Asymmetric Information Mitigation in Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review

With the level of competition and consumer demand is changing rapidly, the speed and accuracy of the information flow in the supply chain increasingly necessary. Sharing of information between the parties in a supply chain plays an important role in improving the sustainability of a business, but imperfection information is inevitable because each party in the supply chain has a different objective. This condition increases the importance of a research on the mitigation of asymmetric information in the supply chain, therefore the purpose of this study was to conduct a review of previous studies related to overcoming the asymmetric information and map research trend on mitigating asymmetric information in the supply chain. We used systematic literature review (SLR) methods to analyze the data collected from Web of Science and Scopus database from 2005 to 2016. The results of this study can be used as a guide and a reference for further research related to overcoming the asymmetry of information in the supply chain in every industrial sector

Decentralized and centralized supply chains with trade credit option

The notion of a trade credit period is a common business practice, where a supplier allows a buyer a specified period to make a payment in full for a purchase made. The objective of this thesis is to explore the role of such a credit payment option in supply chain management. Towards this end, a two-echelon supply chain, consisting of a single supplier (e.g. manufacturer) and the cases of both a single and multiple buyers (e.g. retailers) is examined under decentralized (independent) and centralized (coordinated) decision making scenarios. The major emphasis of this research is limited to the case of a single product with price-sensitive deterministic, as well as stochastic market demand.The conditions under which a trade credit period should be offered and its appropriate length are determined from the supplier’s perspective under the decentralized case. Under the centralized decision scenario, the efficacy of a trade credit policy as a supply chain coordination mechanism is thoroughly analyzed and guidelines for pricing, production and delivery decisions are developed. The concepts developed in this study are illustrated via a number of numerical examples, in conjunction with thorough sensitivity analyses involving some selected problem parameters.The major contribution of this thesis is that we incorporate the pricing and inventory issues in supply chains with an endogenous credit payment period. This is the first study that examines the efficacy of trade credit option as a coordination mechanism. We propose a coordination mechanism that coordinates the supply chain, when a trade credit by itself is not sufficient to serve such a purpose, while preserving the benefits of a trade credit option. Also, this study is the first to examine the issues concerning trade credit under price sensitive stochastic demand. Another first for this work is the exploration of the implications of a trade credit policy in supply chains consisting of multiple competing retailers. The effects of the extent of competition and the market size on trade credit policy are evaluated. Our analyses lead to some important practical implications, to serve as managerial guidelines.Ph.D., Decision Sciences -- Drexel University, 201