Title: Assessing information-exchange risks and disruptions in supply chains

Authors: Anna Rumpu, Jyri Vilko

Addresses: Northern Dimension Research Centre, School of Business, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta, 53851, Finland. ' Northern Dimension Research Centre, School of Business, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta, 53851, Finland

Abstract: Supply chains in the modern world are becoming increasingly dependent on information exchange, disruption in which can therefore cause severe repercussions to the flow of materials. The speed, accuracy and amount of information are the key factors. The aim in this paper is to assess the information exchange and related risks in a multimodal wood supply chain from the Baltic States to Finland. The study involved interviewing persons in logistics management in the supply chain in question, and carrying out a network analysis of the data in order to identify the information flows. The main risk the interviewees identified arose from the sea logistics system and the complexity of the information. Intermittent breaks in the internet connection significantly hindered the operations.

Keywords: supply chain risks; risk assessment; identification; information exchange; supply chain disruptions; wood supply; forest industry; supply chain management; SCM; logistics management; information flow; information sharing; sea logistics; marine logistics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIIM.2011.041750

International Journal of Intercultural Information Management, 2011 Vol.2 No.4, pp.317 - 332

Published online: 25 Nov 2014 *

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