The use of information technology in integrating supply chain management processes towards organizational performance of SME’s

by Hema Singh

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is one of the main issues faced by many industries as businesses are beginning to understand the significance of developing an integrated relationship with their suppliers and customers. The rapid evolution of Information Technology (IT) in SCM plays a vital function in achieving optimal decision making, organizational competitiveness, lower inventory, reduced costs, higher service levels and quality, faster time to market and delivery dependability. Drawing from the Resource Based View Theory and Dynamic Capabilities Theory, the paper aims to understand the role and application of IT in supply chain processes and how it affects organizational performance in emerging Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) within a dynamic environment. A conceptual framework was developed from the literature and incorporated three forms of supply chain integration. This framework was underpinned by the Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT) focusing on a theoretical gap in the way the theory may be used by supply chain partners to improve organizational performance. First a study using secondary data was conducted to present a literature review on the use of IT in Supply Chains and how IT can be used to identify, implement and manage supply chain integration in SME’s, then a discussion pursued to further examine how SCM theories can be applied to the use of IT in SME’s to bring about organizational performance.

86 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2022