Role of information systems in supply chain management and its application on five‐star hotels in Istanbul

Purpose – Supply chain management (SCM) has become important in the service sector nowadays, because customer satisfaction is dependent on the efficiency of supply chain activities. Hotels are operations where personal guest satisfaction is a major priority. A large and diverse range of supply factors are gathered according to the requirements of guests, and then service is provided. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of SCM and information system (IS) in five‐star hotels. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from senior management and relevant department authorities of five‐star hotels in Istanbul by asking them open‐ended questions. The findings were evaluated with descriptive analysis and different conditions of usage information systems in SCM were presented and then issues were determined. Findings – The findings were evaluated in five groups; four of them being: First, purchasing, inventory management, warehousing, customer relationship and service production processes in these enterprises are mainly being carried out by conventional methods. Second, internet is being used instead of fax as a means of communication in the supply chain. Third, respondents say that the use of information systems is reflected in the speed, reliability, easy access, low cost applications and time saving within the supply chain process. Fourth, Netsis program is the most frequently used and the advantage of its ERP applications are also being used. Research limitations/implications – The findings were evaluated by descriptive analysis method. Because of the low number of participants, statistical analysis does not give meaningful results. Consistency of responses given by participants is tested by the investigation of cross relations between the questions. Originality/value – In this paper, the supply chain structure in hotels, and supply chain information systems are being examined through the interactions of the members. To achieve this goal, the relationship between information systems and the supply chain structure has been established and the role of information systems in SCM is determined with the help of corporate information systems.