Analytical foundations for development of real-time supply chain capabilities

The emergence of real-time supply chain visibility technologies has raised challenges for organisations in developing the required management capabilities required to exploit enhanced visibility. The convergence of cloud computing, mobile technology, distributed computing, and data integration technologies has enabled managers for the first time to have real-time visibility of material flows in end to end supply chains, enhancing their ability to identify bottlenecks and disruptions of material flows anywhere in their network. To effectively harness these technologies, a new set of managerial decision-making capabilities as well as enhanced data governance disciplines will be required. In this research, we employ organisational information processing theory to explore the relationship of analytical capabilities, data quality, reporting quality, and real-time data capabilities on supply chain performance. Our research model suggests that the benefits of real-time information technologies are dependent on quality reporting and managerial analytical strengths to derive supply chain benefits. The implications for managerial applications and research are further described based on these findings.