An Empirical Investigation of Strategies against Procurement Uncertainties and Their IS Support at High Grade Timber Manufacturers

Wood as a CO2-neutral renewable resource is an important raw material to address consumers’ growing environmental awareness. However, its use is associated with several uncertainties that affect wood quality, quantity and delivery time. Especially strong high grade manufacturers at the first processing stage are affected. To efficiently use the "Carbon Green" raw material and increase customer satisfaction, manufacturers must use strategies which respond to uncertainties. Hence, we investigate the used strategies, and their information systems (IS) and information support through an online survey among high grade manufacturers. The results reveal that companies react with different strategies to uncertainties. Although the IS support is still low, the need for preliminary information about the wood supply is emphasized by high grade manufacturers.