The role of APS systems in Supply Chain Management: a theoretical and industrial analysis

Abstract

Companies are engaged in developing integrated and worldwide information system. Therefore, ERP have been largely introduced and more recently, APS emerge for the supply chain planning function. This paper presents an analysis of the contribution of APS to Supply Chain Management. Do APS cover the whole supply chain and enable the integration of its activities? Are companies mature enough to exploit both vertical and horizontal integration? Based on academic works and industrial interviews, our findings reveal a good integration of supply chain activities, even if we notice a relatively partial use of APS, mainly for the upstream supply chain.