Smart Cities’ Challenge: How to Improve Coordination in the Supply Chain

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the impact of coordination in the supply chain and its connection in the formation of smart cities. More specifically, it aims to investigate the index of coordination, its connection to smart cities, and the characteristics of the supply chain in analyzed companies. The results show that smart cities have different implications for the supply chain and its management is concerned, because these chains have become more complex, costly, and vulnerable to companies. Integration is key for this process; since all decisions must be aligned in order to achieve global objectives, every member depends on each other and must be able to effectively manage multiple resources. In evaluated companies, the categories of the model used were found: (1) Top management commitment and (2) mutual understanding in a supply chain have a low score which suggests that it may be related to problems in delivery times, inventory levels, and forecast management based on demand.