Title: Packaging as AIDS for implementing Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs): adoption in the Spanish food sector

Authors: Jesus Garcia-Arca, J. Carlos Prado-Prado

Addresses: Organisational Engineering Group, Grupo de Ingenieria de Organizacion (GIO), Department of Company Organisation and Marketing, ETSII of Vigo, University of Vigo, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, c/Maxwell, s/n, 36310 Vigo, Spain. ' Organisational Engineering Group, Grupo de Ingenieria de Organizacion (GIO), Department of Company Organisation and Marketing, ETSII of Vigo, University of Vigo, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, c/Maxwell, s/n, 36310 Vigo, Spain

Abstract: Nowadays, the role of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to facilitate the improvement of efficiency along the supply chain must be outlined. Thus, the aim of this paper is twofold: firstly, to know the potential contribution of ICTs implementation (related to packaging and to logistics use) to the improvement of competitiveness in companies and secondly, to know the level of adoption in the Spanish food sector (sample of 300 companies) of these ICTs (barcodes, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Radiofrequency Identification (RFID)), including the main causes that hinder a higher diffusion in companies.

Keywords: packaging; supply chain management; SCM; logistics; barcodes; radio frequency identification; RFID; electronic data interchange; EDI; Spain; food industry; ICT.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2009.022435

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2009 Vol.16 No.3, pp.250 - 264

Published online: 05 Jan 2009 *

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