Information flowInformation and com

Information flow
Information and communication technology have played a key role in transforming logistics and supply chain planning (Demkes,
1999). Increased visibility and the transfer of real-time information bring new effectiveness to supply network management. To fully
benefit from emerging e-business solutions, trading partners must be able to more easily exchange data between their back-end
databases and core business applications (Webster,2001). This must be accomplished within the enterprise as well as within the supply
network the enterprise operates in.
The most important R&D topics regarding the information flow within the supply network according to the workshop are
presented in the Table I. The results of the prioritization work done during the workshop focuses more on technological issues related
to information transfer across the different interfaces within the supply network. However, the overall findings of the study suggest
that it is at least as important to foster research and development initiatives that help to understand what information should be shared
and how to use the shared information to add value to the supply network.