Identifying the factors affecting information sharing in supply chain - A systematic review of the literature

Information sharing is considered as one of the most important factors for successful supply chain management (SCM) as it lowers the degree of uncertainty, improves supply chain integration and coordination, mitigates the bullwhip effect and reduces the total costs. Information sharing and the development of strong relationships among supply chain partners have been frequently identified in the literature as a way to overcome SCM implementation barriers and to improve supply chain efficiency and effectiveness. While the advancement in information technology has made information sharing more efficient, the extent of information sharing among supply chain partners varies significantly. Studies have been conducted to identify the factors affecting information sharing in supply chain. These studies tend to focus only on a small number of factors. Therefore, a systematic approach is needed to investigate the full range of factors related to information sharing. A systematic review of the literature was carried out to identify the factors that enhance or impede information sharing in supply chains. Re-categorisation and evaluation of the identified factors was carried out to provide implications for supply chain managers and participants. The findings of the systematic review can be used for future empirical research to verify the identified factors in different contexts.