i) EXPLAIN how two supply chain driver uses information

ii) DISCUSS the role of internet exchanges within the supply chain

CASE STUDY Information Technology in a Supply Chain As more organizations become global entities, the need for work groups that can collaborate across national boundaries in supply chain management grows. Advances in technology that have accompanied globalization leads to a new type of working relationship: global virtual teams. These are groups of individuals working together across national boundaries through electronic communication media. Engineers engaged with a supply chain in Germany might communicate with production teams in China to produce components for assembly and marketing by team members in Canada. Although some global teams occasionally meet in person, geographically dispersed managers often must collaborate virtually. Virtual global teams have certain liabilities. Traditional teams offer multiple opportunities to work closely with colleagues and develop close personal relationships that can facilitate performance. To be effective, virtual teams need to facilitate these relationships despite numerous barriers. It's easy to misinterpret messages without cues like facial expression and tone of voice. These problems can be even more pronounced among individuals with different cultural backgrounds. So how can virtual global teams be more effective and enhance supply chain management? Alcoa found it was important to develop regular meeting routines to facilitate collaboration. Groups were also encouraged to review the progress of their own and other teams to identify "best practices" that worked in a variety of situations. Not surprisingly, higher levels of communication and cohesion among members of global virtual teams are associated with shared performance goals, which in turn lead to higher performance. More surprisingly, leaders' efforts to build personal, inspirational relationships can help even teams that don't meet face to face. Although global virtual teams face many challenges, companies that implement them effectively can realize tremendous rewards through the diverse knowledge they gain. Adapted from A. Joshi, M. B. Lazarova, and H. Liao, "Getting Everyone on Board: The Role of Inspirational Leadership in Geographically Dispersed Teams