بررسی اثرات سیستم لجستیکی یکپارچه بر تجارت الکترونیک و سیستم های برنامه ریزی منابع شرکت

The growth of the supply chain concept has required logistics organizations to improve the flow of information both internally and externally. The increased information requirements have facilitated an integration of logistics information systems (LIS) and supply chain information systems in many companies. The increasing use of electronic commerce and enterprise resource planning and other LIS tools and techniques will shape the business process for the foreseeable future. Companies should understand their options and their impacts when making decisions to support their supply chain systems.

There has been a steady growth of information systems in inventory management, production, and logistics. This paper reports the results of a recent longitudinal study into the use of logistics information systems (LIS). The survey results reported herein highlight an increasing use of LIS and its ability to link functional areas of business. Additionally, the paper examines the role of two information system tools––electronic commerce (EC) and enterprise resource planning (ERP)––that had not been investigated in previous editions of the study. Information regarding the respondents’ EC and ERP adoption sequences, use of key subsystems, and relationships with integrated logistics systems are presented. To accomplish these tasks, the paper is divided into six sections. Following the introduction, a brief literature review provides insight into the issues of LIS adoption and integration. Other key sections provide insight into the study methodology, survey respondent profiles, and major findings. Limitations of the study and future opportunities for analysis are also provided. Finally, a conclusions section summarizes the key points of the research.

While there are limitations as with any study, several important points are identified by the research. First, there continues to be growth in the adoption of EC systems that support logistics integration. Companies that have successfully implemented the integrated logistics concept are significantly more likely to have also implemented some form of EC than those who have not, although the type of EC application varies considerably. More advanced companies are beginning to extend their logistics operations to the EC environment through the implementation of Internet-based purchasing and extranet-based supply chain management applications. For companies that have moved as far through the integration process, the implementation of systems that support intranet-based activities and communication appears to be an important first step toward achieving logistics integration via other, advanced EC tools. Second, logistics integration and ERP implementation go hand-in-hand, with success in one area fostering success in the other. This is to be expected, as ERP systems provide a mechanism for collecting, managing and sharing (i.e., integrating) organizational data across business functions, including the data needed to support the integration of logistics operations. Like EC, there continues to be growth in the adoption of ERP systems. However, unlike EC, ERP implementation is already very widespread. So widespread, in fact, that they have essentially become a necessity within the logistics and business environments. Thus, companies should focus not on whether to implement an ERP, but on determining which components of an ERP will product the greatest benefit to the firm. Finally, implementation of EC and ERP systems provides higher levels of support for the integration of logistical operations by improving both the access to and linkages among diverse types of information that are important to the logistics function. If current trends in logistics and information systems integration persist (and there is no reason to believe they will not), not only will reliance on such systems continue to increase, but so too will the level of system complexity, as more and more inter-enterprise functionality is added. As such, it will be increasingly important for managers in both the information system and logistics fields to strengthen and tighten the working relationships between the two functions––i.e., information systems will need to support logistics, and vice versa. Successful implementation of the integrated logistics concept and the information systems that enable it will depend on a spirit of mutual support and cooperation.