The Role of Information in Supply Chains : Discuss how supply chain information systems can provide a competitive advantage.

The Role of Information in Supply Chains.

Information is crucial to the performance of a supply chain because it provides the basis on which supply chain managers make decisions. Information technology consists of the tools used to gain awareness of information, analyze this information, and execute on it to improve the performance of the supply chain. Information is essential to making good supply chain decisions because it provides the broad view needed to make optimal decisions. IT provides the tools to gather this information and analyze it to make the best supply chain decisions (Chopra & Meindl, 2013).

Information is a key supply chain driver because it serves as the glue that allows the other supply chain drivers to work together to create an integrated, coordinated supply chain. Information is crucial to supply chain performance because it provides the foundation on which supply chain processes execute transactions and managers make decisions. Without information, a manager cannot know what customers want, how much inventory is in stock, and when more products should be produced or shipped. In short, information provides supply chain visibility, allowing managers to make decisions to improve the supply chain’s performance (Chopra & Meindl, 2013).

After reviewing the assessment above answer the questions below.

1.Discuss how supply chain information systems can provide a competitive advantage.

2.Discuss the role of supply chain event management systems in supply chain competitiveness.