Supply chain coordination: Perspectives, empirical studies and research directions

Supply chains (SC) are generally complex and are characterized by numerous activities spread over multiple functions and organizations, which pose interesting challenges for effective SC coordination. To meet these challenges. SC members must work towards a unified system and coordinate with each other. A systematic literature review is presented in this paper to throw light on the importance of SC coordination. The objectives of this paper are to: report and review various perspectives on SC coordination issues, understand and appreciate various mechanisms available for coordination and identify the gaps existing in the literature. A framework is suggested indicating scope for further research. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.