Information Systems Are Only as Good as the People Behind Them Information systems and their impact on logistics performance in a multinational manufacturing company

Abstract

Over the past years, information and information systems (IS) have become increasingly important for manufacturing companies’ overall logistics performance. Information and value-added data runs throughout the company and with IS as an enabler, the company’s efficiency increases. IS has received its expected share of rewarding critique, although its presence may not always be solely advantageous. This study therefore aims to investigate under which conditions the concept of IS has a negative impact on a manufacturing company’s logistics performance, a context that previously has been somewhat neglected. In this research, a multiple case study has been carried out where 17 semi-structured interviews in Europe and Latin America have been conducted as well as observations. The result indicates that IS is a resource that cannot contribute to enhanced logistics performance without the complementing aspects of high system quality, high information quality, internal communication and adequate human behaviour. Moreover, the study shows that system quality is in fact not the most severe influencer to poor logistics performance, but rather the impact from information quality, communication, and human behaviour.