No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
A cloud-based supply chain management system: effects on supply chain responsiveness
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the ongoing calls for the incorporation of the cloud utility model, the effect of the cloud on elements of supply chain performance is still an evolving area of research. The purpose of this paper is to develop the architecture of a cloud-based supply chain management (C-SCM) ecosystem and explore how it enhances supply chain responsiveness (SCR).
Design/methodology/approach
First, the authors discuss the potential benefits that cloud computing can yield, compared to existing mature SCM information systems and solutions through a comprehensive literature review. The authors conceptualise SCR in terms of the level of visibility in the supply chain, supply chain flexibility and rapid detection and reaction to changes, and then the authors build the detailed architecture of a C-SCM system. The proposed ecosystem introduces a view of SCM and the associated practices when transferred to cloud environments. The potential to enhance SCR through the cloud is explored with scenarios on a case of supply chain operations in fashion retail industry.
Findings
The findings show that the proposed system can enhance all three dimensions of SCR. Implications for supply chain practice and how companies can migrate to a cloud supply chain are drawn.
Originality/value
Given that the development, creation and delivery of goods and services are increasingly becoming a joint effort of several parties in a supply chain, the authors contribute to the existing literature by introducing a comprehensive C-SCM system and show how companies can enhance their SCR.
... However, this study focused on a particular geographical location and a sector. Other authors determined that the expensive cost of ERP retards its implementation in the private sector [Giannakis et al. (2019)], the lengthy period for implementation was pointed out by Behera and Dhal [2020], and other implementation risks were identi¯ed by Sokolov and Kolosov [2018]. However, these studies focus on speci¯c geographical locations and industries. ...
... Therefore, as pointed out by the author, it is necessary to investigate more geographical locations and industries. Giannakis et al. [2019] identi¯ed the challenges related to the cost of implementing ERP systems, replacing the existing systems, and top management decisions regarding ERP systems' implementation. However, this study was limited to only the fashion industry. ...
... The results of the 11th-tested challenge align with private sector literature [Rajan and Baral (2015)]. The results for the 12th tested challenge were in line with private sector literature [Giannakis et al. (2019)] and argued that di±culties exist when changing to a new system. ...
Purpose: This paper investigates and compares challenges and success factors within different supply chain ERPs used globally across humanitarian and private organizations in Africa, Asia, Canada, Australia, Europe, and the Americas. Eighteen challenges and 27 success factors were selected from literature published between 2015 and 2020 to determine whether they are equally relevant globally in the private and humanitarian sectors.
Design/methodology/approach: The research utilized an anonymous online questionnaire advertised on different social media websites and completed by 50 humanitarian supply chain professionals and 53 private sector professionals worldwide. The collected data was analyzed using a descriptive statistic–crosstabulation analysis to show the differences or similarities in supply chain professionals’ opinions from humanitarian and private organizations. Additionally, the hypotheses were tested by using the Mann–Whitney Test.
Findings: Findings revealed that all the examined success factors were supported except one, which was similar in both sectors. However, the challenges during the implementation of ERPs differ in these two sectors — with four success factors not supported in the humanitarian sector and nine not supported challenges in the private sector.
Originality: This study’s significance is that, as per the researchers’ knowledge, such a comparative study was never done before, and it will allow both sectors’ professionals to understand all the elements mentioned above better and integrate them while implementing supply chain ERPs.
... Digital integration throughout the SC may improve flexibility and reaction to consumer needs while also assuring internal operational performance (Anderson et al. 2020). Despite the rising complexity of the SC, DSC allows for real-time integration across complex SCs, resulting in better procurement and production responsiveness and shorter lead times (Giannakis et al. 2019). ...
... DSC integration may increase flexibility and responsiveness to customer requirements while also ensuring internal operational efficiency (Anderson et al. 2020). Despite the increasing complexity of the SC, DSC enables real-time integration across complex SCs, resulting in increased responsiveness of procurement and manufacturing processes as well as shorter lead times (Giannakis et al. 2019). The sixth most important factor is "Last mile postponement and logistics flexibility" with (r-c) value 0.0369. ...
Technological innovation is redefining supply chain (SC) operations, and old methods of managing SCs may soon be obsolete. Because of recent technological advancements, digitalization has emerged as a hot subject among policymakers and scholars. To keep up with this rising trend in consumer behaviour and stay competitive, organisations must move from old methods of managing SCs to digital supply chains (DSCs) for greater organisational performance. Adopting DSC in the automotive SC allows businesses to increase SC efficiency, speed up operations, provide greater insights, and reduce human mistakes, which contributes to a lower overall acquisition cost. DSC may contribute to SC sustainability by facilitating effective demand and supply planning, decreasing overproduction and resource waste. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyse critical success factors (CSFs) for DSC implementation in automobile organisations to enhance organisational performance and achieve sustainability. A three-phase research framework has been used, i.e., CSFs are discovered in the first phase through literature study and expert feedback; in the second phase, empirical research is undertaken to finalise CSFs; and in the final phase, influencing and influenced variables are identified using the Hesitant Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (HF-DEMATEL) method. The analysis reveals that “collaboration between supply chain actors” is the most critical element in the adoption of DSC, followed by “aligning the company's interests with suppliers." This research study includes both theoretical and practical contributions that enhance the SC operations. This study will help SC managers achieve sustainability in SC operations by effectively implementing DSC.
... According to OIPT, companies responding to environmental uncertainty and heightened dynamism must collect and deal with information to enhance supply chain responsiveness (Daft and Lengel 1986;Williams et al. 2013). Enhanced SCT provides supply chain partners with better visibility into essential components, facilitating real-time risk updates and proactive risk management efforts (Giannakis et al. 2019). Along with greater supply chain disclosure, companies can collaborate in sharing and jointly leveraging high-quality information on supply and demand conditions from customers and suppliers, which is viewed as a crucial requirement for SCR capabilities (Holsapple and Jones 2005;Williams et al. 2013;Lintukangas et al. 2023). ...
... Since SCRISK suggests the possibility of supply chain disruption, SCT can identify and communicate risks in the supply chain in a timely manner to minimize potential risks by increasing the visibility of upstream and downstream information (Wong et al. 2011). Meanwhile, considering the powerful impact of SCT's emphasis on information sharing, it promotes realtime risk updating and risk management efforts (Giannakis et al. 2019), thus enabling companies to provide timely responses and countermeasures to sudden disruptions in the supply chain. Empirical evidence complements the existing literature on the effects of information processing on supply chain risk and resilience management. ...
This study aims to investigate the antecedent of supply chain transparency (SCT) and its impact on mitigating supply chain risk (SCRISK) and enhancing supply chain resilience (SCR). Furthermore, this study seeks to examine the moderating effect of supply chain integration (SCI) on the relationship between SCT and SCRISK, as well as SCT and SCR. Utilizing hierarchical regression on survey data from 332 Chinese companies, the results have revealed that SCI had a significant positive effect on SCT, which further leads to decreased SCRISK and increased SCR. Meanwhile, SCI negatively moderates the relationship between SCT and SCRISK but has no moderating effect on the relationship between SCT and SCR. By examining the critical role of SCT, the research opens the black box of the relationship between SCI and supply chain risk and resilience management and provides insights into how firms can establish and utilize SCT more effectively.
... • dynamic possibility to scale up and down the digital infrastructure and initial solution [76], [77]; • economics in process management [78]; • organizational flexibility [79], [80]; • energy efficiency [15]; • cost reduction in terms of servers, back-ups and licenses [77], [79], [81]. At the same time, new (additional) costs for training staff [79] and set up operations [82]; • on-demand access to shared digital resources that extend the scale and speed of business strategies for cloud service users [80], [83]; • expand the scope of digital business strategies involving third parties in the exchange of digital resources and capabilities [83], [84]; ...
... • dynamic possibility to scale up and down the digital infrastructure and initial solution [76], [77]; • economics in process management [78]; • organizational flexibility [79], [80]; • energy efficiency [15]; • cost reduction in terms of servers, back-ups and licenses [77], [79], [81]. At the same time, new (additional) costs for training staff [79] and set up operations [82]; • on-demand access to shared digital resources that extend the scale and speed of business strategies for cloud service users [80], [83]; • expand the scope of digital business strategies involving third parties in the exchange of digital resources and capabilities [83], [84]; ...
Geographical Information System (GIS), as an Information System (IS), helps public/private organizations represent changes in natural/human context and discover patterns/relationships for social and economic progress through the examination of spatial/non-spatial data. In GIS applications, like smart communities services, rapid updating of great amount of data and expenditure of resources (hardware, human, financial) are significant, making traditional analysis on a single computer impractical due to computing limitations. Over the years, GIS has transformed from a tool that merely visualizes data to one that can model future scenarios. So, at first Cloud Computing (CC) emerged as an Internet-based paradigm offering dynamic and scalable solutions. Then, a new ecosystem has been defined Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC), enabling CC capabilities and Information Technology (IT) services environment to the edge of the network, running applications, and performing related processing tasks closer to the customers. In this way network congestion is reduced and applications perform better. Therefore, a transition from CC to MEC is recommended for GIS. In this survey we provide a clear and structured overview of GIS applications proposed to date, who is using GIS and for what, to take advantage of its capabilities from integration with emerging technologies, CC first and MEC later, critically considering the problems, strengths and challenges inherent in these approaches, to support intelligent resource management and to fully grasp the opportunity offered by fifth-generation (5G) connectivity. The survey concludes by presenting some recommendations and future research directions.
... The implementation of ERP systems, for instance, enables the integration of diverse business processes, thereby automating routine tasks, mitigating manual errors, and enhancing overall efficiency (Kapulin et al., 2019;Oksamytna & Praha, 2022). Furthermore, MSMEs that adopt cloud-based management systems can enhance operational efficiency, particularly in areas such as inventory management, order processing, and decision-making processes related to purchasing, storage, and other operational aspects (Babiceanu & Seker, 2016;Giannakis et al., 2019;Helo & Hao, 2017;Jede & Teuteberg, 2016;Sukasih & Ariyanto, 2024;Vazquez-Martinez et al., 2018;Wu & Chiu, 2018). ...
This research explores the impact of digitalization on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) using a systematic literature review (SLR) approach based on the PRISMA method. The data collection process began with the identification of relevant scientific articles using the keywords "digitalization," "MSMEs," and "digital transformation," through leading academic databases, such as Scopus, Google Scholar, and JSTOR. The initial search identified 278 articles, of which 35 met the predetermined inclusion criteria. A thorough analysis of these 35 articles revealed that digitalization plays a pivotal role in fostering innovation within the MSME sector, offering benefits such as enhanced operational efficiency, expanded market access, and strengthened social, economic, and environmental sustainability. However, the implementation of digitalization in MSMEs is encumbered by several challenges, including limited resources, uneven digital infrastructure, and cyber security threats. The study underscores the significance of the government's role in establishing regulatory frameworks, offering financial incentives, and fortifying infrastructure to facilitate the sustainable digital transformation of MSMEs. This research provides strategic insights for policymakers, practitioners, and academics, offering guidance on the successful adoption of digitalization in the MSME sector.
... They explored how cloud-enabled SCI affects Supply Chain performance, which would ultimately increase firm sustainability from a resource-based perspective (RBV) (Shee et al., 2018b)-using systems theory and system dynamics to explore cloud computing as an enabler of electronic Supply Chain management systems (e-SCMs) that improves collaborative information sharing in a multi-echelon hospital Supply Chain (Kochan et al., 2018). Several methods to improve Supply Chain Responsiveness (SCR) were achieved by developing the architecture of a cloud-based Supply Chain Management (C-SCM) ecosystem (Giannakis et al., 2019). Researchers sought to create a hybrid cloud that primarily aids in integrating the Supply Chain network with agility and effectiveness (Sundarakani et al., 2021). ...
The rapid evolution of technology has been pivotal in reshaping industries, and the supply chain sector is no exception. As companies strive to remain competitive, innovation emerges as a critical driver of adaptation and transformation. This chapter aims to explore the profound impact of disruptive technologies (DTs) on supply chain management (SCM), specifically focusing on technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and data science. In doing so, the chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the historical development of DTs, analyze their current applications in enhancing the efficiency and efficacy of supply chain activities, and outline strategies for leveraging these technologies to gain a competitive advantage. The chapter employs a thorough review of existing literature and case studies to examine the integration of DTs in smart supply chains. Our review reveals that DTs have significantly improved the monitoring, creation, and transportation of commodities, fostering a more autonomous and cognitive-aware supply chain. Additionally, the chapter highlights the dual role of DTs in driving corporate digital transformation and enhancing overall performance. By dissecting the benefits and challenges associated with implementing DTs, this chapter contributes to the body of knowledge on smart supply chain management, offering valuable insights for practitioners and researchers aiming to harness the full potential of technological advancements in this field.
... For example, by analyzing historical transportation data and logistics routes, companies can optimize their transportation plans, reduce transit times and costs, and improve delivery efficiency. Additionally, by analyzing suppliers' delivery records and quality data, enterprises can better evaluate and select suppliers, ensuring the stability and efficiency of the supply chain [3]. Decision support systems represent another significant application of big data and cloud computing technologies in supply chain management. ...
The rapid advancements in big data, cloud computing, and cloud storage technologies are profoundly reshaping the operational models of smart manufacturing supply chains. The integration and application of these technologies not only drive the enhanced data collection and analysis capabilities across various supply chain segments but also significantly improve the accuracy of demand forecasting, the rationality of resource allocation, and the scientific nature of decision support. Consequently, the collaborative efficiency and dynamic response capabilities of supply chains have been substantially elevated, providing robust technological backing for enterprises in navigating the intricately volatile market environment. Nonetheless, while reaping the benefits of these technological advancements, challenges such as data security and privacy protection, system integration, and technical selection cannot be overlooked. By judiciously selecting technology platforms, reinforcing data security management, and continuously investing in technological advancements and talent cultivation, the holistic effectiveness of smart manufacturing supply chains will be further optimized.
... Cloudbased supply chain management systems unify various applications and services, enhancing visibility across the supply chain. This improvement allows for superior tracking of goods, inventory levels, and other critical metrics, empowering organizations to make informed decisions and optimize their operations [59]. Additionally, the cloud encourages enhanced connectivity and supports the integration of advanced technologies, including big data analytics, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT). ...
The fourth industrial revolution, referred to as Industry 4.0, has profoundly reshaped supply chain management, necessitating a vital digital transition known as SCM 4.0. This research investigates the implications of Industry 4.0 on supply chain management and identifies the drivers compelling organizations to modernize their methodologies. It; examines the influence of digital technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud computing, in cultivating supply chains that are increasingly resilient, agile, and attuned to customer demands, while also illustrating the shortcomings of traditional practices in meeting modern market expectations. The study articulates the benefits associated with the adoption of SCM 4.0, emphasizing that this transition has the potential to realize substantial advantages, including a projected 30% decrease in operational costs, a 75% reduction in lost sales, a potential decrease of up to 75% in inventory levels, and enhancements in demand forecast accuracy of 30% to 50% through the implementation of predictive analytics. The findings underscore that digital supply chains not only bolster operational efficiencies but also enable organizations to better align with current market requirements, thereby providing a competitive advantage in an increasingly complex business environment. In summary, this paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by scrutinizing the effects of Industry 4.0 technologies on supply chain management, addressing the limitations of traditional mechanisms, and offering a critical assessment of the strategic adaptations required for the successful adoption of SCM 4.0. These insights highlight the need for organizations to embrace digitalization and integrate advanced technologies to succeed within today's rapidly evolving market landscape.
... Through continuous learning and improvement, international logistics supply chain management can realize more efficient, reliable and flexible operations and bring greater competitive advantages for enterprises. Cross-border e-commerce, while bringing opportunities for enterprise development, also puts forward higher requirements for relationship management between enterprises and customers, and the construction of an international logistics supply chain management model is of great significance for promoting the relationship between enterprises and customers and improving the level of relationship management [22][23]. ...
This paper first introduces the lean supply chain international logistics management model and then determines the optimal conditions of the logistics supply chain for B2C enterprises through logistics service integrators and logistics service subcontractors. The paper then employs a combination of the factor analysis method and the factor rotation method to identify 17 key indicators that significantly influence the service quality of the international logistics management model for cross-border e-commerce. It then analyzes these relevant indicators and proposes targeted improvement countermeasures. The results revealed that the respondents have a high level of recognition for the 17 indicators that impact international logistics management, and their mean and standard deviation are stable. The results demonstrate that the first four factors can effectively explain the majority of the original data. Their eigenvalues are 8.157, 2.338, 2.132, and 1.045, and the variance contribution rates of their factors are 47.98%, 13.75%, 12.54%, and 6.14%, respectively, with the cumulative variance contribution rate explaining 80.41% of the original data. By combining the characteristics of the indicators, we identified four key factors: procurement, logistics and customs clearance, after-sale, and overall supply chain links. This study helps to better assist in the development of an international logistics supply chain management model oriented towards cross-border e-commerce.
... By following this research stream, some authors have tried to synthetize the main impacts of DT on marketing practices (Shkurupskaya and Litovchenko, 2016;Sunday and Vera, 2018), including (i) The increasing spread of information and communication technology (ICT) in the marketing communication channels; (ii) The opportunity to adopt real-time communication with customers; (iii) The development of new relationships between producers and consumers; (iv) The increasing effectiveness of the marketing activities through the monitoring of real-time data. Meanwhile, other authors have specifically focused their attention on the main digital technologies able to offer significant benefits to the marketing function (Ardito et al., 2019;Cluley et al., 2019;Giannakis et al., 2019;Ungerman et al., 2018) by also categorizing them on the basis of the marketing mix (Caliskan et al., 2020). ...
This article provides a systematic review of the extensive and fragmented literature focused on Digital Transformation (DT) and marketing by identifying the main themes and perspectives (i.e., employees, customers, and business processes) studied by previous research. By mapping the DT literature in the area of marketing, 117 articles, published between 2014 and 2020, have been identified. Through the adoption of a content analysis process, a multi-dimensional framework synthesizing the DT and marketing binomial has been provided. Results identify two thematical patterns: the macro-themes, related to the main digital technologies adopted within the marketing function, and the micro-themes, related to the effect/impact of these technologies on marketing processes and activities. Concerning the micro-themes, findings show how they have mainly studied from the customer and business processes’ perspectives, thus identifying an interesting research gap related to the analysis of the DT-marketing phenomenon from the employees’ standpoint. Based on these results, the paper derives a research agenda by also providing theoretical and managerial implications. Theoretically, it is the first systematic and thematic review focused on DT and marketing. In particular, it analyses this binomial from a broad and comprehensive perspective, thus offering a synergistic framework of the existing literature, which allows an inclusive vision and understanding about the phenomenon. At the managerial level, the paper could help organizations to enhance their awareness about marketing areas and processes that could better benefit from digitalization, thus driving the overall transition of firms towards DT.
... Computing is considered a technology based on storing, processing, and transferring computer data to the so-called cloud over the Internet. So, the programs transform from products to services, which contributes to easy access by users of data via the Internet, and the possibility of updating data in real-time [2]. It is through these New Developments that Smart cities have been created, and restaurants, airports, and commercial and health institutions have been developed. ...
The term Internet of Things (IoT) did not differ from other terms in its origins, as its first signs appeared in the industrial and commercial sectors. Therefore, the benefits of this technology must be generalized to all sectors to achieve intelligent communication resulting from advanced Internet protocols, cloud services, and smart devices such as smartphones. The combination of cloud computing and IoT is associated with more security vulnerabilities. For various reasons, security is seen as the most critical concern when integrating an IoT system with the cloud. This study aimed to identify the risks and challenges of using cloud computing in the Internet of Things. The study followed the descriptive approach to explain the risks and challenges of using cloud computing. The concept of the Internet of Things and cloud computing was explained, and the challenges and risks associated with them. In addition to, the risks resulting from integrating cloud computing into the Internet of Things.
... Bibliometrics supports researchers in their efforts to understand the origin, foundations, and evolution of an academic discipline (Ramos-Rodrı´guez & Ruiz-Navarro, 2004). The era of digitization and connectivity is characterized by a permanent flow of data that is transferred through technological networks (Giannakis et al., 2019). In this context, the integration of knowledge from different areas is more necessary than ever. ...
“The Capability Approach” (CA) is a normative and critical framework for assessing the well-being of people and societies. It is a pluralistic methodology open to deliberation, with applications in various branches of the Social Sciences. The suitability of CA for social, economic, and political improvements in a wide variety of contexts is highlighted, assuming ethical principles of defence of freedom and justice. The growing interest in relation to CA is reflected in a large increase in scientific production, which makes it difficult to outline its main lines of research precisely. Our study has two goals: on the one hand, it will become a fruitful instrument to learn about the main areas of research that already exist on CA; on the other hand, it will serve to enrich them and incorporate new lines of research into the field. Having a panoramic view of the trends in CA will facilitate their work for future researchers. To this end, taking the Web of Science database from 1994 to 2022 as a reference, a bibliometric analysis based on citations is conducted using the CiteSpace program. Our findings show that 11 clearly differentiated clusters have been detected, which correspond to the essential lines of research on CA. Our bibliometric analysis contributes to revealing the evolution of the academic field of CA, with special emphasis on emerging areas.
... The suggested ecosystem presents a perspective on SCM and related techniques in the context of cloud computing. Scenarios based on a case study of fashion retail supply chain operations investigate the possibility of improving SCR using the cloud [17]. ...
E-commerce offers unparalleled opportunities to enhance the efficacy and efficiency of supply chain management (SCM), since it represents a revolutionary leap in technology. In developing nations, retail and consumer product merchants have a behavioural desire to use e-commerce for SCM. This research attempts to investigate this intention. This study investigates the impact of cloud-based SCM systems enhanced by advanced machine learning (ML) techniques on supply chain resilience (SCR). Utilising data from a prominent Chinese home appliance shipping firm, the research evaluates the performance of ML models-Multi-Regression, LSTM, and ANN-in improving demand forecasting and inventory management. Results demonstrate that LSTM had the greatest predictive accuracy among a models evaluated, with RMSE values average 231.98 across Local Transshipment Centers (LTCs), reducing supply chain interruptions and improving operating efficiency. These findings underscore the efficacy of integrating ML with cloud SCM for bolstering supply chain resilience amidst operational uncertainties.
... The mean differences between the three indicators weren't significant, suggesting that non-response bias wasn't an issue in this study. Precautionary measures have been taken during survey development as well as administration to minimize the threat of typical method bias (Giannakis, 2019). Firstly, as mentioned above, a pretest removed ambiguous terms from the survey. ...
This paper aims to understand the nomological network of associations between collective and big data analytics in cultivating resilient humanitarian relief supply chains. Methodology / Approach the authors formulate a research design grounded in literature as well as test. The hypotheses utilizing survey data obtained from informants at human aid organizations in Europe and Africa. The findings show that organizational is crucial to enabling resilient humanitarian relief supply chains, instead of just big data analytics. This study is the first to look at organizational as well as big data analytics within the context of humanitarian aid supply chains.
... In Stage 2, AI applications are used to augment existing information sharing systems, i.e. they are designed to provide limited assistance by actively contributing to the decisionmaking process (Rodr ıguez-Esp ındola et al., 2020; Trunk et al., 2020). Trust between partners is increasing, and AI is used to assist in information sharing, such as automated data entry and analysis, data cleaning and consolidation, thereby reducing the need for manual intervention and increasing efficiency (Giannakis et al., 2019). In Stage 2, supply chain members share information such as demand forecasts and production schedules using more advanced communication tools like cloud-based platforms or shared databases (Kochan et al., 2018). ...
Purpose
Managers and scholars alike claim that artificial intelligence (AI) represents a tool to enhance supply chain collaborations; however, existing research is limited in providing frameworks that categorise to what extent companies can apply AI capabilities and support existing collaborations. In response, this paper clarifies the various implications of AI applications on supply chain collaborations, focusing on the core elements of information sharing and trust. A five-stage AI collaboration framework for supply chains is presented, supporting managers to classify the supply chain collaboration stage in a company’s AI journey.
Design/methodology/approach
Using existing literature on AI technology and collaboration and its effects of information sharing and trust, we present two frameworks to clarify (a) the interrelationships between information sharing, trust and AI capabilities and (b) develop a model illustrating five AI application stages how AI can be used for supply chain collaborations.
Findings
We identify various levels of interdependency between trust and AI capabilities and subsequently divide AI collaboration into five stages, namely complementary AI applications, augmentative AI applications, collaborative AI applications, autonomous AI applications and AI applications replacing existing systems.
Originality/value
Similar to the five stages of autonomous driving, the categorisation of AI collaboration along the supply chain into five consecutive stages provides insight into collaborations practices and represents a practical management tool to better understand the utilisation of AI capabilities in a supply chain environment.
... Further interrogation of research materials indicates that the greatest misconception of technology adoption is that new technologies replace people make create unemployment. A macroeconomic research study on structural unemployment showed that technology causes unemployment in some sectors of the economy by replacing humans [23]. However, multiple research studies have shown that technology creates more jobs and new dimensions of employment than those taken away by technological developments that replace people at the workplace. ...
The final report for the thesis summarizes the dissertation completion, noting the critical milestones attained, and reporting study completed and how they have been presented. The research study aimed to investigate the barriers that limit the adoption of cloud pharmacy and identify the role of leadership in driving technological change and the adoption of cloud pharmacy.
... Responsiveness delineates the pace at which a supply chain delivers market demand effectively relative to the order fulfillment cycle time (Christopher, 2016). Simply, supply chain responsiveness reflects client's demand delivery without any form of distortions or latencies with facets such as demand transparency, response lead time, and information sharing (Giannakis et al., 2019). Firms with responsive supply chains often have responsive logistics units and supplier networks (Chowdhury & Quaddus, 2016). ...
This paper responds to calls for research and conceptualizes resilience, responsiveness and reconfigurable (3Rs) capabilities required for handling disruptions in pre‐disruption, during disruption and post‐disruption stages. This paper examined the impact of analytics on 3Rs capabilities in the supply chain context building on the tenets of contingency theory. Drawing on survey data obtained from individuals with managerial positions in firms operating in the United Arab Emirates ( n = 151), this study investigates how supply chain analytics foster 3Rs capacities in the face of a pandemic using canonical correlation and linear regression analyses. Supply chain analytics is a relevant predictor for supply chain (i) resilience, (ii) responsiveness, and (iii) restoration/reconfiguration. Inevitable supply chain disruptions call for investment and integration of digital tools like supply chain analytics because they offer timely information for informed decision‐making. This work provides theoretical contributions to the domain of interest by exploring the role of supply chain analytics on the 3Rs capabilities.
... Moreover, the introduction of cloud computing transforms IT functions into services, which are adopted by organizations in an on-demand manner. In the supply chain operational process, cloud platform deployed with cloud computing could provide various services for enterprises in the supply chain throughout stages in the product lifecycle, including product design, product plan, manufacturing, product testing etc (Liu et al. 2016;Wu et al. 2013;Xu 2012;Giannakis, Spanaki, and Dubey 2019). ...
Cloud computing has emerged as a vital tool for facilitating information-sharing and collaboration in supply chain operations. However, how the information is shared in the cloud-based supply chain has not been thoroughly investigated. Thus, adopting a system dynamics approach, this research deepens the understanding of information transmission within the supply chain by proposing a general stock and flow model and endorsing the model in an equipment manufacturing setting in China. Building upon the general model, this paper establishes a conceptual framework for cloud-based information-sharing mechanisms both within and across supply chains. The impact of cloud-based information-sharing on supply chain performance is evaluated by inventory level and customer satisfaction. The findings indicate a positive influence of information-sharing on supply chain performance. Notably, sharing information across supply chains enhances customer satisfaction to a greater extent than within the supply chain. However, it does not lead to a significant increase in inventory levels. This research expounds on the impact of information-sharing on the supply chain in quantitative forms, which is of theoretical and practical significance to the field of supply chain management.
... Digital storage solutions, such as cloud storage, ensure easy accessibility to data from anywhere at any time. This accessibility enhances the availability of information, reducing delays and improving the overall efficiency of the supply chain (Giannakis et al., 2019;Toka et al., 2013). Digital storage allows for efficient data backup and redundancy, minimizing the risk of data loss. ...
This paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric literature review that aims to analyze and synthesize the existing research on the digital supply chain. By employing a bibliometric approach, this study provides insights into the trends, key research themes, influential authors, and relevant journals in the field of DSC. Furthermore, it explores the geographical distribution of publications, collaboration networks among researchers, and the evolution of research topics. The comprehensive bibliometric analysis of literature in DSC is performed through data visualization and content analysis. Data visualization enables the analysis of publication performance and science mapping by examining prolific journals, authors, countries, influential papers, and conducting citation, co-citation, and bibliographic coupling analyses. Content analysis is carried out by examining the occurrence and clustering of textual data. The bibliometric literature review and content analysis were carried out on 114 documents indexed in the Scopus database, which were selected using the Prisma protocol. The data visualization analysis of the literature review through VOSviewer draws the landscape of scholarly research in the digital supply chain. Based on the research landscape, the content analysis demonstrates the significant effects that the incorporation of digital technology into supply chain management has had on several important research topics. The main research trends in digital supply chain according to the content analysis are: intelligent supply chain management, technologies to drive supply chains performance, circular supply chains, information reliability in supply chains, and sustainable supply chains. The findings of this review highlight the transformative potential of digital technologies in supply chain management and its performance optimization.
... Research by [7] provides insights into the strategic implications of cloud adoption in manufacturing firms, outlining considerations for successful implementation and integration into existing business processes. Research of [8] underscores the significance of a well-defined governance framework for cloud-based manufacturing environments, emphasizing the need for standardized protocols and policies to ensure secure and compliant operations. A few years back [9] examined the challenges and opportunities of cloud computing in smart manufacturing. ...
This study investigates the profound impact ofcloud computing on the manufacturing industry, accentuatingits potential benefits and versatile applications. The studymeticulously explores adoption trends, backed by real-worldcase studies, and evaluates the appropriateness of diverse cloudservice and deployment models within manufacturing. Keycloud features, including scalability, availability, automation,efficiency, and collaboration, are dissected for theirempowerment in the manufacturing domain. Furthermore, acritical review of leading cloud service providers, namely AWS,Azure, and GCP, elucidates their features geared towardsenhancing performance, fostering innovation, and drivingtransformation in manufacturing. The research advocates forAWS as the prime recommendation due to its extensive serviceofferings and dominance in machine learning, a pivotal aspectof manufacturing evolution. Concurrently, the challengesintrinsic to cloud adoption in manufacturing, particularlyconcerning security, privacy, and management complexities, arescrutinized. Despite these challenges, the study asserts thatcloud computing stands as a transformative force, steering themodernization of manufacturing operations toward increasedefficiency and innovation.
... The effects of information and communication technology (ICT) and the rise of the digital age have stimulated the creation of a vast array of digital items in different parts of the world (Ahmad et al. 2019). In this digital age, there is an information flood and explosion since data is being produced at an exponential rate because of the development of the internet, mobile technology, sensors, and cloud computing (Giannakis et al. 2019). Over the past two decades, big data has been extensively addressed in a variety of sectors (Djafri et al. 2018), however, until now, experts have been unable to agree on a single definition of big data. ...
The aim of this research was to analyze the contemporary practices of Big Data Analytics (BDA) in medical libraries of Pakistan and to explore ways for its implementation in these libraries. A cross-sectional study was carried out among medical librarians in Pakistan by using a Modified Technology Acceptance Model (MTAM) model, with collected data analyzed using Smart-PLS. The results revealed that lack of resources, technical expertise, and some other factors were significant hurdles in smooth implementation of BDA. It is concluded that the perception of medical librarians about adoption of BDA is very encouraging, which resultantly will improve the quality of healthcare services in the country.
... The impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and digital emergence has led to the development of huge numbers of digital objects around the world [1]. There is an information flood and explosion in this digital era, as it is rightly reported that, due to the advancement in the internet, mobile technology, sensors and cloud computing data is being produced at an exponential rate [2]. Big data has been extensively discussed in various fields of life for the last two decades [3]. ...
________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the perception of medical librarians, their capabilities, and the organizational infrastructure of medical institute and teaching hospital libraries of the Punjab for the convincing implementation of Big Data Analytics (BDA). Among the major objectives of this study were to determine the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, behavioral intentions, BDA skills of librarians, current practices, and actual use of BDA in these medical libraries. Survey method was employed to collect data from 156 medical librarians. Collected data was analyzed through SEM-PLS. Results of the study revealed that all the hypotheses were significantly supported (except-H2 and H5). The study showed a positive impact of perceived ease of use on perceived usefulness. Similarly, PU has a significant positive impact on BI, skills and current practices. Furthermore, there is a significant positive relationship between BI and Skills, and between current practices and Performance / actual use.
... Attaran (2021) asserts that these tools enhance order accuracy, increase efficiency, and provide real-time visibility into inventory and order status, leading to quicker and more precise order processing. According to Giannakis et al. (2019), the presence of a proficient and motivated crew is crucial for ensuring the effectiveness of warehouse operations. According to Masae, (2021) the implementation of effective training programmes, unambiguous job descriptions, and performance incentives has the potential to enhance staff morale, minimise errors, and augment productivity. ...
Company operations and global trade necessitate storage. Warehouse management is essential for meeting customer expectations, ensuring product availability, and delivering globally swiftly and affordably. A company's international competitiveness can suffer from warehouse instability. This study assesses warehouse performance for competitive advantage. The report also explores top management's disregard for warehouse management's impact on manufacturing competitiveness. This paper reviews warehouse management system research from several industries. Reviewing literature for gaps and flaws. Quantitative methods include industrial specialized surveys. Three varied South African manufacturing enterprises will be case-studied. Deduction is used to analyze industry expert consultation data. Due to its accessibility and data collection suitability, convenience sampling was employed to choose participants. This study discovered many warehouse management issues in South African industrial firms. Integration and automation are lacking in current systems, hampering global competitiveness. Warehouse movements and infrastructure damage increased without zone selection. Technology-illiterate warehouse workers slowed operations. The study offers zone picking, warehouse training, and warehouse system integration and automation to address these difficulties. South African industrial firms should strengthen warehouse management systems, according to this study. These organizations can enhance operational efficiency, save money, and compete globally with the suggested changes. Zone picking, warehouse system integration, and worker technical training can alleviate challenges and provide companies an edge. This study highlights warehouse management's often overlooked significance in manufacturing competitiveness. International organizations can do better by studying warehouse management system problems and solutions. Practical warehouse management advice from this study increases South African industry competitiveness.
... The master cloud server serves as the intelligent core of the metaverse, equipped to handle extensive data processing, identify potential issues and opportunities, and offer valuable insights for informed decision -making (Chakraborty and Das, 2021). Leveraging data from a variety of sensors and IoMT devices, the main cloud server boasts multifunctionality (Giannakis et al., 2019). First and foremost, it can monitor patients' health status in real-time, encompassing vital signs like temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and other physiological parameters. ...
In the complex landscape of healthcare supply chains, challenges extend well beyond internal operational concerns, necessitating innovative solutions that align with the evolving technological landscape. The metaverse has emerged as a compelling solution to address these challenges by offering the potential for significant enhancements in efficiency and traceability. This paper focuses on both the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of integrating the metaverse into healthcare supply chain management. Employing the Cyber-Physical-Social System framework, the study comprehensively explores the pivotal roles played by emerging information technologies in constructing the metaverse and overseeing various stages of the healthcare supply chain. The practical application is exemplified through the introduction of the TraceLink example, illustrating the successful healthcare supply chain digitalization. Furthermore, the paper introduces a barrier framework based on the Technology-Organization-Environment framework, addressing obstacles such as obsolete management technologies, data security, organizational structure, and societal acceptance. The examination and comparison of individual barriers further provide a nuanced understanding of the challenges. This comprehensive exploration not only equips research scholars with profound insights for addressing these challenges but also lays the foundation for future endeavors. The envisioned improvements in healthcare service delivery hold substantial benefits for patients and the industry, making this research a pioneering exploration of the metaverse's potential applications within the realm of the healthcare supply chain.
... Furthermore, the effective use of information technology in SMEs increases their dynamic competitiveness in national as well as international markets, and this is the primary reason that the government of Pakistan is making sure to innovate the use of information technology in SMEs so that they can enhance their sustainability, job creation, and actualize their firm performance. Supply chain issues can impact the SMEs' reliability and responsiveness in terms of their service quality [13][14][15]. ...
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are more adaptable because of their size and straightforward structure; they will be better able to take advantage of changes and innovation. SMEs are common in the nation and have significantly increased Pakistan’s GDP. To achieve and guarantee these SMEs’ effective performance, they must improve the quality of their services. For this reason, the current study has looked into the significance of Supply Chain Integration (SCI). The present research has adopted a “quantitative research design” to conduct the study. Concerning the research framework, the independent variable is supplying chain logistic issues that impact SME service quality through the mediation of supply chain integration. There are two methods adopted for the data analysis. Firstly, the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) is employed for the demographic outcomes. Secondly, regression, reliability and validity analysis are carried through the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The results of the study indicated the six linkages. Firstly, the association of High Cost of Information Technology (HCI) positively impacts Coordination and collaboration. Secondly, Quality Logistic Personnel (QLP) is positively and significantly associated with Commitment and competence. Thirdly, HCI indicated a positive link with Coordination and collaboration. Fourthly, QLP expresses a positive and significant relationship with Coordination and collaboration. Fifthly, QLP demonstrated a positive and significant association with Creativeness and customisation. Finally, QLP showed insignificant negative results with Coordination and collaboration. The present study holds greater significance in this regard. The study provides valuable insights to the employees or workforce of SME businesses to supervise or rationally monitor their supply chain performance. The service quality of SMEs has been measured through commitment and competence, creativity and customization, and coordination & collaboration of sales logistic personnel.
... A manufacturing company employs diverse strategies to enhance its performance [10], including the adoption of E-SC practices, technologies and tools. The extent of computer and internet utilization have enhanced manufacturing companies' efficiency through the creation of a web-based application for supply chain management [11]. ...
The paper examines both the direct and indirect impact of implementing E-Supply Chain Management (E-SC) practices on performance of Omani manufacturing firms. A Structural Equation Modelling analysis was conducted based on a large scale survey applied to 108 manufacturing firms. Results of the research revealed that E-SC practices had a direct positive effect on both business and operational performance, where their direct effects on operational performance was stronger than their effect on business performance. The results also showed that while the indirect effect of E-SC on operational performance was partially supported, a full indirect effect between E-SC and business performance was found. Our findings imply that although a substitutive implementation of various types of E-SC can lead to marginal positive performance outcomes, achieving substantial performance outcomes might require more collaborative and highly coordinated approach of implementing these practices. Several other theoretical and practical insights are provided by the findings of this paper on understanding the potential benefits of the direct and indirect implementation of E-SC practices.
This study examines the transmission of risks and co‐movements between financial and commodity markets during the global financial crisis from July 26, 2007 to December 31, 2009, as well as the sovereign debt crisis from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2013. Daily closing prices of leading stock indices from G7 markets and China were analyzed. The Granger causality with a time‐varying framework was used as a preliminary step to support the diagonal BEKK model to study risk transmission hedging. Additionally, the DCC‐MGARCH model was employed to investigate dynamic conditional volatilities. Findings from previous studies indicate that econometric evidence of Granger causality in a time‐varying context reveals that the existence of non‐causality is interchanged with the existence of causality, although the duration of non‐causality significantly exceeded the periods in which causality is exhibited between the markets analyzed. Moreover, according to the BEKK model and the DCC‐MGARCH, the results show that during the global financial crisis, risk transmissions between financial indices and the gold market were most pronounced. However, the levels of risk transmission between financial and oil markets were consistently higher than those between financial and gold markets.
The increasing complexity of the U.S. tax system has created a demand for more efficient and scalable tax administration solutions. Managed services, powered by advanced technology and outsourcing models, offer a pathway for transforming tax compliance, enforcement, and policy implementation. This review presents a theoretical model for scalable tax transformation through managed services, integrating cloud-based platforms, artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA), and data analytics. These technologies streamline tax reporting, enhance compliance accuracy, and reduce administrative burdens for businesses and government agencies. Cloud-based managed tax services facilitate real-time data access, ensuring seamless collaboration between taxpayers and regulatory authorities. AI-driven analytics enhance fraud detection, risk assessment, and predictive modeling, enabling proactive tax enforcement. RPA automates routine tax filing processes, minimizing human errors and expediting tax return processing. Furthermore, predictive analytics supports revenue forecasting, allowing policymakers to design more effective tax strategies. Despite its advantages, integrating managed services into the U.S. tax system presents challenges, including data security risks, regulatory compliance concerns, and the need for interoperability with legacy tax infrastructure. Ensuring transparency, accountability, and taxpayer trust in managed tax solutions is crucial for widespread adoption. Policymakers must establish governance frameworks that promote responsible AI use, data privacy protections, and public-private collaboration. This review highlights key policy recommendations, including regulatory alignment, investment in AI-driven tax automation, and workforce training for tax professionals. By leveraging managed services, the U.S. tax system can achieve greater efficiency, cost savings, and scalability, while maintaining compliance integrity. This theoretical model provides a foundation for understanding how managed tax services can drive a more adaptive and intelligent tax ecosystem, shaping the future of digital tax administration.
The increasing complexity of the U.S. tax system has created a demand for more efficient and scalable tax administration solutions. Managed services, powered by advanced technology and outsourcing models, offer a pathway for transforming tax compliance, enforcement, and policy implementation. This review presents a theoretical model for scalable tax transformation through managed services, integrating cloud-based platforms, artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA), and data analytics. These technologies streamline tax reporting, enhance compliance accuracy, and reduce administrative burdens for businesses and government agencies. Cloud-based managed tax services facilitate real-time data access, ensuring seamless collaboration between taxpayers and regulatory authorities. AI-driven analytics enhance fraud detection, risk assessment, and predictive modeling, enabling proactive tax enforcement. RPA automates routine tax filing processes, minimizing human errors and expediting tax return processing. Furthermore, predictive analytics supports revenue forecasting, allowing policymakers to design more effective tax strategies. Despite its advantages, integrating managed services into the U.S. tax system presents challenges, including data security risks, regulatory compliance concerns, and the need for interoperability with legacy tax infrastructure. Ensuring transparency, accountability, and taxpayer trust in managed tax solutions is crucial for widespread adoption. Policymakers must establish governance frameworks that promote responsible AI use, data privacy protections, and public-private collaboration. This review highlights key policy recommendations, including regulatory alignment, investment in AI-driven tax automation, and workforce training for tax professionals. By leveraging managed services, the U.S. tax system can achieve greater efficiency, cost savings, and scalability, while maintaining compliance integrity. This theoretical model provides a foundation for understanding how managed tax services can drive a more adaptive and intelligent tax ecosystem, shaping the future of digital tax administration.
Purpose
In today’s turbulent business environment, firms continually turn to technology as a panacea for supply chain resilience and performance problems. This article seeks to understand if information and communication technology (ICT) platforms, specifically cloud-based platforms, differ in their ability to enable supply chain resilience and operational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical survey data was gathered, and a partial least squares structural equation model was performed on responses from 174 logistics and supply chain operations managers. A multigroup analysis compared the structural model measures of cloud-based and non-cloud-based platforms.
Findings
This research provides evidence that supply chain resilience and performance are agnostic of the ICT platform type and deeply rooted in the relational antecedents of cooperation and coordination. Tangentially, this study confirms concepts of coordination and cooperation supported by ICT are antecedents to the robustness and agility of supply chains. Moreover, empirical evidence also reveals that supply chain robustness mediates the relationships between supply chain agility, coordination and cooperation.
Practical implications
While firms continually seek technological solutions to bolster the resilience of their supply chains, we show that they should focus on developing the social elements of supply chain partnerships.
Originality/value
This study’s examination of the influence of ICT on supply chain resilience and performance contributes to the growing body of empirical analysis in the literature. Through its theoretical lens, this article deepens the understanding of analyzing supply chain resilience and performance measures between firms utilizing different ICT platforms.
Retail technology adoption is essential for improving operational efficiency, enhancing customer engagement, and supporting sustainable growth in a highly competitive environment. Despite the growing importance of digital transformation in retail, significant research gaps remain in understanding collaborative innovation networks within this sector. This study addresses these gaps by utilizing Social Network Analysis (SNA) to examine patent registrations in retail technology, analyzing a dataset of 36,411 patents from 1995 to 2024. The methodology includes network construction, community detection, and keyword analysis, mapping out 8,225 entities and 14,805 collaborations. Results reveal IBM, Target Brands, and Procter & Gamble as pivotal entities with high network centrality, highlighting their influence across key technological domains like AI, digital commerce, and retail security. The research categorizes technologies into 15 domains—such as Core Retail Operations, Digital Commerce, and Retail Communication—exposing seven major clusters where innovation efforts are concentrated. These findings offer practical insights for corporations, SMEs, startups, and policymakers aiming to navigate technological change and optimize strategic investments in retail. By detailing the relationships between leading entities and emerging technology clusters, this study provides a comprehensive view of the retail innovation landscape, aiding stakeholders in decision-making around technology adoption, collaborative opportunities, and competitive positioning in an increasingly digital retail ecosystem.
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the digital transformation of supply chain management has become imperative for organizations seeking to remain competitive and responsive to market demands. This chapter provides a comprehensive exploration of data-driven logistics optimization and its pivotal role in powering the digital supply chain. This chapter begins with an overview of digital transformation in supply chain management and lays the groundwork by elaborating on the fundamental principles underlying logistics optimization. Drawing on real-world case studies, this chapter examines how organizations leverage data-driven insights to optimize logistics activities and enhance decision-making processes in response to supply chain disruptions. A documentary analysis, which involved critically reviewing academic books, articles, journals, and websites on data-driven logistics, was conducted. In addition, thematic analysis was employed to identify and develop key thematic insights. Furthermore, the study findings provide areas for future research.
Purpose
The purpose of our research on blockchain technology is to unveil its immense potential, understand its applications and implications and identify opportunities to revolutionize existing systems and processes. This research aims to inspire the creation of new innovative solutions for industries. By harnessing blockchain technology, organizations can pinpoint key areas that could significantly benefit from its use, such as streamlining operations, providing secure and transparent digital solutions and fortifying data security.
Design/methodology/approach
This study presents a robust multi-criteria decision-making framework for assessing blockchain drivers in selected Indian industries. We initiated with an extensive literature review to identify potential drivers. We then sought the opinions of experts in the field to validate and refine our list. This meticulous process led us to identify 26 drivers, which we categorized into five main categories. Finally, we employed the Best-Worst Method to determine the relative importance of each criterion, ensuring a comprehensive and reliable assessment.
Findings
The authors have ranked the blockchain drivers based on their degree of importance using the Best-Worst Method. This study reveals the priority of BC implementation, with the retail industry identified as the most in need, followed by the Banking and Healthcare industries. Various critical factors are identified where blockchain technology could help reduce costs, increase efficiency and enable new innovative business models.
Research limitations/implications
While this study acknowledges potential bias in driver assessment relying on literature and expert opinions, its findings carry significant practical implications. We have identified key areas where blockchain technology could be transformative by focusing on select industries. Future research should encompass other industries and real-world case studies for practical insights that could delve into the adoption challenges and benefits of blockchain technology in many other industries, thereby amplifying the relevance of our findings.
Originality/value
Blockchain is a groundbreaking, innovative technology with immense potential to revolutionize industries. Past research has explored the benefits and challenges of blockchain implementation in specific industries or sectors. This creates a gap in research regarding systematically classifying and ranking the importance of blockchain across different Indian industries. Our research seeks to address this gap by using advanced multi-criteria decision-making techniques. We aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the significance of blockchain technology in critical Indian industries, offering valuable insights that can inform strategic decision-making and drive innovation in the country’s business landscape.
This concept paper proposes the integration of accounting models with supply chain management in the aerospace industry as a strategic approach to enhancing efficiency and reducing costs in the United States. The aerospace sector faces numerous challenges, including complex supply chains, stringent regulatory requirements, and cost pressures. By combining accounting principles with supply chain management strategies, this approach aims to optimize operations, improve financial transparency, and foster collaboration among stakeholders. Key objectives of this initiative include streamlining financial processes, enhancing decision-making capabilities, and mitigating risks associated with supply chain disruptions. By leveraging accounting models such as activity-based costing, lean accounting, and performance measurement systems, organizations can gain insights into cost structures, identify inefficiencies, and allocate resources effectively across the supply chain. Moreover, integrating accounting with supply chain management enables real-time monitoring of financial performance metrics, enabling timely interventions and adjustments to achieve strategic goals. This approach also facilitates better coordination between finance and operations teams, leading to improved communication, alignment of objectives, and ultimately, enhanced organizational performance. In the context of the aerospace industry, where precision, reliability, and cost-efficiency are paramount, this integrated approach offers significant benefits. It enables companies to optimize inventory management, minimize waste, and identify opportunities for cost savings throughout the supply chain. Additionally, by fostering a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making, organizations can adapt more effectively to market dynamics and gain a competitive edge. This concept paper outlines the theoretical framework and practical implications of integrating accounting models with supply chain management in the aerospace industry. Through case studies, best practices, and implementation strategies, it provides a roadmap for organizations to embrace this strategic approach and realize its full potential in enhancing efficiency and reducing costs in the U.S. aerospace sector.
Supply chain performance measurement is an integral part of supply chain management that reveals the efficiency, health and success of the supply chain and offers areas for improvement in this regard. Nowadays, new ways maintain to be sought to realise the highest possible potential of supply chains. The Fourth Industrial Revolution enabled limitless benefits to supply chains and created a transformation that alters the entire supply chain and business models. This study aims to reveal the contributions of this industrial revolution's technologies to supply chain performance and to ensure superior performance is achieved thanks to these technologies. In this study, the fourth industrial revolution was examined in light of the stages of industrial revolutions and the concept of supply chain performance was explained by considering the historical development of performance management. Afterwards, the dimensions of supply chain performance in the literature and the SCOR model version 13.0 attributes and their metrics, which are considered as dimensions of supply chain performance in this study, are elaborated. The contributions of these technologies to supply chain performance were investigated. The study ended with the evaluation of the findings.
This study aims to identify various Industry 4.0 technological enablers and analyze their relationships in achieving transparency in sustainable supply chains. Initially, 17 Industry 4.0 technological enablers were selected based on an extensive literature review of sustainable supply chains and evaluated through Systems and Information Processing theories. Using the fuzzy Delphi method, these enablers were then narrowed down to 14 relevant ones. The reliability of these enablers was assessed by measuring their internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha ( α ) and McDonald's omega ( ω ). The fuzzy Decision‐Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method was then used to demonstrate that blockchain, cybersecurity, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) are the most prominent and influential enablers for enhancing transparency in a sustainable supply chain. Additionally, the cause–effect relationship of other key enablers provides evidence for a feasibility study that links sustainability with transparency across the supply chain. These identified Industry 4.0 technological enablers can assist external stakeholders and policymakers in improving transparency and advancing sustainable supply chain practices.
Purpose
The rapid global changes we are witnessing pose a pressing challenge that necessitates reevaluating conventional supply chain practices. Consequently, the integration of digital technologies into supply chain operations, often referred to as digital supply chain (DSC), has emerged as a strategic shift that aims to empower organizations to proactively seize new opportunities rather than being caught off guard by unforeseen disruptions arising from economic volatility, global pandemics and regional conflicts. Thus, this study embraces a knowledge-centric approach to explore the direct and indirect impact of knowledge management, innovation and learning capabilities on DSC adoption in an emerging economy context. Furthermore, it aims to shed light on the moderating role of environmental dynamism in this intricate interplay.
Design/methodology/approach
Employing a cross-sectional survey, the research data were collected from 354 managers representing Egyptian manufacturing and service firms utilizing a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
The results unveiled that knowledge management capability (KMC) has the highest path coefficient value among all endogenous variables. It accounts for a significant portion of the variance in innovation and learning capabilities, which play pivotal roles in adopting DSC. Notably, learning capability appears to exert a more powerful influence on DSC adoption than innovation capability through direct and mediating effects. Furthermore, the findings underscore the moderating effect of environmental dynamism on the relationship between learning capability and DSC adoption. However, this moderating role is not observed in the link between innovation capability and DSC adoption.
Practical implications
There is a growing trend among firms to adopt DSC in response to significant environmental shifts. This study offers valuable insights for managers and policymakers, providing them with a deeper understanding of the DSC adoption process. The study’s findings assist in identifying crucial factors that boost DSC adoption and offer guidance on successfully leveraging digital technologies for managing supply chain practices. Moreover, the study offers stimulating directions for future DSC research directions.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the existing literature by expanding our understanding of the adoption of DSC by utilizing knowledge, innovation and learning capabilities within the context of emerging economies.
Purpose
Production systems occupy geographically dispersed organizations with limited visibility and transparency. Such limitations create operational inefficiencies across the Supply Chain (SC). Recently, researchers have started exploring applications of Digital Twins Technology (DTT) to improve SC operations. In this context, there is a need to provide comprehensive theoretical knowledge and frameworks to help stakeholders understand the adoption of DTT. This study aims to fulfill the research gap by empirically investigating DTT readiness to enable transparency in SC.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive literature survey was conducted to develop a theoretical model related to Supply Chain Transparency (SCT) and DTT readiness. Then, a questionnaire was developed based on the proposed theoretical model, and data was collected from Indian manufacturers. The data was analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to confirm the proposed relationships.
Findings
The findings from the study confirmed a positive relationship between DTT implementation and SCT. This study reported that data readiness, perceived values and benefits of DTT, and organizational readiness and leadership support influence DTT readiness and further lead to SCT.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature and knowledge by uniquely mapping and validating various interactions between DTT readiness and sustainable SC performance.
The call for a special issue delves into the transformative impact of digitalization on firms' global activities and the concurrent pursuit of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights the burgeoning scholarly interest in understanding how digital technologies catalyze firms' internationalization efforts, creating new opportunities while also emphasizing the imperative of aligning these efforts with sustainable development objectives. However, significant challenges persist in integrating the SDGs into firms' globalization strategies, including the need for a shared understanding of operationalizing the goals and addressing complexities in balancing legal, ethical, and economic considerations. The call underscores three key issues: the need for robust theoretical frameworks to elucidate the interplay between digitalization, internationalization, and the SDGs; the exploration of tensions and trade-offs inherent in this nexus, such as value creation versus capture and unintended consequences of digital adoption; and the importance of contextualizing these dynamics within diverse institutional and regional settings. Ultimately, the special issue aims to advance understanding and provide actionable insights into leveraging digitalization for sustainable globalization.
ABSTRACT
Pall (cloud) technology and fog computing have surfaced as innovative results in the field of force chain operation, offering multitudinous benefits and openings for associations seeking to optimize their operations. This abstract explores the integration of pall technology and fog computing in force chain operation, pressing their distinct features, advantages, and implicit challenges. Pall technology, characterized by its scalability and on-demand resource provisioning, enables associations to store, process, and dissect vast quantities of data in a centralized manner. By conditioning pall-grounded platforms and services, force chain directors can streamline information sharing, collaboration, and decision-making processes across colorful stakeholders, similar as suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Fog computing, also known as edge computing, complements pall technology by extending its capabilities to the network edge. Fog computing brings calculating coffers closer to the data source, reducing quiescence and enhancing real-time data processing and analysis. This relegated approach enables force chain operation systems to handle time-sensitive tasks, similar as monitoring and controlling force situations, tracking shipments, and managing product processes. Fog computing also enhances data security and sequestration by reducing the need for data transfer to centralized pall waiters. Pall technology and fog computing has several advantages. Initially, it enables bettered functional effectiveness through enhanced data vacuity, availability, and analytics. Most relevant perceptivity into force chain processes grease better decision-timber, enabling associations to respond instantly to dynamic request conditions and alleviate dislocations. Secondly, the scalability and inflexibility of pall and fog computing results support the integration of arising technologies similar as the Internet of effects (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), farther enhancing force chain capabilities. Primarily, the combination of pall and fog computing helps associations optimize resource allocation, profitable, and minimize time-out, leading to bettered client satisfaction and competitive advantage. These include data security and sequestration enterprises, as well as the need for robust network structure to support fog computing capabilities. Councils must apply applicable security measures to cover sensitive force chain data and insure compliance with nonsupervisory conditions. The deployment and operation of fog computing structure at the network edge bear careful planning and collaboration. 54 Pall and Fog computing offer significant eventuality for enhancing functional effectiveness, responsiveness, and competitiveness. By using pall-grounded platforms and bringing computing coffers closer to the data source through fog computing, associations can achieve real-time data processing, bettered decision-timber, and optimized resource allocation. I. Introduction Pall (cloud) technology and fog computing are two innovative approaches that are transubstantiating the field of force chain operation. Pall technology involves the delivery of computing coffers, storehouse, and software over the internet, furnishing a centralized platform for companies to integrate and manage their force chain ecosystem. This enables real-time collaboration, data sharing, and streamlined communication, leading to bettered decision-timber and functional effectiveness. Apart from, fog computing brings computational capabilities closer to the edge of the network, allowing for real-time data processing and analytics at the point of origin, similar as storages and product lines. This enables briskly decision-timber, enhanced responsiveness, and bettered visibility into the force chain, indeed in surroundings with limited connectivity. The integration of pall technology and fog computing in force chain operation offers assets similar as increased observable, visionary decision-timber, bettered force operation, and reduced costs, eventually enhancing client satisfaction.
This study examines the strategic role of integrated logistics and global sourcing in a firm's supply chain performance, aiming to explain their role in gaining a competitive edge. Employing an extensive literature review, the research initially investigates their broader impact on global supply chains and subsequently focuses on integrated logistics and global sourcing domains. The findings highlight the increasing importance of supply chain integration in contemporary business strategy. The study establishes that integrating logistics and global sourcing is pivotal for achieving performance improvements crucial for success in today's competitive landscape. It demonstrates that this integration yields various organizational benefits, including cost reduction, improved technology access, enhanced sourcing consistency, strengthened supplier relationships, and improved information sharing. Consequently, this paper addresses a significant gap in the global supply chain literature by synthesizing the concepts of integrated logistics and global sourcing, providing a comprehensive understanding of how they collectively enhance supply chain performance in a fiercely competitive market. As such, it offers a valuable resource for practitioners and academics seeking insight into the pivotal role of integrated logistics and global sourcing in a firm's overall performance.
Many companies invest considerable resources in developing Business Analytics (BA) capabilities to improve their performance. BA can affect performance in many different ways. This paper analyses how BA capabilities affect firms’ agility through information quality and innovative capability. Furthermore, it studies the moderating role of environmental turbulence, both technological and in the market. The proposed model was tested using statistical data from 154 firms with two respondents (CEO and CIO) from each firm. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares (PLS)/Structured Equation Modelling (SEM). Our results indicate that BA capabilities strongly impact a firm’s agility through an increase in information quality and innovative capability. We also discuss that both market and technological turbulence moderate the influence of firms' agility on firms' performance.
Purpose
Globalization and liberalization of the world economy have leveled the field for all competitors across the globe. To face global competition successfully, SMEs have to break their isolation in the value chain. To overcome the dynamic challenges of the market, supply chain management can be an important tool for SMEs. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize different issues related to the coordination and responsiveness of supply chain management in SMEs, through a review of the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
In all, 116 research papers, mainly from referred international journals, are reviewed to identify the thrust areas of research. On the basis of the review, gaps are identified and a research agenda is proposed.
Findings
It is observed from the review that SMEs have not been very proactive in implementing supply chain management. These organizations face a lot of problems in coordinating their operations with other members of the supply chain. They are localized in functioning. On export fronts SMEs face many constraints due to lack of resources and poor innovative capabilities. To face the challenges of open global market, SMEs have to manage their problems and supply chain risks effectively. Research gaps are identified in different areas of the supply chain such as coordination and responsiveness issues, service quality issues, and performance benchmarking for future directions of research.
Originality/value
This paper explores the major areas for research on coordination and responsiveness of SME supply chains. The findings of the paper will be highly useful for the researchers to decide the direction of their research.
Growing interest on business collaboration motivates today’s industries, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to establish and manage dynamic and non-hierarchical business networks to respond to market opportunities with added business benefits. This business environment requires concurrent work and real time information sharing between key business partners in order to design and develop customized products. The use of traditional communication media such as e-mail, phone and fax are not satisfactory to get real-time information and are time consuming and most often ineffective. In such environments, an ICT (Information and Communication Technology)/Web-based technology supports real-time information sharing among networked SMEs for the collaborative design and manufacturing of customized products. This paper proposes an innovative ICT platform supporting SMEs collaboration, through Web and the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, which follows the Net-Challenge conceptual approach and methodological guidelines for SMEs to form and operate virtual organizations (VO) for the collaborative development and delivery of customized products. The ICT Platform was assessed in three different industry domains, namely the textile & apparel, the footwear and the machine tools respectively. This ICT solution promotes collaboration, with substantial advantages for SMEs including the reduction of costs and delivery time and improvement of the innovation potential.
Abstract
Purpose – In globalized economy, product life cycle is reducing continuously, customers demands are
changing fast, and lead time for response is decreasing. In such scenario, ability of firms to quickly
respond to changes in their external environment is a primary determinant of firm’ s p er for man ce. T hi s
can be only possible when whole of the supply chain (SC) is responsive. For this, firms have to manage
internal operations effectively to enable SC, responsive for market requirements. The purpose of this
paper is to identify different factors for responsive SC.
Design/methodology/approach – Based on literature review, total 17 critical factors for the
responsive SC have been identified. Some of these factors are process oriented and some are result
oriented. To develop structural relationship among these factors from strategic perspective, interpretive
structural modeling (ISM) approach has been applied.
Findings – It is observed that top management commitment, strategy development, resource
development, use of technology, risk and reward sharing are major drivers for responsive SC.
By managing these enablers, organizations can also benefit in terms of inventory management, lead
time reduction and agility.
Research limitations/implications – ISM has got some limitations. Major limitation is that the
relationships developed are subjective and there are chances of biasing. Therefore findings need to be
validated with case studies and empirical findings.
Practical implications – Top management should strive for effective use of resources and
technology to improve SC capabilities to meet market changes.
Originality/value – This study develops structural relationships between different factors and it will
help organizations in taking initiatives for improving responsiveness.
Keywords Responsiveness, Trust, Value chain, Supply chain management
Cloud computing has received increasing interest from enterprises since its inception. With its innovative information technology (IT) services delivery model, cloud computing could add technical and strategic business value to enterprises. However, cloud computing poses highly concerning internal (e.g., Top management and experience) and external issues (e.g., regulations and standards). This paper presents a systematic literature review to explore the current key issues related to cloud computing adoption. This is achieved by reviewing 51 articles published about cloud computing adoption. Using the grounded theory approach, articles are classified into eight main categories: internal, external, evaluation, proof of concept, adoption decision, implementation and integration, IT governance, and confirmation. Then, the eight categories are divided into two abstract categories: cloud computing adoption factors and processes, where the former affects the latter. The results of this review indicate that enterprises face serious issues before they decide to adopt cloud computing. Based on the findings, the paper provides a future information systems (IS) research agenda to explore the previously under-investigated areas regarding cloud computing adoption factors and processes. This paper calls for further theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions to the research area of cloud computing adoption by enterprises.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to perform a systematic review of articles that have used the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT).
Design/methodology/approach
– The results produced in this research are based on the literature analysis of 174 existing articles on the UTAUT model. This has been performed by collecting data including demographic details, methodological details, limitations, and significance of relationships between the constructs from the available articles based on the UTAUT.
Findings
– The findings indicated that general purpose systems and specialized business systems were examined in the majority of the articles using the UTAUT. The analysis also indicated that cross-sectional approach, survey methods, and structural equation modelling analysis techniques were the most explored research methodologies whereas SPSS was found to be the largely used analysis tools. Moreover, the weight analysis of independent variables indicates that variables such as performance expectancy and behavioural intention qualified for the best predictor category. Moreover, the analysis also suggested that single subject or biased sample as the most explored limitation across all studies.
Research limitations/implications
– The search activities were centered on occurrences of keywords to avoid tracing a large number of publications where these keywords might have been used as casual words in the main text. However, we acknowledge that there may be a number of studies, which lack keywords in the title, but still focus upon UTAUT in some form.
Originality/value
– This is the first research of its type which has extensively examined the literature on the UTAUT and provided the researchers with the accumulative knowledge about the model.
Cloud computing (CC) is an emerging form of IT outsourcing (ITO) that requires organizations to adjust their sourcing processes. Although ITO researchers have established an extensive knowledge base on the determinant factors that drive sourcing decisions from various theoretical perspectives, the majority of research on cloud-sourcing decisions focuses on technological aspects. We reviewed the CC and ITO literature and systematically coded the determinant factors that influence sourcing decisions. We show that most determinant factors of sourcing decisions in the ITO context remain valid for the CC context. However, the findings for some factors (i.e., asset specificity, client firm IT capabilities, client firm size, institutional influences, and uncertainty) are inconclusive for the CC and ITO contexts. We discuss how the peculiarities of CC can explain these inconclusive findings. Our results indicate that CC researchers should draw from research on ITO decision making but re-examine ITO concepts in the light of the peculiarities of CC, such as the differences between software and infrastructure services, the self-service procurement of cloud services, or the evolving role of IT departments. By summarizing determinant factors of cloud-sourcing decisions for consideration in future research, we contribute to the development of endogenous theories in the IS domain.
The emergence of cloud computing is transforming the way organizations purchase and manage computing resources, providing a fundamentally different IT model in which a cloud provider might be responsible for a range of IT activities. Trust between client organization and cloud provider is a strong predictor of successful cloud deployment. Cloud computing is organized into three standard service models, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Since cloud computing is generally characterized as an IT service, the ability of the client organization to integrate and utilize the vendor's services determines the extent IT benefits are likely to be achieved. Trust develops through communication, procurement, and transactional activities, culminating in the IT manager's perception that the vendor is trustworthy, reliable, evenhanded, and working in the best interests of the client.
Cloud computing has become central to current discussions about corporate information technology. To assess the impact that cloud may have on enterprises, it is important to evaluate the claims made in the existing literature and critically review these claims against empirical evidence from the field. To this end, this paper provides a framework within which to locate existing and future research on cloud computing. This framework is structured around a series of technological and service ‘desires’, that is, characteristics of cloud that are important for cloud users. The existing literature on cloud computing is located within this framework and is supplemented with empirical evidence from interviews with cloud providers and cloud users that were undertaken between 2010 and 2012. The paper identifies a range of research questions that arise from the analysis.
This paper investigates the fundamental building blocks of supply chain agility, which are conceptualized as supply- and demand-side competence. While the former is conceptualized as production and supply management related activities, the latter is conceptualized as distribution and demand management related activities. The model further assesses the influence of supply chain agility on operational performance, as well as its mediating role in the relationship between supply- and demand-side competence and performance. Within this framework, process compliance, i.e. how well supply chain management processes are internally executed by the firm’s employees, is viewed as an enabler (moderator) on the relationship between supply chain competencies and supply chain agility. Theoretical substantiation is provided by the resource-based view of the firm augmented with the dynamic capabilities perspective. The model is tested with data from 121 supply chain management professionals. Implications for both academic theory development, and supply chain and production management practice are provided.
Combining with the emerged technologies such as cloud computing, the Internet of things, service-oriented technologies and high performance computing, a new manufacturing paradigm – cloud manufacturing (CMfg) – for solving the bottlenecks in the informatisation development and manufacturing applications is introduced. The concept of CMfg, including its architecture, typical characteristics and the key technologies for implementing a CMfg service platform, is discussed. Three core components for constructing a CMfg system, i.e. CMfg resources, manufacturing cloud service and manufacturing cloud are studied, and the constructing method for manufacturing cloud is investigated. Finally, a prototype of CMfg and the existing related works conducted by the authors' group on CMfg are briefly presented.
Cloud manufacturing, a service oriented, customer centric, demand driven manufacturing model is explored in both its possible future and current states. A unique strategic vision for the field is docu-mented, and the current state of technology is presented from both industry and academic viewpoints. Key commercial implementations are presented, along with the state of research in fields critical to enablement of cloud manufacturing, including but not limited to automation, industrial control systems, service composition, flexibility, business models, and proposed implementation models and architec-tures. Comparison of the strategic vision and current state leads to suggestions for future work, including research in the areas of high speed, long distance industrial control systems, flexibility enablement, business models, cloud computing applications in manufacturing, and prominent implementation archi-tectures.
Purpose
Many organizations are outsourcing their information technology (IT) related services to a third party vendor for quite some time. However, the IT services industry including outsourcing is going through rapid changes with the increasing adoption of Cloud computing. The purpose of this paper is to compare global IT outsourcing with Cloud computing along with the evolution of traditional IT services.
Design/methodology/approach
Cloud computing is a model for provisioning and consuming IT capabilities on a need and pay by use basis. This helps in shifting the cost structure from capital expenditure to operating expenditure and also helps the IT systems to be more agile. This innovative model of acquiring IT related services has made organizations revisit their infrastructure and platform services strategy and optimize their IT spending while improving overall agility. This paper compares global IT outsourcing with Cloud computing along with the evolution of traditional IT services.
Findings
The impact of Cloud computing on IT outsourcing is no doubt significant. Cloud computing represents a fundamental shift in how organizations pay for and access IT services. It has created new opportunities for IT services providers and the outsourcing vendors will have to modify their strategy to take advantage of this new computing paradigm.
Practical implications
This research is relevant for practitioners as well as researchers in the field of IT outsourcing and Cloud computing.
Originality/value
This research compares global outsourcing with Cloud computing along with the evolution of IT services. Very little research has been done in this nascent and important area.
Supply chain collaboration is critical to achieving the integration of partners for performance impact. Two major concerns arise, organization's sharing behaviors and technology use behaviors. An organization's sharing behaviors relates to a decision of two perceptions among partners, commitment of network resources and fairness of network resources distribution. Further, technology use behaviors are important for members in IT-enabled supply chain. Social capital and justice issues intend to explain the two particular perceptions as IS success model defining technology use behaviors. This study integrates the three issues to examine their influence on supply chain collaboration and in turn, realized firm performance. Empirical findings report that technology use behaviors are most significant as other two issues are also concerned.
Supply chain resilience and data analytics capability have generated increased interest in academia and among practitioners.
However, existing studies often treat these two streams of literature independently. Our study model reconciles two different
streams of literature: data analytics capability as a means to improve information-processing capacity and supply chain
resilience as a means to reduce a ripple effect in supply chain or quickly recover after disruptions in the supply chain. We
have grounded our theoretical model in the organisational information processing theory (OIPT). Four research hypotheses
are tested using responses from 213 Indian manufacturing organisations collected via a pre-tested survey-based instrument.
We further test our model using variance-based structural equation modelling, popularly known as PLS-SEM. All of the
hypotheses were supported. The findings of our study offer a unique contribution to information systems (IS) and operations
management (OM) literature. The findings further provide numerous directions to the supply chain managers. Finally, we
note our study limitations and provide further research directions.
Keywords: Data analytics; ripple effect; disruption; supply chain resilience; competitive advantage; structural equation
modelling; organisational information processing theory
We investigate the influence of manufacturing and service technology investments (i.e., tech investments), Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and financial factors on global manufacturing and service industry performance, from 2006 to 2014. This is accomplished by employing clustering, and decision tree induction, in conjunction with the Technology, Organization, and Environment framework (TOE) as the theoretical framework of the investigation. ICT and financial factors vary in importance across industries at different levels of technological advancement. Low-tech industries rely on loans and tech investments. As they move to transition industries, tech investments are more important. Once they become highly technologically advanced, bank lending policies become more important.
Cloud computing is a popular outsourcing solution for organizations to support the information management during the life cycle of digital information goods. However, outsourcing management with a public provider results in a lack of control over digital products, which could produce incidents such as data unavailability during service outages, violations of confidentiality and/or legal issues. This paper presents a novel distribution model of digital products inspired by lean supply chain principles called CloudChain, which has been designed to support the information management during digital product lifecycle. This model enables connected networks of customers, partners and organizations to conduct the stages of digital product lifecycle as value chains. Virtual distribution channels are created over cloud resources for applications of organizations to deliver digital products to applications of partners through a seamless information flow. A configurable packing and logistic service was developed to ensure confidentiality and privacy in the product delivery by using encrypted packs. A chain management architecture enables organizations to keep tighter control over their value chains, distribution channels and digital products. CloudChain software instances were integrated to an information management system of a space agency. In an experimental evaluation CloudChain prototype was evaluated in a private cloud where the feasibility of applying supply chain principles to the delivery of digital products in terms of efficiency, flexibility and security was revealed.
This paper presents a meta-analysis of cloud computing research in information systems with the aim of taking stock of literature and their associated research frameworks, research methodology, geographical distribution, level of analysis as well as trends of these studies over the period of 7 years. A total of 285 articles from 67 peer review journals from the year 2009 to 2015 were used in the analysis. The findings indicate that extant cloud computing literature tends to skew towards the technological dimension to the detriment of other under-researched dimensions such as business, conceptualization and application domain. Whilst there has been a constant increase in cloud computing studies over the last seven years, a significant number of these studies have not been underpinned by theoretical frameworks and models. Also, a majority of cloud computing studies utilized experiment and simulation as methods of enquiry as compared to the qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methodologies. This study contributes to cloud computing research by providing holistic insights into trends on themes, methodology, research framework, geographical focus and future research directions.
Purpose
On account of its easy and intuitive usage as well as obvious advantages (e.g. access to work data from anywhere, at any time and through any means) the evolutionary cloud computing paradigm favors the use of shadow IT. Since many employees are not aware of the associated risks and possible legal violations, unauthorized use of cloud computing services could result in substantial risk exposure for any company. The purpose of this paper is to explore and to extend the body of knowledge concerning the topic of cloud computing with regard to shadow IT.
Design/methodology/approach
The aim of this contribution is to identify the reasons for the use of cloud computing services and the resulting shadow IT from an employee’s perspective, to demonstrate the counteractions a company may take against the unauthorized use of cloud computing services and to elaborate on the inherent opportunities and risks. We follow a mixed-methods approach consisting of a systematic literature review, a cloud computing awareness study, a vignette study and expert interviews.
Findings
Based on a triangulation of the data sets, the paper at hand proposes a morphological box as well as a two-piece belief-action-outcome model, both from an employee’s and employer’s point of view. Our findings ultimately lead to recommendations for action for employers to counteract the risk exposure. Furthermore, also employees are sensitized by means of insights into the topic of unauthorized usage of cloud computing services in everyday working life.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of the triangulation reflect the limitations of each applied research method. These limitations justify why a mixed-methods approach is favored – rather than relying on a single source of data – because data from various sources can be triangulated.
Practical implications
The paper includes recommendations for action for the handling of the unauthorized usage of cloud computing services within a company, e.g., the set up of a company-wide cloud security strategy and the conduction of an anonymous employee survey to identify the status quo.
Originality/value
This paper fulfills an identified need to explore the usage of cloud computing services within the context of shadow IT.
Cloud computing is changing the way industries and enterprises run their businesses. Cloud manufacturing is emerging as an approach to transform the traditional manufacturing business model, while helping the manufacturer to align production efficiency with its business strategy, and creating intelligent factory networks that enable collaboration across the whole enterprise. Many production planning and control (PPC) problems are essentially optimisation problems, where the objective is to develop a plan that meets the demand at minimum cost or maximum profit. Because the underlying optimisation problem will vary in the different business and operation phases, it is important to think about optimisation in a dynamic mechanism and in a number of interlinked sub-problems at the same time. Cloud manufacturing has the potential to offer decision support as a service and medium of communication in PPC. To solve these problems and produce collaboration across the supply chain, this paper provides an overview of the state of the art in cloud manufacturing and presents a model of cloud-based production planning and production system for sheet metal processing.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of cloud computing (CC) use on collaboration and its ultimate impact on the agility of humanitarian supply chains. Further, this paper aims to analyze the moderating role of inter-organizational trust in the relationship between CC use and collaboration.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper provides an empirical assessment of CC use based on an interview analysis of 19 individuals from humanitarian organizations. A survey questionnaire is later used with 107 participants from US relief organizations. Partial least squares test is used to examine the relationships depicted in the conceptual model.
Findings
The results provide an account of how CC is used in a humanitarian context. Further, the results indicate that CC use has a positive and significant impact on collaboration between humanitarian organizations and their suppliers. Collaboration is found to be significantly positively associated with agility in humanitarian organizations.
Research limitations/implications
No study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, has empirically assessed the impact of CC use on humanitarian supply chain collaboration. This will be the first study to empirically analyze the relationships between CC use, inter-organizational trust, collaboration and agility in a humanitarian context.
Practical implications
This study provides a theoretically and empirically validated model depicting the relationships between CC use, collaboration, agility and inter-organizational trust in humanitarian supply chains. Humanitarian organizations can use these findings to optimize agility.
Originality/value
This study contributes to supply chain management research, particularly humanitarian supply chain management knowledge, by empirically examining the usefulness of CC use on collaboration and agility in the supply chain.
Purpose
– There are cloud computing (CC) services available for various applications within the supply chain management (SCM). These services offer, for example, consistent global networking platforms and enable quick decision making, which may strengthen competitive advantages. The specification of the single-related elements and the coordination mechanisms between actors and information flows is complex. In this paper, the authors argue that reference models can accelerate understanding these processes. The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of the current state of the underlying research field and to present a reference model that supports theory and practice in adopting CC services at SCM.
Design/methodology/approach
– This paper provides a cross-discipline systematic literature review from the research perspectives of information systems and SCM. Based on 102 papers, the authors designed a reference model showing the interrelations between various elements of CC and SCM.
Findings
– The authors discover the most important chances and risks for CC implementations in supply chain (SC) processes and pay special attention to SC sustainability aspects of CC. Until now, SCM research in the realm of CC usage is still in its infancy both in theory and practice.
Originality/value
– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no systematic literature review that consistently focusses CC usage within SC processes while integrating specific aspects of strategic theory. The obtained insights lead to the first SCM-related reference model for CC usage.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that drive the adoption of cloud-based services and further understand the impact of this adoption on the organizational flexibility. This study presents information technology executive’s perspective and discovers new constructs of organizational flexibility that can be achieved due to the adoption of cloud-based services, which is the main contribution of this paper.
Design/methodology/approach
– This study uses in-depth interview approach. Total 21 Indian cases were studied by interacting with respondents having similar profiles (i.e. CIOs, CTOs, technology heads, and systems managers). Based on the literature review a semi-structured questionnaire was prepared and administered through in-depth interviews.
Findings
– Analysis of data reveals that cloud-based services provide relative advantage in terms of scalability, accessibility, and on-demand deployment of services within no time. Easy to use interface, experience, and expertise of the cloud service provider as well as support from top management plays important role in the cloud adoption decision. Further the study also identifies that no matter which model of cloud-based services (software-as-a-service (SaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), or infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS)) is used; cloud-based services’ adoption impacts organizational flexibility, which can be divided into four categories, namely, economic flexibility, process flexibility, performance flexibility, and market flexibility.
Research limitations/implications
– This is an exploratory study conducted through in-depth interviews hence the results can further be verified through a quantitative research. The study does not explore negative factors that may discourage adoption of cloud-based services. Though two factors vendor lock-in and security emerged as a concern very prominently in the in-depth interviews but this issue can further be explored in detail.
Originality/value
– This study bridge the gap in the research by identifying the factors that drive the adoption of cloud-based services in different forms (SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS) as well exploring the impact of cloud adoption on the organizational flexibility in case of Indian organizations.
Cloud Computing is now a global trend and during the past decade, has drawn attention from both academic and business communities. Although the evolution of cloud computing has not reached the maturity level, there is still adequate research about the topic. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the development and evolution of cloud computing over time. A content analysis was conducted for 236 scholarly journal articles, which were published between 2009-2014 in order to i) identify the possible trends and changes in cloud computing over the six years, ii) compare publishing productivity of journals about the cloud computing subject, and iii) guide future research about cloud computing. The results show that the majority of the cloud computing research is about “cloud computing adoption” (19%), and it was followed by the “legal and ethical issues” of cloud computing (15%). It is also found that “cloud computing for mobile applications” (6%), “benefits & challenges of cloud computing” (5%) and “energy consumption dimension of cloud computing” (4%) are the least attention-grabbing themes in the literature. However, “cloud computing for mobile applications” and “energy consumption dimension of cloud computing” themes have become popular in the last two years, so they are expected to be trendy topics of the near future. Finally, another finding of this study is that the majority of the articles were published by engineering, information systems or technical journals such as “IT Professional Magazine”, International Journal of Information Management” and “Mobile Networks and Applications”. It seems as if this topic is generally ignored by the managerial and organizational journals even though the impact of cloud computing on organizations and institutions is immense and is in need of investigation.
Rapid changes in the open manufacturing environment are imminent due to the increase of customer demand, global competition, and digital fusion. This has exponentially increased both complexity and uncertainty in the manufacturing landscape, creating serious challenges for competitive enterprises. For enterprises to remain competitive, analysing manufacturing activities and designing systems to address emergent needs, in a timely and efficient manner, is understood to be crucial. However, existing analysis and design approaches adopt a narrow diagnostic focus on either managerial or engineering aspects and neglect to consider the holistic complex behaviour of enterprises in a collaborative manufacturing network (CMN). It has been suggested that reflecting upon ecosystem theory may bring a better understanding of how to analyse the CMN. The research presented in this paper draws on a theoretical discussion with aim to demonstrate a facilitating approach to those analysis and design tasks. This approach was later operationalised using enterprise modelling (EM) techniques in a novel, developed framework that enhanced systematic analysis, design, and business-IT alignment. It is expected that this research view is opening a new field of investigation.
The potential of cloud computing is gaining significant interest in Modeling & Simulation (M&S). The underlying concept of using computing power as a utility is very attractive to users that can access state-of-the-art hardware and software without capital investment. Moreover, the cloud computing characteristics of rapid elasticity and the ability to scale up or down according to workload make it very attractive to numerous applications including M&S. Research and development work typically focuses on the implementation of cloud-based systems supporting M&S as a Service (MSaaS). Such systems are typically composed of a supply chain of technology services. How is the payment collected from the end-user and distributed to the stakeholders in the supply chain? We discuss the business aspects of developing a cloud platform for various M&S applications. Business models from the perspectives of the stakeholders involved in providing and using MSaaS and cloud computing are investigated and presented.
The recent advances in sensor and communication technologies can provide the foundations for linking the physical manufacturing facility and machine world to the cyber world of Internet applications. The coupled manufacturing cyber-physical system is envisioned to handle the actual operations in the physical world while simultaneously monitor them in the cyber world with the help of advanced data processing and simulation models at both the manufacturing process and system operational levels. Moreover, a sensor-packed manufacturing system in which each process or piece of equipment makes available event and status information, coupled with market research for true advanced Big Data analytics, seem to be the right ingredients for event response selection and operation virtualization. As a drawback, the resulting manufacturing cyber-physical system will be vulnerable to the inevitable cyber-attacks, unfortunately, so common for the software and Internet-based systems. This reality makes cybersecurity penetration within the manufacturing domain a need that goes uncontested across researchers and practitioners. This work provides a review of the current status of virtualization and cloud-based services for manufacturing systems and of the use of Big Data analytics for planning and control of manufacturing operations. Building on already developed cloud business solutions, cloud manufacturing is expected to offer improved enterprise manufacturing and business decision support. Based on the current state-of-the-art cloud manufacturing solutions and Big Data applications, this work also proposes a framework for the development of predictive manufacturing cyber-physical systems that include capabilities for attaching to the Internet of Things, and capabilities for complex event processing and Big Data algorithmic analytics.
As business conditions change rapidly, the need for integrating business and technical systems calls for novel ICT frameworks and solutions to remain concurrent in highly competitive markets. A number of problems and issues arise in this regard. In this paper, four big challenges of enterprise Information systems (EIS) are defined and discussed: (1) data value chain management; (2) context awareness; (3) usability, interaction and visualization; and (4) human learning and continuous education. Major contributions and research orientations of ICT technologies are elaborated based on selected key issues and lessons learned. First, the semantic mediator is proposed as a key enabler for dealing with semantic interoperability. Second, the context-aware infrastructures are proposed as a main solution for making efficient use of EIS to offer a high level of customization of delivered services and data. Third, the product avatar is proposed as a contribution to an evolutionary social, collaborative and product-centric and interaction metaphor with EIS. Fourth, human learning solutions are considered to develop individual competences in order to cope with new technological advances. The paper ends with a discussion on the impact of the proposed solutions on the economic and social landscape and proposes a set of recommendations as a perspective towards next generation of information systems.
Our study examines the effect of relational, managerial and technical IT-based capabilities on cloud computing success; and analyzes how this success impacts firm performance with respect to the processes and operations supported by cloud computing. Additionally, we investigated the complex relationships that exist between IT capabilities and the public, private and hybrid cloud delivery models. Data from a sample of 302 organizations were collected to empirically test our model. The results indicate that a relational IT capability is the most influential factor to facilitate cloud success compared to technical and managerial IT capabilities. Furthermore, an evaluation of the interrelationships indicates that the public and hybrid cloud delivery models may be more dependent on relational IT capabilities for cloud success while the flexibility and agility of the firm's internal IT (technical IT capability) facilitates the public cloud. We discuss how IT-based capabilities may be used to leverage cloud delivery models to positively influence the successful implementation of cloud computing, and ultimately, firm performance for the processes and operations supported by the cloud.
The appropriate collection and consumption of electronic health information about an individual patient or population is the bedrock of modern healthcare, where electronic medical records (EMR) serve as the main carrier. This paper first introduces the main goal of this special issue and gives a brief guideline. Then, the present situation of the adoption of EMRs is reviewed. After that, the emerging information technologies are presented which have a great impact on the healthcare provision. These include health sensing for medical data collection, medical data analysis and utilization for accurate detection and prediction. Next, cloud computing is discussed, as it may provide scalable and cost-effective delivery of healthcare services. Accordingly, the current state of academic research is documented on emerging information technologies for new paradigms of healthcare service. At last, conclusions are made.
This paper examines the relationship between supply chain (SC) strategy and supply chain information systems (IS) strategy, and its impact on supply chain performance and firm performance. Theorizing from the supply chain and IS literatures within an overarching framework of the information processing theory (IPT), we develop hypotheses proposing a positive moderating effect of two supply chain IS strategies – IS for Efficiency and IS for Flexibility – on the respective relationships between two SC strategies – Lean and Agile, and supply chain performance. Based on confirmatory analysis and structural equation modeling of survey data from members of senior and executive management in the purchase/materials management/logistics/supply chain functions, from 205 firms, we validate these hypotheses and show that the IS for Efficiency (IS for Flexibility) IS strategy enhances the relationship between Lean (Agile) SC strategy and supply chain performance. We also show a positive association between supply chain performance and firm performance, and a full (partial) mediation effect of supply chain performance on the relation between Agile (Lean) SC strategy and firm performance. The paper contributes to the supply chain literature by providing theoretical understanding and empirical support of how SC strategies and IS strategies can work together to boost supply chain performance. In doing so, it identifies particular types of supply chain IS application portfolios that can enhance the benefits from specific SC strategies. The paper also develops and validates instruments for measuring two types of SC strategies and supply chain IS strategies. For practice, the paper offers guidance in making investment decisions for adopting and deploying IS appropriate to particular SC strategies and analyzing possible lack of alignment between applications that the firm deploys in its supply chain, and the information processing needs of its SC strategy.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is becoming increasingly important and is being used in business, production, manufacturing and logistics industries. However, RFID technology is still not fully development. This article examines the collection of some of the issues and challenges facing the RFID technology adoption in industrial applications and offers an initial roadmap to view the challenging and problems for further research. From this article, we see that the more research effort and development put into RFID study, the more successful RFID adoption we can see.
The main objective of this research is to investigate the impact of manufacturing flexibility and technological dimensions of manufacturing strategy on responsiveness in the supply chain. Based on the theoretical background of dynamic capability, this study also examines the role of the business environment on the relationship between manufacturing flexibility and supply chain responsiveness. 144 structured surveys were collected and the partial least squares of structural equation modelling approach were utilised for data analysis. The result establishes relationships among various dimensions of manufacturing flexibility. Although the technological dimensions in manufacturing strategy of such advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) and e-procurement do not have any direct impact on new product and market flexibility, they increase supply chain responsiveness, which helps to react quickly against supply chain disruptions. More importantly, the business environment has a moderating effect on the relationship between market flexibility and supply chain responsiveness.
Cloud computing is a new information technology (IT) paradigm that promises to revolutionize traditional IT delivery through reduced costs, greater elasticity, and ubiquitous access. On the surface, adopting cloud computing requires a firm to address many of the same concerns they face in adopting any enterprise IT. However, cloud technologies also offer new pricing and deployment strategies that are unavailable in traditional enterprise solutions. It is unclear how previous research frameworks of enterprise IT adoption relate to these new adoption strategies. To bridge this gap in the literature, our study uses the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework of innovation diffusion theory to develop a cloud service adoption model that deals with not only adoption intention, but also pricing mechanisms and deployment models. Our research model has been empirically tested using 200 Taiwanese firms. We found that: (1) Cloud adoption is still at its initial stage, since the adoption rates are very low; (2) the perceived benefits, business concerns, and IT capability within the TOE framework are significant determinants of cloud computing adoption, while external pressure is not; (3) firms with greater IT capability tend to choose the pay-as-you-go pricing mechanism; (4) business concern is the most important factor influencing the choice of deployment model, with higher concerns leading to private deployment options.
Since the seminal article by Eisenhardt (1989), scholarly interest in case research has mushroomed in operations management and organization sciences. Volumes of methodological texts are matched with a massive amount of empirical research that seeks to develop case research as a scientific method. What is missing from this literature is a treatment of the methodological diversity of case research. In this paper, we seek to unveil this heterogeneity by describing three distinct methodological accounts of case study: theory generation, theory testing, and theory elaboration. Each approach has its own idiosyncrasies, in particular when it comes to the interplay between theory and empirics. A typical case research incorporates both existing theories and empirical data to varying degrees. In light of this heterogeneity, we re-interpret key aspects of extant contributions and discuss guidelines for future case research. We propose that ultimately, case research rigor is determined by attention to idiosyncrasy and transparency of reasoning. We conclude by arguing that we have witnessed in the past 25 years in organization research what amounts to the Renaissance of case research.
Manufacturing enterprises have to organize themselves into effective system architectures forming different types of Networked Enterprises (NE) to match fast changing market demands. Cloud Computing (CC) is an important up to date computing concept for NE, as it offers significant financial and technical advantages beside high-level collaboration possibilities. As cloud computing is a new concept the solutions for handling interoperability, portability, security, privacy and standardization challenges have not been solved fully yet. The paper introduces the main characteristics of future Internet-based enterprises and the different CC models. An overview is given on interoperability and actual standardization issues in CC environments. A taxonomy on possible connecting forms of networked enterprises and cloud-based IT systems with reference on interoperability is introduced, parallel presenting four use cases as well. Finally, an example of connecting cloud and NE is presented as an effective application of cloud computing in manufacturing industry.
Research suggests that there are other, more granular factors within the domain of innovation diffusion theory that influence the adoption of technological innovations. In this study, the circumstances that affect a firm's intention to adopt cloud computing technologies in support of its supply chain operations are investigated by considering tenets of classical diffusion theory as framed within the context of the information processing view. We posit that various aspects of an organization and its respective environment represent both information processing requirements and capacity, which influence the firm's desire to adopt certain information technology innovations. We conducted an empirical study using a survey method and regression analysis to examine our theoretical model. The results suggest that business process complexity, entrepreneurial culture and the degree to which existing information systems embody compatibility and application functionality significantly affect a firm's propensity to adopt cloud computing technologies. The findings support our theoretical development and suggest complementarities between innovation diffusion theory and the information processing view. We encourage other scholars to refine our model in future supply chain innovation diffusion research. The findings of this study might also be used by industry professionals to aid in making more informed adoption decisions in regard to cloud computing technologies in support of the supply chain.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the critical factors that will affect the decision to adopt cloud computing technology in developing countries, specifically in Taiwan's hospital industry. This study mainly integrates the TOE (Technology-Organization-Environment) framework and HOT-fit (Human-Organization-Technology fit) model to understand this issue. Information was collected by employing a questionnaire research design to hospital CIOs in Taiwan. The obtained results indicate that the 5 most critical factors are data security, perceived technical competence, cost, top manager support, and complexity. Further, among the proposed four dimensions the most important one is technology followed by human, organizational, and environmental factors. Finally, the results show that significant differences exist in CIO innovativeness, data security, compatibility, top manager support, adequate resource, and perceived industry pressure across different adopting groups. For practitioners, this study identifies key factors for hospitals to make an adoption decision toward cloud computing technology. As for academia, this study can be provided as a useful reference for future studies in this subject field.
This study investigates the impact of information technology (IT) on supply chain agility measured by the ability to sense and respond to market changes, and the impact supply chain agility has on firm performance. Data were collected from supply chain executives at 193 U.S. manufacturing firms. The results suggest that IT improves the supply chain's ability to sense market changes by improving the adequacy, accuracy, accessibility, and timeliness of the information flows among members of the supply chain. IT also increases the supply chain's ability to respond to market changes by reducing the cost, and improving the quality and timeliness of developing and executing coordinated plans to respond to market changes throughout the supply chain. Importantly, the results indicate that enhanced supply chain agility has positive impacts on the firm's sales, market share, profitability, speed to market, and customer satisfaction.
Organizations, of all types, live in an increasingly dynamic world. Much of this dynamism is generated by developments or innovations in technology, especially information and communication technology (ICT). Some organizations take advantage of this dynamism and create new products and business models and thrive. Others ignore it or take a long time trying to adapt to it and struggle, often with negative consequences. Some of these innovations, to use the terminology of Christensen, are of a “disruptive” nature such as the telephone, the Web and recently cloud computing. This paper explores the innovation phenomenon of cloud computing and Web 2.0 and specifically examines their impact on organizational knowledge.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to employ organizational information processing theory to assess how a firm's information processing requirements and capabilities combine to affect the intention to adopt cloud computing as an enabler of electronic supply chain management systems. Specifically, the paper examines the extent to which task uncertainty, environmental uncertainty, and inter‐organizational uncertainty affect intention to adopt cloud computing technology and how information processing capability may moderate these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a multiple method approach, thus examining the hypothesized model with both quantitative and qualitative methods. To begin, the paper incorporates a Delphi study as a way in which to choose a practically relevant characterization of the moderating variable, information processing capability. The authors then use a survey method and hierarchical linear regression to quantitatively test their hypotheses. Finally, the authors employ interviews to gather additional qualitative data, which they examine via use of content analysis in order to provide additional insight into the tenability of the proposed model.
Findings
The quantitative analysis suggests that significant two‐way interactions exist between each independent variable and the moderating variable; each of these interactions is significantly related to intention to adopt cloud computing. The qualitative results support the assertion that information processing requirements and information processing capability affect intention to adopt cloud computing. These findings support the relationships addressed in the hypothesized model and suggest that the decision to adopt cloud computing is based upon complex circumstances.
Research limitations/implications
This research is limited by the use of single key informants for both the quantitative and qualitative portions of the study. Nonetheless, this study enhances understanding of electronic supply chain management systems, and specifically cloud computing, through the application of organizational information processing theory. The authors’ mixed‐methods approach allowed them to draw more substantive conclusions; the findings provide a theoretical and empirical foundation for future research in this area, and also suggest the use of additional theoretical perspectives.
Practical implications
This study provides insight that can help supply chain managers to better understand how requirements, when coupled with capabilities, may influence the decision to adopt cloud computing as an enabler of supply chain management systems.
Originality/value
As an emerging technology, cloud computing is changing the form and function of information technology infrastructures. This study enhances the understanding of how this technology may diffuse within the supply chain.
This work presents a Cloud Computing environment with support for educational robotics. The general purpose is to evaluate principles and methodologies to provide virtualized management architecture for educational enterprises in open source Cloud domains. These environments bring many advantages to its users as affordable cost of implementation and maintenance, large scale of resources integration, and others. We especially highlight its inherent low-level delays when performing remote experiments from outside enterprise’s domain. In robotics, Internet overheads and delays have significant impact by reducing performance on experiments, and with a virtualized architecture in Cloud, this effect can be minimized. To achieve this, services and applications run on virtualized desktops in the Cloud with fast network connections. Users can log into their virtual machines hosted on local servers with common Internet. Once logged, users can benefit from fast local network to interact with the available resources. Cloud Computing is performed under these conditions to have its potentiality evaluated. Also, guidelines are described to reduce the effort to offer applications in these environments according to the proposed open source architecture. Many companies are focusing on this emergent paradigm seeking cost reductions, high availability of pre-configured computational infrastructures, billing proportional to demand, and others. In robotics, virtualization in Cloud is an alternative to keep collaborations between students and to promote safe and robust integration of geographically distant robotic resources. Implementations of remote experiments are discussed, showing how to make robotic Cloud domains possible with open source tools in these decentralized environments.
Agility is increasingly mentioned as one of the coming challenges to the international business world, given volatile markets and increasingly dynamic performance requirements. Existing literature, however, mainly presents agility as a general management or a strongly manufacturing biased concept, but does not explicitly relate the concept to the supply chain as a whole. Research also shows a bias towards the USA. This paper presents an attempt to establish an audit of agility in the supply chain. The audit is used in an empirical investigation of agile capabilities in Europe. Using existing streams of supply chain research as building blocks, a preliminary framework is introduced for creating an agile supply chain. Based on a survey of agile efforts in the UK and the Benelux the agile capabilities of companies are assessed and approaches to outscore the benchmark are suggested.
Focuses on performance efficiency in the mobile phone supply chain. Through a description of exogenous conditions in the mobile phone industry concerning product characteristics and demand for mobile phones with reference to Fisher's product types, found the notions of responsiveness to be a useful analysis variable and critical success factor for the mobile phone supply chain. Afterwards set up four theoretical evaluation variables that were valuable for analyzing responsiveness: delivery lead-times, postponement strategies, the Bullwhip effect and information exchange. From an in depth practical analysis concludes that there is a lack of responsiveness in the Danish mobile phone supply chain in both demand transparency and time efficiency.