Abstract:

This paper discusses the co-evolution of supply chain strategy and technology and presents a research framework that would seek to uncover the relationship and promote a better alignment between the evolution of supply chain strategy and technology. In the supply chain strategy, the focal shift in strategy has been from lean to agile whereas in supply chain technology from individual to inter-organisationalsystems. Examples of these systems include Vendor-Managed Inventory and used of Web-Electronic Data Interchange. These systems increase visibility of information within the supply network and require a high level of trust between the trading partners. Since most inter-organisational systems are developed by IT vendors, the concepts of visibility and trust must be understood by these vendors and translated into the systems they develop.