Knowledge and information flows in supply chains: A study on pharmaceutical companies

• Published in: International journal of production economics Vol. 122; no. 1; pp. 376 - 384
• Main Authors: Pedroso, Marcelo Caldeira, Nakano, Davi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-11-2009; Elsevier; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Series: International Journal of Production Economics
• Subjects: Consumer behavior; Decision making; Health care; Information; Information flow; Knowledge; Knowledge flow; Pharmaceutical companies; Pharmaceutical industry; Studies; Supply chain management; Supply chain management Information flow Knowledge flow Health care Pharmaceutical companies; Supply chains; Health care; Pharmaceutical companies; Supply chain management; Knowledge flow; Information flow
• ISSN: 0925-5273; 1873-7579
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2009.06.012

A great deal of attention in the supply chain management literature is devoted to study material and demand information flows and their coordination. But in many situations, supply chains may convey information from different nature, they may be an important channel companies have to deliver knowledge, or specifically, technical information to the market. This paper studies the technical flow and highlights its particular requirements. Drawing upon a qualitative field research, it studies pharmaceutical companies, since those companies face a very specific challenge: consumers do not have discretion over their choices, ethical drugs must be prescribed by physicians to be bought and used by final consumers. Technical information flow is rich, and must be redundant and early delivered at multiple points. Thus, apart from the regular material channel where products and order information flow, those companies build a specialized information channel, developed to communicate to those who need it to create demand. Conclusions can be extended to supply chains where products and services are complex and decision makers must be clearly informed about technology-related information.