Despite the great attention in academic research, studies on intelligent agents do not explain how agent technology provides opportunities to improve supply chain coordination. The purpose of this paper is (i) to provide an overview of operating environments in which applications of agent technology can be positioned and (ii) to indicate why and when intelligent agents can provide a surplus value in supply chain collaboration within these operating environments. To do so, a framework is supplied on the basis of existing theories on supply chain coordination, the contingencies that affect the coordination mechanisms, and the Supply-Chain Operations Reference-model (SCOR model). For the covering abstract see ITRD E126595.
Abstract