Collaborative Tracking: The Vaue of A Composite Design

Paper in proceeding, 2012

The purpose of the paper is to show how supply chain actors can collaboratively create a tracking system for management of their operations. The collaborative tracking system is introduced by using a conceptual approach. The supporting empirical data for creation of the concept is collected through conducting a case study of a Swedish automotive supply chain. A collaborative tracking system created based on composite and observer design patterns is introduced as an appropriate solution for inter-organizational tracking of different levels of transported entities. The research contributes to the body of knowledge in the field of logistics tracking and tracing. The conceptually developed collaborative tracking system needs to be validated empirically. The introduced practical requirements and limitations of the actors of an automotive supply chain for designing an inter-organizational tracking system are useful for practitioners of different industrial fields. The conceptually developed collaborative tracking system could be used as a model for developing inter-organizational tracking systems. Introduction of a collaborative tracking system by adopting the theories of software engineering and product data management is an original contribution of the paper to the field of tracking in logistics and transportation.