The Role of Knowledge Management in Innovative Supply Chain Design

This exploratory research examined the contribution of knowledge management (KM) to supply chain management (SCM) and its specific role in supply chain design. Following a review of relevant literature, a conceptual model was developed to indicate the knowledge domains involved in an innovative approach to supply chain design. The contributions of KM are investigated and analyzed through a case study of supply chain design in the Australian beef industry. While KM supported supply chain design through various KM processes such as knowledge acquisition, sharing, dissemination and protection, the most significant contribution came from the process of knowledge integration. This indicates the significant potential of KM to play a major role in supporting the complex nature of contemporary supply chain design