Alignment between Supply Chain Strategies (SCS) and Information Systems (ISs) in the fashion industry: Preliminary results of an empirical research

This paper examines the relationship between Supply Chain Strategies (SCSs) and supply chain Information Systems (IS) in the fashion industry, and its impact on supply chain and firm performances. In the paper, a state of the art on SCSs has been carried out. Three strategies have been identified: lean, agile and hybrid. Consequently, research on fashion companies SC strategies classification has been carried out, to rely on the three different approaches with competitive drivers’ factors, namely lines product characteristics, brand positioning, retail channel. Based on the literature review results, an empirical research has been conducted to measure the alignment between the fashion companies SCSs, and consequently the adopted KPIs, and the ISs implemented. Preliminary research shows that brands can adopt different SCSs according to the different factors (market segments, lines product, production methods and retail channels) within the same company, whilst ISs implemented are unique independently of the SCSs. Moreover, analyzing the case study results, a misalignment with the literature review has been found between SCSs and KPIs measured in the companies where different SCSs are implemented.