A Proposed Framework for the Role of Information Technology in improving the Supply Chain Performance

Abstract

Huge efforts pay a great attention for improving the supply chain performance because it is one of the important indicators for success, at the same time the tools and systems presented by the technology to the organization are important, those tools help the organizations to survive in such a huge competition period. The pressure on manufacturers to produce and distribute high-quality products in a safe way is an increasing challenge. Some of the common problems that affect supply chain issues in retail companies include (Asaad, 2018); Poor storage, Failure to track and control inventory in warehouses and stores, Poor information sharing and communication between parties, Delays in transportation, Rising supply chain costs, and High customer expectations. The purpose of this research is examining the role of Information Technology in improving the supply chain performance. The findings demonstrated that IT contributes to improve the supply chain performance in terms of cost, quality, delivery/time, customer responsiveness and supply chain integration, which simplify the flow of products, and information through the chain. In this concern, IT contributes to improve the supply chain performance and integration by increasing the information flow through the supply chain. This research proposed a framework established from the results of literature review in the research in the fields of supply chain, IT, and supply chain integration.