Modeling and analyzing information usage in supply chains

Abstract

This dissertation is motivated by the impact that information shared and information used on supply chain integration. Specifically, information sharing has changed the way supply chain members interact with each other. For example, suppliers have gone beyond tracking, material flow and started to receive customer information to advance their process, forecast, and better manage production, and inventory activities towards improved performance while considering the relationship management among the members of the chain. The objective is to study the importance of information usage and holistically investigate the relationships among information usage and different performances. For this purpose, we develop and analyze two models and one theoretical approach: the first one utilizes organizational learning theory and focuses on the relationships among information shared, information used, operational performance, and organizational performance along with mediating impacts of information usage, and perceived logistics performance. The second model put emphasis on the relationships among relational integration such as normative, and instrumental relationships, information sharing, information usage, and supplier performance by utilizing social exchange theory, and resource dependence theory. The third one which is a theoretical approach introduce the application of Kirchhoff’s current, and voltage laws to any supply chain network in order to measure the amount of information shared and used between members of the supply chain towards computing supply chain power.