A model of information sharing measurement in integrated supply chain networks

In recent years, academic and industry areas are both show an interest in supply chain management.. The globalization of competition, the reduce in product life cycle, time depending competition and quick exchanges make the firms think about re-designing their supply chains. With the view of these evolutions, firms decided that they must use information technologies in their supply chain management. Information Technologies mostly simplified the routine works of junior and middle managers up to now. In today?s conditions like fast computer processors and internet technologies impact on senior managers strategic decisions. In future, information flow will be the key factor to determine the levels and the difference between firms. Information flow occurs with the integration of information technologies with the systems. The success factor for a firm is to add value from gathering, operating and dispatching information and develop the work model to have this value. Processing this model depends on achieving information sharing between supply chain members. Information sharing is a critical factor between supply chain members. The data shared between supply chain members becomes useful information for the members. So, determining the shared data and measuring this share is an important issue. This study includes an information sharing measurement model between integrated supply chain members. The model starts with gathering data with a survey and continues converting these quantitative datas to qualitative datas by structured equations. The qualitative datas used in an artificial intelligence method, inductive learning. Rules extraction is made by an inductive learning method, RULESX. With these rules, information sharing among supply chain members can be measured and suggestions can be made to firms for improving their supply chain managements. This model is sectorindependent and can be easily applied. The survey applied to 23 firms to measure information sharing. The survey applied on web. Finally, it is seen that information sharing between supply chain networks is weak. Especially in the retailer part, information sharing is very little. Keywords: Integrated Supply Chain Network, Information Sharing, induktive learning, information sharing measurement