Achieving Supply Chain Management (SCM)-Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Synergy Through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure in Knowledge Economy

Abstract

Information and communication technology infrastructure has changed modern business practice. The ever-changing information and communication technology infrastructure of organizations’ is opening new vista, which has not only bundles of opportunities to encash but also tremendous obstacles as survival threats. The concern about organizational competitiveness and development is closely linked to notions of the information sensitive society and global knowledge based economies. The business organizations under global knowledge economy can emerge and grow rapidly by formulating and adopting the innovative business practices. Information’s impact is easily seen—it substitutes for inventory, speeds product design and delivery, drives process reengineering, and acts as a coordinating mechanism, helping different members of the supply chain work together effectively. While the potential of information sharing is widely promoted, relatively few companies have fully harnessed its capability to enhance competitive performance. The chapter tries to provide insight into how information and communication technology can be leveraged for supply chain value creation and make it possible to achieve synergy with customer relationship management.