The impacts of sharing production information on supply chain dynamics: A review of the literature

Abstract

This paper is a review of research into the impacts of sharing production information on the supply chain dynamics. The purpose of the review is to understand the needs to unravel such impacts on the supply chain design and management, to identify the current research frontier and to study the future trend in this field. The scope of the review is somewhat broad in the sense that more than 100 relevant publications resulting from major research projects and originating from some leading research groups are selected for review. In order to maintain the necessary coherence and consistency, this comprehensive review proposes a loose reference framework to reflect major elements commonly involved in this type of research, including the decision level investigated, supply chain structure, research questions addressed, factors involved, supply chain dynamics measured, modelling methodology adopted, data analysis technique used, and findings and insights from the managerial perspective obtained. The framework serves as a skeleton for categorizing literature and research areas into these key elements. It is hoped that this review is valuable and beneficial both to new researchers entering the field, in order to gain their interest, references and focus, and to experienced researchers, in order, perhaps, to identify new research opportunities and/or issues that intersect these researchers' past and current interests.