Managing Supply Chain at High Technology Companies

There is an expectation that high technology companies use unique and leading edge technology to gain competitive advantage by investing heavily in supply chain management. This research uses multiple case study methodology to determine factors affecting the supply chain management at high technology companies. The research compares the supply chain performance of these high technology companies against the supply chain of benchmark (or commodity-type) companies at both strategic and tactical levels. In addition, the research also looks at supply chain practices within the high technology companies. The results indicate that at the strategic level the high technology companies and benchmark companies have a similar approach to supply chain management. However at the tactical, or critical, supply chain factor level, the analysis suggests that the high technology companies do have a different approach to supply chain management. The analysis also found differences in supply chain practices within the high technology companies; in this case the analysis shows that high technology companies with more advanced supply chain practices are more successful.