Comparative analysis on value of information sharing in supply chains

Purpose – Information sharing is an important component of cooperation in supply chain management. However, it has long been debated whether there is value in information sharing, how large the value is, if any, and what factors affect it. The purpose of the paper lies in investigating these three issues by comparing and analyzing 12 information models in supply chains. Design/methodology/approach – To achieve the above purpose, the paper first presents a general information‐sharing model in supply chains and characterizes three major factors in the model (objective, supply chain partnership constraint, information sharing constraint). Based on the general model, 12 representative models are selected from the literature and their relationship and distinctions are compared and analyzed. Findings – By insights from comparative analysis of these representative models, the paper concludes that information sharing in supply chains is valuable. However, the value and affecting factors are dependent on analytical methods. It would be meaningless simply to compare the numerical values. Practical implications – The framework developed in this paper provides a useful guidance for the practical managers in evaluating and measuring the value of information‐sharing strategies. Originality/value – The paper critically reviews representative information‐sharing models in supply chains. This work is helpful in answering some questions that have been long debated in this area and in inspiring new endeavors to overcome the limitations of current research.