Investment Strategies for Implementing Cloud Systems in Supply Chains

Abstract

Advances in computing technologies have presented the management of supply chain firms with opportunities to enhance the competitive advantages of their organisations. Some of those opportunities arise from the deployment of modern systems that encompass the three most important components in supply chains management: namely, enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and e-commerce. The current technology available in cloud systems appears to satisfy the needs of supply chain firms for managing resource planning, customer relationship, and e-commerce simultaneously. The main purpose of this chapter is to alert supply chain firms to the risks that they could face if their cloud system implementation is not carefully managed or if not appropriately selected and supported. The proposed investment strategies could assist supply chain firms in ensuring that their cloud system activities are positioned to assist and sustain their competitive advantages.