Understanding the relationships between information technology and lean and agile supply chain strategies: a systematic literature review

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationships studied in the literature between Information Technologies (IT) and two supply chain strategies that have similar mechanisms of action: Lean Supply Chain (LSC) and Agile Supply Chain (ASC). The purpose is to identify and understand the role that IT plays in the two strategies depending on the way that it is conceptualized, and whether this is transferred to performance. The Systematic Literature Review is the methodology used to locate articles, select and analyze their content. In general terms, research to date shows a positive association between IT and these two supply chain strategies and that this association improves business results. However, the study shows that research into LSC and ASC has used different conceptualizations of IT and, in some cases, these conceptualizations can have different effects on the study’s outcomes. This paper proposes directions for future research and theoretical development are suggested.