Purpose Technological innovation in the supply chain has become crucial since it allows reaching improvements in efficiency and effectiveness in managing physical, information, and financial flows. Alongside the productivity gains, the changes that new technologies can entail in the relationship structure – among suppliers, producers, distributors, intermediaries, and final customer – and in the companies’ strategic choices are extremely significant. Technology facilitates the acquisition, the use, and the management of inter-organizational information, letting actors coordinate and reduce the mismatch between demand and supply, preventing the expensive waste of inventory and efforts. Nevertheless, the adoption level of e-business tools in the supply chains is still low. This work aims to contribute to knowledge in the field of e-supply chain management. The potential influence of the e-supply chain is reviewed through the definition of a theoretical framework, operating as a roadmap in the electronics industry to suggest suitable digital tools that companies can implement to increase their efficiency and effectiveness and to help them in their strategic decisions. Research Approach To reach the research goal, the study attempts to endow the extant literature by proposing a theoretical framework, which aims to suggest the adequate digital tools for companies, through the identification of the factors that affect the e-supply chain tools adoption. To support the model development and application, three methodologies were used (literature review, semi-structured interviews with practitioners, and analysis of secondary sources). Besides, validation of the model is tested through some realistic cases. Findings and Originality Based on the different combinations between the different variables that compose the framework, a suitable digital tool is suggested to support the communication between the business partners in the supply chain. The model provides a roadmap to identify digital tools supporting the relationship between firms, to benchmark companies with their main competitors, and to find interesting solutions for driving the change. Research Impact On the academic side, this work contributes to enriching the extant knowledge about e-supply chain management, through the involvement of practitioners in the study. It develops a comprehensive roadmap to depict all the variables affecting the e-business supply chain technology adoption and the decision of the implementation in the electronics industry. Practical Impact On the managerial side, this paper offers a useful tool for practitioners aiming to implement digital solutions supporting business processes. As a matter of fact, they may rely on the proposed framework to evaluate the convenience of the adoption and to pinpoint the suitable tool according to their characteristics.

A roadmap for the implementation of the suitable technology supporting business processes in the electronics supply chain

C. Loro;R. Mangiaracina
2020-01-01

Abstract

Purpose Technological innovation in the supply chain has become crucial since it allows reaching improvements in efficiency and effectiveness in managing physical, information, and financial flows. Alongside the productivity gains, the changes that new technologies can entail in the relationship structure – among suppliers, producers, distributors, intermediaries, and final customer – and in the companies’ strategic choices are extremely significant. Technology facilitates the acquisition, the use, and the management of inter-organizational information, letting actors coordinate and reduce the mismatch between demand and supply, preventing the expensive waste of inventory and efforts. Nevertheless, the adoption level of e-business tools in the supply chains is still low. This work aims to contribute to knowledge in the field of e-supply chain management. The potential influence of the e-supply chain is reviewed through the definition of a theoretical framework, operating as a roadmap in the electronics industry to suggest suitable digital tools that companies can implement to increase their efficiency and effectiveness and to help them in their strategic decisions. Research Approach To reach the research goal, the study attempts to endow the extant literature by proposing a theoretical framework, which aims to suggest the adequate digital tools for companies, through the identification of the factors that affect the e-supply chain tools adoption. To support the model development and application, three methodologies were used (literature review, semi-structured interviews with practitioners, and analysis of secondary sources). Besides, validation of the model is tested through some realistic cases. Findings and Originality Based on the different combinations between the different variables that compose the framework, a suitable digital tool is suggested to support the communication between the business partners in the supply chain. The model provides a roadmap to identify digital tools supporting the relationship between firms, to benchmark companies with their main competitors, and to find interesting solutions for driving the change. Research Impact On the academic side, this work contributes to enriching the extant knowledge about e-supply chain management, through the involvement of practitioners in the study. It develops a comprehensive roadmap to depict all the variables affecting the e-business supply chain technology adoption and the decision of the implementation in the electronics industry. Practical Impact On the managerial side, this paper offers a useful tool for practitioners aiming to implement digital solutions supporting business processes. As a matter of fact, they may rely on the proposed framework to evaluate the convenience of the adoption and to pinpoint the suitable tool according to their characteristics.
2020
978-1-904564-65-2
roadmap
e-supply chain
digitization
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11311/1170071
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