The Impact of Data Synchronization Adoption on Organizations: A Case Study

Data synchronization is required for supply chain management in the B2B e-commerce environment. This case study examined the impact of the adoption of data synchronization on three large consumer product goods organizations. The study identified process and structural inadequacies that developed as the result of the implementation, as well as how these organizations recognized benefits and future opportunities after data synchronization adoption. The findings revealed the significance of internal alignment around data cleansing and accuracy, as well as opportunities for improved external alignment from a systems perspective. Synergy created between product item management, data synchronization, and internal champions existed at all three companies. The workflow re-design, process improvements and standards development imposed on these organizations by the clean data requirement of data synchronization provided the greatest benefits from the data synchronization process. [Article copies are available for purchase from InfoSci-on-Demand.com]