partner cooperation can assist in preventing or mitigating damage from IT security breaches in supply chains, where breaches can disrupt production, cause loss of essential data, and compromise confidential information. We develop a generalizable mathematical model that quantifies IT security risk in the supply chain. We then show how to find solutions for optimal risk reduction under several definitions of optimality: minimizing upstream risk, minimizing downstream risk, and minimizing global (supply chain) risk. We show how to develop curves for each of the above scenarios that indicate when extra funds should be spent on security, which security controls should be implemented, and when subsidies among partners are beneficial.     

Effects of enterprise technology on supply chain collaboration: analysis of China-linked supply chain

Supply chain collaboration has received increasing attention from scholars and practitioners in recent years. However, our understanding of how enterprise information technology facilitates supply chain collaboration is still very limited, especially with regard to Chinese enterprise ownerships such as state-owned firms, joint-venture firms and local village-owned firms. This paper extends the theory established in enterprise information technology (IT) and supply chain collaboration literature and relates it with coordination in China-linked supply chain. Drawing upon an empirical study from 177 Chinese companies, we provide three major findings: (i) uncovered the importance of leveraging enterprise IT through supply chain collaboration; (ii) identified the relationship between enterprise ownership and enterprise technology use and supply chain collaboration in China-linked supply chain and (iii) illustrated effects of supply chain collaborative activities on operational and market performance.     

Theoretical perspectives on the coordination of supply chains

Supply-chain coordination relies on the availability of prompt and accurate information that is visible to all actors in the supply chain. However, new demands on the supply-chain system require changes to information flow and exchange. We undertake a case study of three automotive supply chains that face such new demands resulting from the introduction of an order-driven supply-chain strategy. We use our case study findings to evaluate the applicability of three different theoretical lenses on the multi-faceted interactions between information, physical flow, and the complex rationales driving supply-chain evolution: the resource-based view (RBV), the concept of complex adaptive systems (CAS), and adaptive structuration theory (AST). We find that each theory has a separate realm of applicability and while complimentary in nature, provides distinct insight on the structural shift in the supply-chain system. More specifically, we find that AST, a theory prominent in the social sciences, provides novel insights to supply-chain research at the firm level, particularly with respect to the difficulties in using IT systems to drive systemic change. It complements both the system-level perspective offered by the complex adaptive systems theory, as well as the concept of dynamic capabilities originating in the resourced-based view. The paper concludes with wider implications for future research in supply and value chain management.     

基于SCM的企业信息系统集成

供应链管理强调企业间的合作,要求企业信息系统跨职能、跨组织的集成。从供应链管理的本质出发,以建立一条信息共享的协同化供应链为目标,论文介绍了供应链上各企业信息系统集成的基础技术,并提出了基于SCM的企业信息系统集成框架与策略。