Adoption and diffusion in technology implementation: a supply chain study

A survey of 553 Australian companies was conducted for the purpose of determining some of the primary characteristics of organisations actively implementing supply chain management enabling technologies. Three groups of organisations were identified based on the extent to which these technologies and methods have been adopted and used in dealings with trading partners. These groups have been labelled “strategic”, “tactical” and “reactive”. the results clearly indicate that the “tactical” and “strategic” groups derive significantly greater business benefit from the use of the EAN (European article numbering) system, are more knowledgeable of the techniques and implications of use, and perceive implementation to deliver significantly greater benefits over time relative to the cost of implementation. There is a significant relationship recorded between company size, industry sector and the extent of implementation. This indicates that “strategic” implementers are more likely to be larger organisations in the retail or wholesale distribution sectors. Organisations implementing more extensively are more proactive in their planning, more focused on the need to change and realign processes, and more likely to be investing in supporting infrastructure rather than just technology. Between the “strategic” and “tactical” groups, there is also a clear indication that the “strategic” group perceive all of these outcomes to be central to the effective operations of their organisations. By contrast, the “reactive” group can be characterised as at best ambivalent, and at worst extremely negative about the techniques and methodologies, and the contribution of the system to potential and/or real business outcomes.