Insights on Partial Information Sharing in Supply Chain dynamics

Abstract

This paper provides an assessment of partial Information Sharing (IS) in Supply Chain (SC). We study the dynamics of collaborative multi-echelon structure, characterized by an increasing level of information visibility among partners. To do so, we mathematically model six four-echelon serial SCs via difference equations and conduct numerical simulations on the basis of a robust design of experiment. Results shows how (1) as the extent of IS increases, the performance of whole SC improves as well, and (2) the impact of IS depends not on which particular members are involved but on the number of collaborative members.