Factors affecting inter-organisational information management systems used to coordinate australian food processor chains

It is agreed that good communication systems between organisations increase customer satisfaction and relationship behaviour and are important issues in chain collaboration and competition. However, less is known about the details of how information is used to manage relationships and coordinate customers and suppliers in chains. In earlier stages of the research, a dynamic model of inter-organisational information management systems (IOIMS) and relationships was developed. This paper presents an evaluation of this model based on a survey of Australian food processors and a green life industry case study and an evaluation of a revised version of this model. It was found that a strategic oriented IOIMS was positively associated with IOIMS satisfaction that was in turn positively associated with perceived current outcomes (satisfaction with performance, perceived responsiveness and strength of relationship trust). However, (attitudinal) commitment to develop long-term customer/supplier relationships was not significantly associated with the IOIMS, IOIMS satisfaction or current outcomes. Results were moderated by the nature of the business environment - power/dependency, experience and market uncertainty. These findings have been discussed along with implications for management and suggestions for future researc

Information communication tools used to coordinate food chains

Chain coordination is growing in importance for those in the food industry to maintain access to global markets and competitive advantage. Information communication facilitates coordination and is seen as the glue that holds organisational chain relationships together. This paper describes how Australian food processors have been exchanging information to coordinate customers and suppliers in their chains along with changes over time. The most frequent information exchanged was to resolve problems. Operational issues were only discussed when exceptions arose and this was decreasing over time, as problems were resolved and processes improved. For the organisations studied, they were increasingly formalising processes to review progress and performance. A wide range of organisational departments were involved in communications with customers and suppliers, especially to resolve problems and develop new products. While the traditional telephone and face-to-face communication methods were the most popular, e-mails were replacing faxes. There were also moves to increasing use of reports, electronic data interchange and intranets for more well developed relationships with larger customers and suppliers. These changes in communication systems were the source of some increased satisfaction with information systems by improving timeliness and depth of information shared. However, there was perceived to be some room for further improvement

Setting up and Managing Chain Initiatives

Chain coordination is growing in importance to maintain access to global markets and competitive advantage. Of particular interest is how to set up and manage an initiative in a chain. Much of the research in the area of chains is based on case study examples of initiatives to improve chain performance. While this research is very rich in providing details about what was done, there can be questions of how applicable it may be in other situations. This research aimed to provide some more generalisable results that may be applied in a range of different situations

Akubras to Hard Hats: Easing Skill Shortages through Labour Harmonisation Strategies

This article examines skill and labour shortages within rural agricultural industries in Western Australia. It draws on primary and secondary data, including 600 survey respondents in the sector. It is determined that there may be a shortage of farm workers during the busy seasons, while they are unemployed during the low seasons. Consequently, it is proposed that a human capability framework is utilised to encourage farm owners and (or) workers to consider the potential for labour-harmonisation strategies which would allow workers to transit between working on the land during the busy seasons and in mining during the low seasons. The outcomes of the study are considered in relation to indicators of precarious work illustrating that LH could enable an easing of labour shortages for both the farming and mining sectors, while providing benefits for the respective workers, employers, and the region in general

Factors Affecting Adoption of Quality Assurance in Australian Redmeat Industries

Livestock Production/Industries,

To Be, or Not To Be, That Is the Question - In a Group That Is

There is a perception in Western Australia that some regions do not have many farmer groups and that there are large numbers of farmers who aren't involved with group activities. This was seen to be a problem for government and industry research organisations that are attempting to encourage change in rural communities through group processes. This perception was not supported by the results of a study of in which 172 south western grain belt farmers were surveyed at three major field days in WA during 2002. With 79% of those surveyed currently involved in an average of 1.7 farmer groups, it can be argued they are heavily involved with group activities. Interestingly older farmers tended to be involved in more groups. Those that are involved in groups do so to gain information, social interaction and to improve themselves, their enterprise and the community; whereas those not involved said they have other sources of information, limited time and the groups offered were not perceived to be applicable. Another trend emerging in WA is the increasing role and membership of farmer initiated and managed groups.Agribusiness,

Rural Farming Community Climate Change Acceptance: Impact of Science and Goverment Credibility

Independent research of Western Australian rural people’s attitudes to climate change and influences on their attitudes offered a preliminary assessment of the WA rural sector’s understanding of climate change and insights into potential barriers to communication. Of the farmers surveyed (N=255) only a third (33%) reported to the researchers they agreed climate change was occurring and just 19% believed climate change was human induced. Over half (52%) were uncertain whether human-induced climate change was occurring and only 31% thought climate change represented a major threat to the future of their farm businesses. Results also showed that only 33% of all respondents (N =411) found climate change information easy to understand. In addition, results indicated that generally respondents had concerns with the credibility of science and low levels of trust in government, which contributed to their attitudes to climate change.These results suggested the barriers to climate change communication resided with the very structures that sought to communicate with rural people and were embedded in the comprehensibility, relevancy and saliency of climate change information. The results indicated that science and government may need to consider utilising alternative strategies to distribute climate change knowledge within the rural sector. The results suggest that a better approach to distributing climate change information would be to frame the information within the local socio-cultural, economic and biophysical environment of the people it was intended to influence

Review of Published Chain Information System Research

This paper provides a review of the literature on chains and networks that examine inter-organisational information systems used to manage chains of organisations. Difficulty was found in finding out how organisations exchanged information to manage relationships with customers and suppliers in chains. Most research publications found were based on case studies and few looked at chains of three or more organisations. Substantial research over a greater time period was found on dyadic buyer-seller inter-organisational relationships (companies and either their customers or suppliers). Conclusions are made about how to describe inter-organisational information systems and suggestions for empirical chain research using comparative pairs for data collection and analysis

Implementing Information System Innovations to Manage Biosecurity Issues in Australian Food NetChains

Tracking and tracing systems are being demanded by customers such as the major Australian supermarket chains, superior food service chains and globally in export markets such as the European Union and Asia. This includes the ability to track products as they move to downstream customers and to traceback where products have been sourced for feedback and to resolve problems. To continue to access these global premium priced markets Australian food organisations need to ensure they meet changing customer requirements. Traditionally information communication technologies to provide tracking and tracing systems have been set up for larger business and industry sectors that warrant the costs of development. Small business cannot always afford to invest in the infrastructure to establish through chain and industry wide netchain based systems. This problem is compounded where businesses are fragmented and spread over large geoographical areas even if they have similar requirements. An action learning approach was taken to identify what is needed in setting up tracking and tracing systems to address biosecurity issues in three small business based netchains (livestock 'A' and fruits 'B' and 'C'). In the livestock 'A' sector fears of a global pandemic has heightened the need for tracking and traceablity processes, combined with preventative actions and rigorous bio-security protocols (e.g. traceability of traffic properties). For fruit 'B' and 'C' movements of produce across state and national borders requires phytosanitary certification to provide assurance to minimize or eradicate the spread of diseases and pests. Concerns or delays in tracking and tracing can result in perishable produce becoming unsalable. A system was identified to suit small businesses and those in niche market industries. The system was based on deployment through the internet. The system had to link in with existing business information systems and business methods, be reliable, able to be tailored to address biosecurity issues and effective in meeting customer requirements. Results presented compare the use of the tracking and tracing system across the three different sectors (animal and horticultural products) and states of Australia. Findings are presented on what was learnt in the process including: identifying business in chains and networks to work collaboratively with; catalysts needed to get commitment to change; and support systems needed for successful implementation across multiple small businesses linked in netchains