E-Supply Network Management—Unused Potential?

Abstract

SMART supply network is based on Sustainable, Modern, Adaptive, Robust and Technology-oriented approach to the flows management. Information, product and money flows are those of the special interest of all the efforts undertaken by supply chain managers. However in most of the cases they focus on the implementation of the processes from the perspective on the enterprise. Even the holistic approach to the processes development in the network ends when the product becomes the property of the customer. Supply networks can be built in more valuable manner. It can be caused by technology that enables and allows for tracking and analyzing the way of the actual use of the product by the consumer after the good is bought. The aim of this chapter is to present the concept and the potential of the benefits resulting from possessing the information concerning after-sales usage of the product by the customer. To gain on this information the customer Internet of Things (IoT) data should be introduced into the supply network management. The scientific contribution of the article is based on the thesis that the processes of supply chains or networks do not end at the moment of the sale of the product, but in reality they may have their origin in the information on how the product is actually used after it is sold to the customer. It could be done by SMART e-supply network management based on customers IoT data exploring. The study is based on literature review methodology. The EBSCO and Emerald data bases were used for the research purposes. NR - 24 PU - SPRINGER-VERLAG BERLIN PI - BERLIN PA - HEIDELBERGER PLATZ 3, D-14197 BERLIN, GERMANY