Evaluation of work-in- progress is an integral aspect of any management system. As the sample firms heavily rely on technological capabilities, the evaluation of their own success is also made possible by technological means. The evaluation reports and the timely response communication by all parties concerned helps the organizations rectify potential issues and flaws at a speedier rate. However, none of the managers revealed as how this procedures are conducted. In the views of one manager interviewed :
“Many resources useful for technology planning are also useful for evaluating technology implementation efforts. The evaluation is rooted in an examination of our plan's vision and goals for technology!”
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The following diagram summarizes as how the three branch firms concerned exploit their technological capabilities in their SCM operations. As per the above discussions the following diagram signifies the advantages in the context of Data base, communication, planning, scheduling and forecasting, tracking and monitoring as well as in evaluation and reporting techniques via its technological capabilities. This in turn gives the firms the added or competitive advantage over the front runners in the electronics industry.
Organizational Innovations
Figure 4.1 Lists of Organizational Innovations
As shown in the above diagram the organization concerned comes up with innovative solutions in the form of ICT based technological capabilities (software solutions for information sharing and processing) especially in the context of SCM operations and practices.
The innovative software helps the firm concerned in a multitude of ways such as maintaining an effective inventory system, as well as a strong data base on customer information and contact particulars. Secondly the software concerned facilitates the
A) Data base B) Communication
C) Planning and Scheduling and Forecasting
D) Tracking and Monitoring E) Evaluation and Reporting Incorporating
Technological capabilities in SCM operations
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flow of information, infringing all the hurdles of possible human errors and thereby enhancing effective communication within the firms business network. This innovative software solutions also help in the various stages of the SCM operations such as tracking and monitoring of products while they are in the threshold or in transaction.
Last but not least, the software also helps in the overall operations and functions of the firms in terms of evaluation and reporting.
Discussion
From the findings of the study it is apparent that with increasing competitive pressure, many leading firms and organizations are motivated to establish their competitive advantage ( Dae Kim, 2010) by optimizing their internal and external processes throughout their supply chain. The effective use of technological capabilities especially in the context of supply chain management by firms in the study match the literature on technological capabilities in the SCM practice by (Sanyal and Guha, 2010). Aspects pertaining to the use of IT technology in the SCM process and organizational success (Jitpaiboon, 2005) especially in the Malaysian and Brazilian context (Ai-Chin et al.
2010) matched the findings of the study in the contexts of material flows management and the facilitating of interactive and strategic alliances.
The analysis of the interviews reveals that there are two types of driving forces found to be embedded in the process that enhanced the SCM operations in the three branches.
The first one attests to Customers and the other one being motivated or triggered by the rival groups (competitors) in the industry.
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Customer Driven:
The IT network system within the SCM enables all customers of the firms to have access their production plan. This gives the customers a great advantage in a sense that they can plan and ensure their own supply to their very own customers. Furthermore this ‘transparency’ helps the customers to oversee and understand problems pertaining production issues such as the likely time delay and/or other quality issues. The technological capabilities enhances speed of response by all interacting parties in the system, it reduces operation cost, eliminates red tapes, increases efficiency and fosters new product entry.
Competitor Driven:
The continuous development of technological capabilities, especially in the SCM operations of the firms concerned is driven by competition from their rival groups. This signifies the need for a benchmark technology with competitors. In retrospective, this helps the firms to gain trust from the customers because the firm concerned is said to be in par with other producers and suppliers. As such there is an internal drive to build competitive advantage and to create a mechanism that benefits the most towards customers in comparison to others. From the financial side it also helps to reduce operation costs and to eliminate wastage. Last but not least it also reduces the down time (delay) and to expedite delivery and to improve turn- around time.
The findings of this study provide support to the proposed relationship between the drivers and the use of ICT innovative softwares for transaction processing. Support was also found to the expected drivers for the use of ICT innovative softwares for order tracking and delivery coordination. The analysis of the drivers for the use of ICT innovative software for supply chain planning and collaboration, is tightly linked to the development of respective cross-organizational processes.
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Figure 4.2 Technological Advancement in Supply Chain Execution Execution of Supply Chain via raising
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As the outcome of the interview with the officers who were directly concerned with the SCM endeavour, details on how the SCM utilizes the ICT based technology were obtained. The final report on this (which marks one of the cruxes of the study) was duly verified by the officers concerned several days after the interview. This means the writer had to revisit the three locations of the firm branches in order to validate the information. This was crucial as the subject matter was highly technical and there might be an element of ambiguity in the material cited due to weaknesses on the part of the writer. Although it was a tedious process having to ‘disturb’ the respondents concerned once again, the writer have the contention that he managed to gather the relevant information pertinent to the study.
This study is concerned with as how the selected electronic industry exploits sophisticated IT technology especially in the context of its SCM practices. The process is explained briefly with the illustration of the above diagram. The process as how ICT innovative solutions help in the management of SCM practices is presented via three phases namely (i) Obtaining Pricing Information (Phase 1) (ii) Administration Comparing Quotations and Costing ( Phase 2) (iii) Execution of Supply Chain via raising Purchase Order and delivery to meet production requirement. (Phase 3).
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