| | October 20178CIOReviewIN MY OPINIONInformation Management in Supply Chainre companies effectively managing information affecting their supply chain? This may seem to be too broad a question to be able to answer in a simple "Yes" or "No". But an understanding of the comprehensive and expanding nature of supply chains today may help answer it. Along with it, a quick look at the factors contributing to and affecting the management of supply chains of today and the techniques towards controlling those factors would help too. Doing so will elucidate the integral role of information and communication technology in supply chain management. Companies are no longer considered as independent entities today, but constituents of multi-organizational, multi-national and multi-echelon networks procuring raw materials and processing equipments to deliver finished goods and services to the final customer. These multi-entity networks are the supply chains of today. These supply chains are global. Competition in which they have to operate is global and so are the uncertainties which lead to and are often the causes of disruptions. In this environment of global competition and increasingly ABy Mandar Athalekar, Head - Market & Product Development andGlobal Trade Management, Thomson ReutersThis article elaborates the author's view of information management techniques needed to manage the expanding scope of supply chains, better than before. This considers the disruptive nature of supply chains at the backdrop of global uncertainties. Information systems should work on advanced technologies and framework that is designed to capture all variables affecting supply chain, assess their impact, perform simulation modeling and scenario-based planning, apply all the regulatory compliance checks relevant for all the business geographies, present forecasts and variance analysis and most importantly safeguard the supply chain in the face of any demand fluctuations or supply disruptions. Data backup and security are given. These should be the success criteria for evaluating new systems and rating the performance of those in operation.Mandar Athalekar
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