Title: The role of ICT in the strategic integration of the automotive supply-chain

Authors: Giuseppe Volpato, Andrea Stocchetti

Addresses: Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Dept. of Business Economics and Management, S.Trovaso 1075 - Dorsoduro, 30123 Venice, Italy. Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Dept. of Business Economics and Management, S.Trovaso 1075 - Dorsoduro, 30123 Venice, Italy

Abstract: An analysis of the recent evolution of the automotive supply chain shows that an extraordinary reorganisation in the whole industry structure has begun. The most relevant goal of this reorganisation is the integration of all the automotive chain from the part-supply flow to the OEM for the final assembly, to car delivery. It is a wide re-engineering project based on a deep integration of all the activities of the automotive chain, made possible by the new potentialities offered by Information & Communication Technology (ICT). Nonetheless, ICT alone cannot solve problems arising from organisational inadequacy and from defective customer-supplier relations. This paper investigates these issues and presents the main results of an empirical research.

Keywords: automotive industry; supply-chain management; supplier-customer relations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2002.002088

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2002 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.239-260

Published online: 24 Jun 2003 *

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