Information Sharing in Supply Chain: A Literature Review

The importance of information sharing in supply chain management is a matter of consensus between practitioners and researchers. Information sharing can increase supply chain efficiency by reducing inventories and smoothing production. Studies from different and recognised authors are reviewed, compiled and analyzed in three aspects. First, the types of shared information in supply chain are summarized. After, the value of different shared information and the factors which affect its value are presented. Moreover, the methodologies used in literature are detailed. The paper concludes with some future directions for theory construction and empirical research.