A Study to Evaluate the Impact of Mobile Technology on Supply Chain Ecosystems in Irish Enterprises.

Abstract

To gain competitive advantage Supply chain firms use mobile technologies. This exploratory study investigates the impact mobile technologies have on supply chain activities and also identifies the challenges firm face such as capital requirement, lack of technical skills and information security in relation to use of Mobile technologies in supply chain management. From the primary analysis of this study it is also revealed that the impact on supply chain is in terms of improved communication, collaboration & visibility between various stake holders, real time information access & sharing, faster & responsive supply chain functions. The study attempts to investigate & simultaneously probe for critical evaluation of this technology. This qualitative study used interpretivism philosophy to gain understanding of the topic. Along with review of literature, a semi-structured interview questionnaire was sent to participants via email to capture their responses to infer primary findings. The participants selected randomly were key professionals working in Irish firms who are currently involved in a function related to supply chain. The results obtained from primary data resonates with literature available in the academic & professional domain. Thus, results accord mobile technologies have a positive impact on the efficiency of firms. At a larger view, the findings of this study are hoped to become a centrepiece for future research work.