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Since eSCM relies on technologies for communication interchange and coordination, the cost of operation is low; at the same time, allows the organization to be adaptable to change management, consumer preferences and competition (See Figure 2)

Source: Williams, Esper and Ozment 2002

The structural benefits of eSCM supersede the traditional supply chain and allow organizations to expand their logistics, customer base and production centres. eSC is boundary-less, spherical and reconfigurable, according to (Kotzab, Skjoldager and Vinum 2003). It is highly adaptable to organizational and market needs. Hence, eSCM can be defined as 'a management discipline which concerns Electronic Supply Chain Integration on a technical, application and business-management level. ESCM includes optimization of business processes and resources across supply chains, from customers to suppliers of products, services or information.' (Kotzab, Skjoldager and Vinum 2003).

In this context, eSCM is considered a management approach involving information flow, technology to manage processes, and optimization of enterprise resources.

3.3 Technologies in eSCM

The development of eSCM had been gradual, and evolved from automation. Traditionally, SCM had been supported by tools which relied on EDI. Electronic Data Interchange, then, had been typically a data bus and storage hub with retrieval capability. Large databases managed information of processes and products. These databases handled information relating to Material Resource Planning (MRP) and Master Production Scheduling (MPS), which have been critical for SCM (Gupta 2000). During the 1990s, MRP II (Manufacturing Resources Planning) and later Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) emerged to support eSCM. These tools relied on EDI for information interchange (See Figure 3).

EDI systems are independent Information Systems and are defined by inter-organizational processes and business partnerships. The same framework has been taken up by modern enterprises to adapt to 'faster and easier communication' technologies, such as the Internet and the Web, that would integrate all levels of organizational information, and factors that create value to the supply chain (Williams, Esper, and Ozment 2003) (See Figure 4).

3.4 Enterprise Resources Planning

Among these technologies, ERP is a popular supply chain tool, which resolves problems of integration that businesses had been facing earlier. Shehab et al (2004) define ERP as 'a business management system that comprises integrated sets of comprehensive software, which can be used, when successfully implemented, to manage and integrate all the business functions within an organization. These sets usually include a set of mature business applications and tools for financial and cost accounting, sales and distribution, materials management, human resource, production planning and computer integrated manufacturing, supply chain and customer info本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。