The impact of supply chain information and networking on product development in Swedish process industry

This paper will test the hypothesis that upstream companies in process industries that have changed their strategy to encompass a customer/product focus during the 1990s have also invested in and use some type of information systematisation (e.g. databases) in development. If there has been a change of strategy, then this should imply a need of changing information into development projects through networks. An increased awareness of supply chain information might support and facilitate a change of development perspective. An interesting finding in the paper is the tendency for upstream companies, compared to downstream companies, to be more interested in working in networks to acquire new competences in development projects. This can be since the information needed in projects has changed, thereby increasing the need for upstream companies to find suitable partners when it concerns both suppliers and customers, but also with other actors who can give the needed information. Today, the dilemma for process industries is that much development work requires personal contacts with customers without having suitable information technologies that support that linkage. Therefore, to reach a market-oriented perspective in development, management should, early in the process of strategy change, emphasise evaluation of needed networks and IT systems to make the development process more efficient.