The roles of information systems integration in the supply chain integration context: Firm perspective

With advances in information technology (IT), information systems integration (ISI) and its role in an integrated supply chain have become important to executives and researchers. ISI represents the degree of cooperation in information system practices between business functions within a firm and between a firm and its trading partners. It has been documented that the introduction and utilization of ISI for supply chain management enhance the firms' competitiveness and growth. While many firms focus on achieving high levels of IT utilization, without high levels of ISI, supply chain members may not attain the full benefits of working within a supply chain.; The concept of ISI can be captured using two main sub-constructs (e.g., internal ISI and external ISI) and can be conceptualized at three levels---(1) Strategic, (2) Operational, and (3) Infrastructural. Studying the effects of ISI in these levels can help researchers and executives understand how ISI practices at different levels contribute to overall supply chain effectiveness. The implications of such an understanding may bring significant benefits to both operations researchers and practitioners. Such benefits may include making better decisions about which IT to utilize, which information systems (IS) practices to emphasize, and what level of ISI to attain. From a practitioner's perspective, this research provides important guidelines so firms may better understand ISI issues and effectively implement IT.; This study proposes three significant contributions to supply chain management research. First, this study applies an information system perspective to study both causes and effects of supply chain integration. It proposes a theoretical framework that considers the role of ISI as a mediator between IT utilization and supply chain integration. Second, this study provides the inferences made from an instrument that is valid and reliable for the current study's context, which are beneficial for both practitioners and academicians. Third, it examines the effects of supply chain integration on a firm's operational performance; the effects of supply chain integration on a suppliers' operational performance, the effects of a suppliers' operational performance on a firm's operational performance, the effects of a suppliers' operational performance on a firm's overall performance, and the effects of a firm's operational performance on the firm's overall performance.