نقش IT در زنجیره تامین تامین کنندگان خودرو The role of IT in automotive supplier supply chains

1. Introduction 1.1. Background Information technology (IT) is widely recognized as a critical factor in the supply chain because IT can contribute to the performance of both independent firms and the supply chain as a whole (Jin, 2006). IT implementation, within the organization and in collaboration with business partners, is generally accepted as an important factor in improving supply chain management (SCM) (Gupta and Capen, 1996; Koh and Saad, 2006). In recent years, the advancement of IT has rapidly changed the requirements for global business relationships (Li et al., 2009). With the provision of timely, accurate, and reliable information, IT has improved the conditions for doing business around the world. IT enables the sharing of large amounts of information all along the supply chain, including operational, planning, and financial data. Integrated IT infrastructures, which are characterized by common data definitions and integrated applications, allow flows of information and coordination activities across business divisions, geographic regions, and supply chain partners (Broadbent et al., 1999). The availability of information along the supply chain supports joint production planning, inventory management, and distribution. Previous supply chain research has shown that the sharing of orderrelated information improves the forecasting of demand and reduces the bullwhip effect (Lee et al., 2000; Klein and Rai, 2009). Thus, almost all companies in the supply chain have either implemented or are in the process of implementing IT in order to improve supply chain performance (Olhager and Selldin, 2004; Liu et al., 2005). Since more and more companies are investing in IT, there is an increasing need for research investigating its impact on supply chain performance. The debate on the “productivity paradox” and on the payoff from investing in IT suggests that the impact of IT on firm performance is not unchallenged (Wu et al., 2006; Li et al., 2009; Brynjolfsson, 1993). Many studies have analyzed the impact of IT from different perspectives (cf. Table 1). Li et al. (2009), Rai et al. (2006), Wu et al. (2006), Bharadwaj (2000), and Prajogo and Olhager (2012) have contributed some interesting insights. Li et al. (2009) examined the impact of IT implementation on supply chain integration (SCI) and performance. They found that the positive effect is mediated by SCI. Rai et al. (2006) showed that integrated IT infrastructures enable firms to develop the higher-order capabilities of supply chain integration, which results in significant and sustained performance gains. Wu et al. (2006) explained how IT implementation can create a sustained competitive advantage for a company. The study demonstrates that supply chain capabilities are a key mediator between IT investment and firm performance. Adopting the resource-based view, Bharadwaj (2000) illustrated the association between IT capability and business performance. In an empirical analysis, he revealed a positive relationship between IT capability and firm performance.