Search results

The assessment of information systems (IS) benefits is an important practical problem in IS investment appraisal. After briefly reviewing the nature of IS benefits, we argue that an incremental measurement approach can help an organisation obtain quantitative estimates of expected IS impacts on business performance. Such an approach should start from quantifiable benefits directly attributable to the information system and then gradually consider more intangible and indirect effects. We suggest that Business Process Simulation can be an effective technique in applying this approach and we present a methodology that incorporates incremental, iterative business process modelling and simulation into five practical steps. To illustrate this approach, we present a case of measuring the potential improvements in inventory management introduced by electronic data interchange and discuss issues of feasibility and directions for further research and development.

The rapid growth of electronic commerce technologies and practices has created a tremendous need for awareness creation for organisations such as small and medium‐sized enterprises which seem to lack the necessary information about technology, business practices, investment cost and human capital. Often, the professional organisers of awareness activities are also uncertain about best practice in electronic commerce awareness creation. Thus, although a number of initiatives have taken place in Europe, they have failed to produce the expected results. This paper describes how a project funded by the European Commission (WeCAN) defined and evaluated a number of awareness models in electronic commerce in order to support organisations involved in awareness creation such as chambers of commerce, consulting companies and higher educational institutions.

This paper aims at developing profiles of consumers who have already conducted shopping through the Internet and of those who are interested to adopt Internet shopping as an innovation. Based on the theories and processes of consumer adoption decision and diffusion of innovations, the study measures demographic and behavioural characteristics, as well as perceptions and preferences of Greek consumers towards distance shopping in general and Internet retailing in particular. The survey conducted offers insightful preliminary empirical data based on which detailed profiles of Internet shoppers (“innovators”) and interested‐to‐adopt Internet shopping (“early adopters”) are developed. The empirical research findings of this study provide relevant managerial implications while setting the foundation for future research directions in this area.

This paper aims to study the main requirements of traceability and examine how the technology of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology can address these requirements. It further seeks to outline both an information data model and a system architecture that will make traceability feasible and easily deployable across a supply chain.

The design research approach is followed, associating traceability requirements to a proposed system design.

The technological approach used has great implications in relation to the cost associated with a traceability system and the ease of its deployment.

Validation of the proposed information data model and system architecture is required through practical deployment in different settings.

The paper provides practitioners with insight on how RFID technology can meet traceability requirements and what technological approach is more appropriate.

Food quality has become an important issue in the last decade. However, achieving end‐to‐end traceability across the supply chain is currently quite a challenge from a technical, a co‐ordination and a cost perspective. The paper contributes by suggesting a specific technological approach, exploiting the new possibilities provided by RFID technology, to address these issues.

To propose and test an augmented collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (A‐CPFR) model in a retailer‐supplier context with a view to improving forecasting accuracy and then reducing the “bullwhip effect” in the supply chain.

After a literature review, the paper presents a real case in which the present authors provided assistance. The description of the case includes: case company background; an “as‐is” model analysis; a “to‐be” (CPFR) model analysis; and a description of the results and potential benefits. The paper then proposes an A‐CPFR model for the case and performs a simulation of the new model for comparison with the existing CPFR model.

The results show that the mean absolute deviation of forecasting and the inventory variance are both better in the proposed model than in the existing CPFR model. The proposed model can thus improve the accuracy of sales forecasting, reduce inventory levels, and reduce the “bullwhip effect”.

In addition to information provided by the retailer, a logistics supplier should also obtain competitors' promotional information from the market as another factor for forecasting – thus enabling timely responses to demand fluctuations.

The proposed model is an original and useful development on the existing CPFR model. It could become a reference model for the retail industry in implementing CPFR in the future.

To provide a new generic model equipped with a “process visualizing” feature by capturing RFID logistics data to represent different logistics processes' status, and sharing them through web‐based technology to supply chain parties.

In order to provide logistics service companies an effective way to manage their logistics processes and help both the up and down stream supply chain parties maximize their activities linkage within the value chain, the proposed system integrates radio frequency identification (RFID) and IT applications to optimize information flow in a supply chain. In doing so, the objective of visualizing logistics process is achieved.

It is found that the proposed model enhanced the performance of third party logistics providers and their supply chain partners in three main areas. They include a significant reduction in inventory level, a substantial drop in the chance of out‐of‐stock and, a significant improvement in the efficiency of delivery. They are among the most critical problems that often exist in a supply chain.

The proposed model requires supply chain participants to share their process data on the web environment so as to achieve the target of collaboration. This demands the need of tight security control over the public internet.

This paper provides useful information and practical guidance for supply chain participants to formulate a “process visualizing featured” information system.

This paper provides a solution to solve common supply chain management problems and offers practical helps to supply chain participants effectively.

The purpose of this paper is to focuss on customer driven supply chains and what this means for the management of freight transport, a key process in the supply chain as it acts as a physical link between customers and suppliers. It aims to assess whether some of the new collaborative models for transport management are delivering better optimised solutions.

The paper is based on a multi‐dimensional methodological approach, which includes empirical, model building, opinion and archival evidence. Much of the thinking and findings in this paper have been derived from a series of quasi‐delphi discussion sessions with logistics industry experts from three sectors, steel, grocery and construction and experienced academics in the fields of logistics and supply chain management.

The paper sets out to argue that new innovative solutions are emerging for better transport optimisation, that exploit the competitive power of collaboration, both vertically with supply chain partners and horizontally with other logistics service providers (LSPs).

The research was largely focused on the road freight transport industry in the UK and Europe. However, it is felt that similar thinking can be deployed in other settings for alternative transport modes and other geographical regions. From an academic perspective the paper contributes to the notion that supply chain management as well as focussing on vertical coordination and process integration also needs to incorporate the potential considerable power of horizontal collaboration.

In particular it is original in that it highlights how important it is to combine vertical collaboration with horizontal collaboration if better optimised transport solutions are to be achieved. This is of considerable value and interest both to practitioner and academic communities.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the concept of supply chain collaboration and to provide an overall framework that can be used as a conceptual landmark for further empirical research. In addition, the concept is explored in the context of agri‐food industry and particularities are identified. Finally, the paper submits empirical evidence from an exploratory case study in the agri‐food industry, at the grower‐processor interface, and information regarding the way the concept is actually applied in small medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) is presented.

The paper employed case study research by conducting in‐depth interviews in the two companies.

Supply chain collaboration concept is of significant importance for the agri‐food industry however, some constraints arise due to the nature of industry's products, and the specific structure of the sector. Subsequently, collaboration in the supply chain is often limited to operational issues and to logistics‐related activities.

Research is limited to a single case study and further qualitative testing of the conceptual model is needed in order to adjust the model before large scale testing.

Case study findings may be transferable to other similar dual relationships at the grower‐processor interface. Weaker parts in asymmetric relationships have opportunities to improve their position, altering the dependence balance, by achieving product/process excellence.

The paper provides evidence regarding the applicability of the supply chain collaboration concept in the agri‐food industry. It takes into consideration not relationships between big multinational companies, but SMEs.

This paper aims to give an overview of supply chain collaboration practices and the way the underlying enabling technologies have evolved, from the classical EDI approach, to web‐based and RFID‐enabled collaboration.

The paper discusses alternative technological approaches and the role they play in supporting collaboration. The research presented in this paper is empirical in nature, based on three different case studies from the grocery retail sector depicting different aspects of implementing supply chain collaboration practices.

From the examination of these cases, interesting lessons are derived regarding the suitability and criticality of the technological approach used to support collaboration, especially regarding the use of a centralized web‐platform as compared to the classical EDI approach and to a decentralized solution based on web services.

Research is limited to the specific case studies and further validation of the research findings through qualitative and quantitative methods would be appropriate.

The paper provides support to practitioner regarding the selection of the appropriate technological approach to support collaboration. Furthermore, it gives insight regarding the maturity of current technologies in relation to collaboration requirements and to what extent can the technology be an enabler or a barrier in a collaboration initiative.

The paper links the technological and the supply‐chain collaboration perspective in order to derive interesting conclusions relevant to both academics and practitioners. The cases presented are quite unique and have not been widely studied, representing interesting and novel approaches to the way that technology has been employed to support collaboration practices.