Benefits of an item-centric enterprise-data model in logistics services:: A case study

The paper uses a case example to present a novel way of building enterprise information systems. The objective is to bring forth the benefits of an item-centric systems design in environments that require real-time material visibility, such as in logistics service provision. The methodology employed is case study and metadata modeling. Managers of SE Makinen, a Finnish car distribution company were interviewed on the implementation and operation of their award winning enterprise system. The case example was then analyzed using a generic metadata model of item-centric systems. The main finding of the paper is that introducing an item-centric model facilitated responsive service in the distribution of automobiles. The practical implications are that when starting to develop a new enterprise system, managers in logistics services should consider an item-centric design solution as an option to the conventional location-based design for enterprise-data models. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.