General Instructions and Information

• This survey is being conducted by Sufian Qrunfleh, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toledo
• This research will examine the effect of alignment between supply chain and information systems on supply chain and firm performance. The study is intended to help managers identify appropriate supply chain applications that may be required for successfully implementing particular supply chain strategies and practices. (It draws from literature on supply chain management and IT management).
• There are 6 pages included in this survey, and it typically takes about 15 minutes to complete.
• Please answer all questions. There is no right or wrong answer. Please provide your best estimate. I am interested only in your perceptions.
• Should you be interested in the results of this study, please indicate so in the questionnaire. I assure you that I will share the results of this study with you.
• Your responses will be kept anonymous and will be treated in strict confidence. The results will be used only for statistical analysis and for academic purposes.
• In case you are too busy to answer the survey, please forward it to a qualified employee who can answer it.
• Thank you for your cooperation. With your assistance, this study can be useful for strategic decision making, especially with regards to investment decisions concerning IT applications in supply chains.

Note: you must have scripting enabled to complete this survey.

• Fields requiring numeric answers will allow numbers only to be entered; dollar amounts allow numbers or decimal points ('.') only.
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• Click the "Submit Responses" button on the last page to send responses for the survey.
• If you press the Enter or Return key you may be prompted to submit the form! You can always click "Cancel" in the confirmation dialog box to skip submitting the form and return to data entry.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Sufian Qrunfleh
College of Business
The University of Toledo
2801 West Bancroft Street, Toledo, OH 43606
Phone: (419) 283-9997
Email: sqrunfl@utnet.utoledo.edu

Section 1 [Page 1 of 6]

The following questions describe your supply chain management strategies and applications acquired/developed in your supply chain.

With regard to cost reduction in our supply chain, our suppliers:

The supply chain applications we have enhance our ability to:

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

<- Deliver what we need ->

<- Deliver when we need ->

<- Deliver where we need ->

<- Adopt quality practices as per our requirements ->

<- Manage quality as per our requirements ->

<- Inspect products frequently ->

With regard to responsiveness and flexibility in our supply chain, our suppliers:

The supply chain applications we have enhance our ability to:

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

Respond quickly to our changing requirements of:

<- cost ->

<- delivery time ->

<- design ->

Respond effectively to our changing requirements of:

<- cost ->

<- delivery time ->

<- design ->

With regard to assemble-to-order strategy in our supply chain, our suppliers:

The supply chain applications we have enhance our ability to:

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

<- Customize our products by adding feature modules as per our requirements ->

<- Produce modular products ->

<- Respond to customization requirements quickly ->

<- Delay the products final assembly until customers make an order ->

<- Change the design of a product ->

Section 2 [page 2 of 6]

With regard to Information Systems (IS) in your firm, please indicate the choice that accurately reflects your firm’s present conditions.

With regard to efficiency, the Information Systems (IS) applications we acquire/develop help us to:
	Strongly Agree [1]	Agree [2]	Neutral [3]	Disagree [4]	Strongly Disagree [5]	N/A [6]
Improve the efficiency of operation between our suppliers and us
Manage inventory between our suppliers and us
Manage material requirement planning of our facility
Manage production control between our suppliers and us
Coordinate (production and information) efficiently across suppliers and product lines
With regard to flexibility, the Information Systems (IS) applications we acquire/develop help us to:
	Strongly Agree [1]	Agree [2]	Neutral [3]	Disagree [4]	Strongly Disagree [5]	N/A [6]
Introduce new product(s) and/or service(s) in our market(s)
Quickly share information within our firm
Monitor changes in our market condition
Respond to changes in the market
Change the design of our product(s)
With regard to comprehensiveness decisions, the Information Systems (IS) applications we acquire/develop help us to:
	Strongly Agree [1]	Agree [2]	Neutral [3]	Disagree [4]	Strongly Disagree [5]	N/A [6]
Provide sufficient information to support careful decision making
Provide detailed analysis of major decisions
Provide support for decision making
Adopt a well analyzed view when making major decisions

Section 3 [page 3 of 6]

The following questions describe your supply chain management practices and applications used in your supply chain.

With regard to partnerships with our suppliers, we:

The information technology applications used in our supply chain enhance our ability to:

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

<- Select suppliers based on their quality ->

<- Solve problems jointly with our suppliers ->

<- Include our key suppliers in our planning and goal-setting activities ->

<- Help our suppliers to improve their product quality ->

With regard to our customer relationship practices, we:

The information technology applications used in our supply chain enhance our ability to:

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

<- Interact with customers to set reliability, responsiveness, and other standards for us ->

<- Measure and evaluate customer satisfaction ->

<- Determine future customer expectations ->

<- Facilitate customers’ ability to seek assistance from us ->

With regard to our lean system practices, we:

The information technology applications used in our supply chain enhance our ability to:

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

<- Reduce manufacturing set-up time ->

<- Build and maintain continuous quality improvement program(s) ->

<- Streamline ordering, receiving and other paperwork from suppliers ->

<- Push suppliers for shorter lead-times ->

With regard to our postponement practices, we:

The information technology applications used in our supply chain enhance our ability to:

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

<- Delay final product assembly activities until customer orders have actually been received ->

<- Delay final product assembly activities until the last possible position (or nearest to customers) in the supply chain ->

<- Store our parts/products at distribution points closer to the customer ->

<- Design products for modular assembly ->

With regard to our Information sharing practices, we:

The information technology applications used in our supply chain enhance our ability to:

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

<- Inform our trading partners in advance of our changing needs ->

<- Mutually share business knowledge of core business processes with our trading partners ->

<- Mutually share proprietary information with our trading partners ->

With regard to our Information quality practices, we:

The information technology applications used in our supply chain enhance our ability to:

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

Strongly Agree [1]

Agree [2]

Neutral [3]

Disagree [4]

Strongly Disagree [5]

N/A [6]

Exchange information with our trading partners in a:

<- timely manner ->

<- accurate manner ->

<- complete manner ->

<- adequate manner ->

<- reliable manner ->

Section 4 [page 4 of 6]

With regard to usage of IT in your firm, please indicate the choice that accurately reflects your firm’s present conditions.

We interact with our partners by using IT to:
	Strongly Agree [1]	Agree [2]	Neutral [3]	Disagree [4]	Strongly Disagree [5]	N/A [6]
Solve problems jointly with our suppliers
Help our suppliers to improve their product quality
Include our key suppliers in our planning and goal-setting activities
Measure and evaluate customer satisfaction
Facilitate customer service activities
We improve processes inside our firm by using IT to:
	Strongly Agree [1]	Agree [2]	Neutral [3]	Disagree [4]	Strongly Disagree [5]	N/A [6]
Reduce manufacturing set-up time
Forecast demand
Design products for modular assembly
Delay final product assembly activities until customer orders have actually been received
Store our parts/products at distribution points close to the customer
Inside our firm, our IT foundation (platforms, networks, and databases) facilitates:
	Strongly Agree [1]	Agree [2]	Neutral [3]	Disagree [4]	Strongly Disagree [5]	N/A [6]
Communication and sharing of business knowledge of core business processes
Communication and exchange of timely information
Communication and exchange of accurate information
Communication and exchange of complete information
Communication and exchange of adequate information

Section 5 [page 5 of 6]

With regard to Performance of your supply chain management in your firm, please indicate the choice that accurately reflects your firm’s present conditions.

Supply Chain Flexibility- our supply chain is able to:
	Strongly Agree [1]	Agree [2]	Neutral [3]	Disagree [4]	Strongly Disagree [5]	N/A [6]
handle difficult nonstandard orders
meet special customer specification
produce products characterized by numerous features options, sizes and colors
rapidly adjust capacity so as to accelerate or decelerate production in response to changes in customer demand
rapidly introduce large numbers of product improvements/variation
handle rapid introduction of new products
Supply Chain Integration
	Strongly Agree [1]	Agree [2]	Neutral [3]	Disagree [4]	Strongly Disagree [5]	N/A [6]
There is a high level of communication and coordination between all functions in our firm.
Cross-functional teams are frequently used for process design and improvement in our firm.
There is a great amount of cross-over of the activities of our firm and our trading partners.
There is a high level of integration of information systems in our firm.
Responsiveness to Customers- our firm:
	Strongly Agree [1]	Agree [2]	Neutral [3]	Disagree [4]	Strongly Disagree [5]	N/A [6]
fills customer orders on time
has short order-to-delivery cycle time
has fast customer response time

Section 6 [page 6 of 6]

As a result of the acquisition/development and use of supply chain applications, please indicate the choice that accurately reflects your firm’s overall performance.

	Significant Decrease [1]	Decrease [2]	Same As Before [3]	Increase [4]	Significant Increase [5]	N/A [6]
Market Share
Return on investment
The growth of market share
Growth in return on investment
Profit margin on sales
Overall competitive position
General information about your firm: for the following questions, please check the appropriate response.
Number of employees in your company:	1-50	51-100	101-250	251-500	501-1000	>1000
Please indicate the industry category that best describes your primary business:	Manufacturing Process industry Service Other (specify):
Your company has been in business for:	<2 years	2-5 years	6-10 years	>10 years
Please indicate the range of your annual sales (in US$):	<1 million 1-10 million 10-25 million 25-50 million 50-250 million 250-500 million 500-100 million >1 billion
Your present job title:	CEO/President Director Manager Other (specify):
Your present job function (check all that apply):	Corporate Executive Purchasing Manufacturing Production Distribution Transportation Sales
The years you have stayed at this organization:	<2 years	2-5 years	6-10 years	>10 years
Please indicate the approximate range of your annual information systems budget (in US$):	<500 thousand	500 thousand-1 million	1-5 million	5-10 million	>10 million
Please indicate the approximate range of your annual information systems budget as a percentage of your sales:	<2% 2%-4% 4%-6% 6%-8% 8%-10% 10%-15% >15%
What percentage of your business transactions is done with your customers electronically	<10%	10%-30%	30%-50%	50%-80%	>80%
What percentage of your business transactions is done with your suppliers electronically	<10%	10%-30%	30%-50%	50%-80%	>80%
Please mark the position of your company in the supply chain (check all that apply):	Raw material supplier Component supplier Assembler Sub-assembler Manufacturer Distributor Wholesaler Retailer
Has your organization embarked upon information systems program(s) aimed specially at implementing "supply chain integration"	No Yes (specify # years):
Please check mark against one or more of the following technology applications you are primarily (heavily) using in your firm?	EDI Extranets DSS SCM software Other (please indicate:)

If you would like to receive a copy of the survey results, please provide the following information, or write to me separately. Those who complete the survey and provide their contact information will be automatically entered in a drawing for $100. Your contact information will not be used for any other purpose.

Name:
Company:
Street:
City: State: Zip:

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