A "genomic" classification scheme for supply chain management information systems

Supply Chain Management Information Systems (SCM IS) are increasingly critical for synchronizing information among the customers and suppliers of a supply chain. Wide variation and overlap in the functionality of different SCM IS makes analysis and comparison difficult. Traditional flat taxonomies using one or two dimensions of functionality have limited utility for software selection and analysis. Instead, this paper proposes a “genomic” classification approach that enables characterization of an SCM IS by the relative presence or absence of a larger set of functional attributes (or “genes”). A qualitative analysis of over 1800 pages of SCM IS documentation and independent analyst reports is used to identify relevant SCM IS functional attributes. The resulting model enables a more structured and useful approach to SCM IS software selection and evaluation. This paper contributes a novel approach for conceptualizing and analyzing complex information systems using faceted rather than traditional flat taxonomies.