Supply Chain Interoperability Measurement

Abstract

Academia recognizes that although supply chains have an inherent need to be validated for their performance, supply chain performance measurement systems are still inadequate and one of the major barriers to successful supply chain collaboration. In this research, theory of Systems Architecture is used to make the first step towards an innovative supply chain performance measure defined as supply chain interoperability. Interoperability is considered a similarity metric with regard to a set of deterministic and stochastic characters (criteria) describing supply chain participants, a methodology that adapts and expands an interoperability measurement tool initially developed in and for a military context. A process that could be used to develop a set of initial supply chain interoperability characters to be included in the interoperability measurement is demonstrated based on interviews from managers of various functional roles at a single defense company in Greece. The presented measurement methodology can assist in efficiently directing resources to best improve interoperability between and among the various elements of a supply chain