Applying component technology to improve global supply chain network management

A key requirement of supply chain management strategies is information sharing. Component technology facilitates information sharing by providing a means for integrating heterogeneous information systems into virtual information systems. The component environment makes possible new strategies to reshape and improve supply chain networks. These strategies include modularization and encapsulation, plug-and-play component development, enterprise specialization, dynamic supply chain network configuration, and crossindustry enterprise integration. We show how these strategies can be applied to the supply chain network management using the order fulfillment process as an illustration.