Information Flows in Supply Chain Management

This assignment delves into the significance of information flow within supply chain management (SCM). It examines how advancements in technology influence information sharing between various stakeholders, highlighting successful implementations like ERP and EDI. The document also analyzes challenges to information flow, such as the bullwhip effect experienced by P&G, emphasizing the need for reliable and accurate information systems to optimize SCM processes.

Running Head: INFORMATION SYSTEMS 1
Information systems
Name
Institution

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Information systems
Introduction
Take a scenario where the alarm clocks reminder you that you should be preparing for
work. You quickly switch the coffee maker on and a moment later the aroma of your favorite
coffee fills the house. Have you taken time to reflect how the coffee left the factory to your
house and other households in the world? It takes a great deal for any product to move from the
factory to every household. Supply chain, which comprises of demanding forecasting, planning,
logistics, and procurement, plays a bigger role in moving the coffee globally to our kitchens.
Supply Chain Management (SCM)
Supply Chain Management (SCM) refers to an oversight of information, material, and
finances as they move in a sequential process from the supplier (raw materials) to the consumers
via the manufacturer and wholesaler. SCM involves integrating and coordinating the flow of
items which the company and the industry as well as among firms (Ballou, 2013). The main goal
of SCM is to ensure that products are available when needed by the consumers while the supply
cost is reduced (Madenas, Tiwari, Turnera, & Woodward, 2014).
The flows of SCM is divided into the product flow, the information flow, and the
finances flow. The product flow involves the movement of products suppliers to the customers
and returns from the customers to the manufacturers. In the other hand, information flow entails
transmitting orders and delivery status. Likewise, financial flow involves credit terms, title and
consignment ownership and payment schedules. This study focuses on analyzing the information
flow aspect of SCM (Sweeney, 2006).

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The information flow aspect of SCM
The flows of information in the supply chain are always bidirectional between all the
parties involved: They have to share information to and fro. Experts hold that information flows
play an integral part in the success of the SCM activities such as the flow of material and
finances. The movement of finances and materials cannot take place effectively without an
effective plan for movement of information. In other words, without effective information flows,
the entire SCM chain would fail (Christopher, 2005).
Recent studies have found out that poor management of information prompts companies
to hold the excessive level of inventories leading to increased operating costs. In the context of
information management, when the flow is smooth, the relationship with the wholesaler,
retailers, and consumers would be enhanced. In return, the demand would increase (all other
factors remaining constant) hence a reduced inventory level. Likewise, when the demand is high,
effective flows of information ensures that there is a smooth flow of raw materials from the
suppliers. Therefore, good information flow is an effective substitute for inventory and finance
flow management (Habib, 2011).
Information Flow: A Case of Walmart Stores, Inc.
The corporation’s information flow system is based on the point-of-sale barcode reader
which are used to feed data. The same system also links stores, vendors and distribution centers.
Likewise, Walmart has also developed a vendor managed inventory (VMI) system, a retailer-
supplier partnership, which have enhanced its connection with major suppliers. The success of
the system has been enabled by the sharing of the point of sale information collected from the
retailers with the suppliers.

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By sharing the information, the suppliers have the responsibility to manage the marketing
and sales of their products in the Walmart stores (Habib, 2011).
The arrangement allows Walmart to save resources and managerial efforts: The managerial
expertise and resources can be used for general running of the corporation. In the part of the
suppliers, VMI has improved the delivery time as well as increased inventory turnovers. The
case of Walmart clearly shows that sharing information under the SCM leads to a mutual
advantage for the involved parties (McDonnell, Sweeney, & Kenny, 2004).
The case of Procter & Gamble (P&G)
The case of Procter & Gamble (P&G) shows that the information flows system should be
reliable and accurate at the same time. After investing in an information system, the company
faced a phenomenon knowns as the bullwhip effect where it experienced numerous errors in the
ordering of the disposable diapers. Bullwhip effect led to a distorted flow of information between
the different entities in the supply chain. For example, there was a huge variability between the
distributors’ order the customer demand (sales) (Shah, 2009). Likewise, the orders between the
company and its suppliers were highly variable as well. Manager at different entity points would
magnify demand variabilities and uncertainties. Furthermore, entities would make orders and
inventory management based on their self-interests. Such a scenario would lead to poor service
delivery, lost revenue and excessive inventories. The problem is not only experienced in the
consumer goods industry but in the pharmaceutical and computer industries as well (Christopher,
2005).

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SCM software
To improve reliability, accuracy and minimize such challenges that faced P&G, an SCM
software has been invented. The software comprises of two components i.e. the planning
application and the execution application. The planning applications apply advanced algorithms
to establish the best method for filling in the orders. While the execution application is used in
managing materials, financial information and tracking the physical status of the material along
the supply chain (Stadtler & Christoph, 2005).
The SCM application, that is mostly used by enterprises, is built used an open data model
allowing sharing of data both within and outside a company. The shared information is stored in
either data warehouse or a diversified database system where it can be retrieved by different
players. The data can be shared either upstream or downstream hence giving a company with the
ability to reduce costs, improve product delivery, and allow parties in the supply chain to manage
their current resources better and plan for the anticipated future needs in advance (Coyle,
Langley, Novack, & Gibson, 2012).
With the current trends and the increasing importance of SCM applications, many
companies have turned their attention to Web-based applications and Web sites to solve their
SCM needs. The two dimensions of SCM, i.e. inter-functional and inter-organizational, have
contributed to the advanced development of information system technology (Madenas, Tiwari,
Turnera, & Woodward, 2014). The SCM information flow system is classified into five
categories:
a) The Point Solution which allows the execution of a single point within the supply chain. An
example of Point solution would be warehouse management systems.

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b) The ‘Best of breed’ solutions which support two or more integrated points within the system.
c) The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) which offer a solution which integrates all the
supply chain activities within an enterprise. Enterprise resources solution coordinates the
activities from different departments (Habib, 2011).
d) The Extended enterprise solution (XES) which collaborate and coordinate information sharing
between different players in a supply chain. The technological system support =s sharing of
information both internally (ERP) and externally (Madenas, Tiwari, Turnera, & Woodward,
2014).
e) The Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) solution is a computer to computer information
sharing between two companies. Some of the activities supported by the system are sharing
invoices and purchase orders. EDI has assisted in improving inter-organizational coordination
of SCM activities (Ballou, 2013).
Conclusion
Information flows as a component of SCM plays an integral part in the coordination and
execution of other flow of material and finance. Advancement of technology has played an
integral part in the success of information flows. However, the success of information flows has
not been without challenges. For example, the P&G experienced a bullwhip effect which
interfered with sharing of information between different players. To improve reliability, accuracy
and minimize such challenges, an SCM software has been invented. SCM software and Web-
based such as point solution, The ‘Best of breed’ solutions, ERP, XES, and EDI are well in place
to ensure effective flow of information between players in the supply chain.

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References
Ballou, R. H. (2013). Basic Business Logistics: Transportation, Materials Management, Physical
Distribution. New York: Prentice Hall College.
Christopher, M. (2005). Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Creating Value-Adding
Networks . London: FT Prentice Hall.
Coyle, J. J., Langley, J. C., Novack, R. A., & Gibson, B. (2012). Supply Chain Management: A
Logistics Perspective. London, UK: Cengage Learning.
Habib, M. (2011). Supply Chain Management (SCM): Theory and Evolution. American
International University - Bangladesh (AIUB).
Madenas, N., Tiwari, A., Turnera, C. J., & Woodward, J. (2014). Information flow in supply
chain management: A review across the product lifecycle. CIRP Journal of
Manufacturing Science and Technology, Volume 7, Issue 4, 2014, Pages 335-346.
McDonnell, R., Sweeney, E., & Kenny, J. (2004). The Role of Information Technology in the
Supply Chain. Logistics Solutions, Vol.7, No.1, 13-6.
Shah, J. (2009). Supply Chain Management: Text and Cases. New Delhi, India: Pearson
Education.
Stadtler, H., & Christoph, K. (2005). Supply Chain Management and Advanced Planning:
Concepts, Models, Software and Case Studies. New York: Wiley.
Sweeney, E. (2006). From Management of Distribution to Management of Supply Chains: the
Evolution of SCM. Logistics Solutions, Vol. 9, No. 2, 11-14.