Streamlining information flow in steel product design and manufacturing industry network

This paper focuses on the importance of process integration in the supply chains from the viewpoint of information flow. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is an important enabler of process integration. Many information systems have been developed for Supply Chain Management (SCM), and recently the use of software agent technology has received a great potential in supporting collaboration in SCM. In this paper, two different supply chains between the Finnish steel producer and its local suppliers are modelled in order to find out the critical issues in the move towards an integrated supply chain. Furthermore, the paper presents one development possibility to improve the efficiency of logistics processes by using agent technology.