A conceptual framework for the e-enabling of automotive supply chanins

摘要

Supply chains encompass all of the diverse activities that are associated with the flow and transformation of goods, right from the beginning stage of the raw materials, all the way through to the consumer. Supply chains are broken into three distinct parts, namely upstream activities involving the material and service inputs from suppliers, internal activities involving the manufacture and packaging of the goods, and downstream activities, which involve the distribution and sale of the goods. Since the inception of the automotive industry, buyers and suppliers have been linked in rigid, inflexible relationships. With the advent of the Internet, however, supply chains are becoming less rigid and more efficient. E-enabling an automotive supply chain involves two distinct spheres of interest, namely, the sphere of automotive supply chains and that of e-business. Both spheres are evolving fast and becoming increasingly complex. Due to the increasing complexity, there is a lack of understanding with regard to incorporating e-business principles effectively into automotive supply chains. In order to address this lack of understanding, the dissertation proposes a conceptual framework that can be used to assist in the process of e-enabling an automotive supply chain. Before the dissertation ventures to propose this conceptual framework, a number of challenges that may be encountered when attempting to enable an automotive supply chain are highlighted. The proposed framework, therefore, specifically aims to position activities conceptually in such a way that it can be argued that the identified challenges are considered at the appropriate time in the e-enabling process. The framework therefore, focuses on the entire process, starting at the planning phase and going right through to the implementation phase. As such, the framework consists of various phases, with each phase containing a myriad of activities. The different phases of the framework include developing a strategic business plan, designing an information technology architecture, identifying system and resource requirements, creating a project plan and finally implementing the project. These phases aim to address the entire e-enabling process. The contribution that this dissertation makes is in the form of a conceptual framework which may be followed during the e-enabling process. The framework aims to provide direction and to ensure that the many activities that are involved in the e-enabling process are considered. The dissertation also highlights the many challenges that may be encountered when enabling a supply chain. Lastly a prototype application has been developed using a new Internet technology. The prototype has been developed in order to ascertain the new technologies suitability to the e-enabled supply chain environment.