Information technology barriers in Indian sugar supply chain : an AHP and fuzzy AHP approach

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to find out possible barriers of information technology (IT) applications in the supply chain system of sugar industry in India. All these barriers have their strategic importance for serving the supply chain partners in better way and also help in improving the Indian agrarian economy. The study is a blend of theoretical and practical frameworks, which would focus on those key factors or IT barriers leading to implementation of IT in the sugar supply chain. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on theoretical exploration of potential barriers IT applications in the supply chain system of sugar industry in India and prioritizing these barriers by employing multi-criteria decision-making approach. Findings: The findings of this paper are identification of barriers of IT applications in the supply chain system of sugar industry in India, and ranking of these barriers in terms of its severity. Research limitations/implications: Potential barriers of IT applications in the supply chain system of sugar industry in India considered in to the study are 11 in total. There can be more barriers of IT applications in the supply chain system. Originality/value: This study reveals the application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy AHP to Indian sugar industry for prioritizing the IT barriers which influence the sugar supply chain.