Sharing information strategically in a supply chain: antecedents, content and impact

Abstract

Information sharing has been an important research issue in supply chain management. Although it has been studied frequently, our understanding of sharing information strategically and appropriately remains limited. To fill the gap, this study aims to understand the content of information sharing strategy (ISS) in a supply chain, and specifically how ISS influences supply chain uncertainty and performance. A survey of the Taiwanese manufacturing industry was carried out in order to test a proposed model. Results indicated that ISS includes information sharing and coordination aspects, and that these aspects have a strong impact on reducing supply chain uncertainty and enhancing chain performance. While a supply chain partner must share high-quality information to assist its supply chain partners' decision-making, it is also clear that a supply chain partner must rely on mutual adjustment and formalised inter-organisational processes to cope with demands. Future research directions and contributions to theory are provided.

The Influence of Information Sharing in the Supply Chain Process on Business Performance: An Empirical Study

“…[30] tested the effects of a supply management orientation on the operational performance of suppliers and the competitive priorities of buyers (cost, quality, delivery, flexibility). Hung et al [9] emphasized the importance of information sharing in supply chain management as a research subject. Albeit frequent efforts, our understanding of strategic and optimal information sharing remains limited.…”

“…Erjiang et al [5] investigated how to increase online collaboration in competitive supply chains and cost-sharing decisions. In their study, Hung et al [9] stated that an information sharing strategy contains the sharing and coordination of information and they had a strong impact on reducing the uncertainty of supply chain and increasing the supply chain performance. Baihaqi and Sohal [1] tested the relationship between the level of information sharing and organizational performance.…”

Review, typology and evaluation of traceability technologies: case of the French forest supply chain

“…Case studies conducted by Hung et al (2011Hung et al ( , 2014 show that divergent supply chains are characterised by high uncertainty related to information loss in the different stages of the supply chain. In the forest supply chain, the European project (Indisputable Key 2010), 9 which is considered as the first project integrating traceability aspects via RFID, has identified that a certain number of data (land of origin, wood cutting, measuring in sawmill entry, products sorting, etc.)…”

Information management in supply networks: a framework to support risk management decisions

“…An important aspect for the management of supply networks is to establish how the information is acquired, organised and used among members, towards a proper risk management of the supply network [Hung et al, 2011]. Also, a correct management of the information flow is critical for increasing visibility over the network [Barratt and Oke, 2007] in order to support decision-making process and mitigate the risk [Yu and Goh, 2014].…”

“…According to the literature, in an integrated supply chain, the information is the key element that firms have to share with their partners [Ragatz et al, 2002]. Within the supply chain, the typical information shared is related with material requirements, demand forecasts and inventory levels (Chandra et al, 2007, Omar et al, 2010, Datta and Christopher, 2011, Hung et al,2011. To ensure the effectiveness of long-term collaborations and to generate trust among partners, these information exchanges should be held within processes with high level of visibility, which should desirably enable effective communications and exchange of real-time data [Chengalur-Smith et al, 2012].…”