Information Sharing in Global Supply Chain Systems

Abstract

With increasing frequency the effective management and coordination of supply chains requires the sharing of a wide range of data. But the challenge, both technically and socially, to share information increases when customers and suppliers are spread throughout the geographic regions of the world. It is this challenge that is addressed here. First a conceptual framework is built. This framework classifies the stages of information sharing within a supply chain and proposes seven variables that affect the flow of information between customers and their suppliers. These variables include industry, market and competitive environment, national culture, corporate IT culture, size, IT infrastructure, and country IT support. The results are generalized and summarized in a Supply Chain IT Linkage Capability Model. Case studies of four organizations are presented and analyzed to validate the role of these variables in data sharing strategies. The paper concludes with several implications for global information technology supply chain management systems.