Adoption of Mobile Technology in the Supply Chain: An Exploratory Cross-Case Analysis

The increasing utilization of mobile commerce technologies in e-business raises the question of their use in supply chain integration and management. This article presents a multiple case study investigation of the adoption of mobile technology in the supply chain. A technology-organization-environment framework of the contextual influences on technological innovation adoption is used to inform an analysis of three companies’ adoption and use of mobile data solutions for sales automation, freight tracking, and service support. Analysis of the three case studies found that the relative advantage of the technological innovation and the information intensity of the company were the most important factors influencing adoption. Other factors that appeared to influence adoption included the compatibility of the technology with the company’s business approach, the presence of top management support, and the degree of organizational readiness. Environmental factors such as competition within the industry or business partner influence seemed less influential for these pioneers of mobile technology use in supply-side activities.