Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the link between information systems (IS) capabilities, supplier integration and cost performance in the service context. Specifically, it empirically investigates how supplier integration meditates the relationship between three dimensions of IS capabilities and cost performance in service firms.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 156 UK service firms was conducted and the data analyzed to determine the role of supplier integration in mediating the effects of IS capabilities on firms' cost performance. The research model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM), and the neural network model was used to rank the relative influence of significant predictors obtained from SEM.

Findings

The results confirmed that supplier integration fully mediates the effects of information technology (IT) for supply chain activities and flexible IT infrastructure on cost performance and partially mediates the effect of operations manager's IT knowledge on cost performance. The results showed that operations manager's IT knowledge is the strongest predictor of supplier integration.

Originality/value

This study takes a step toward quelling concerns about the business value of IS, contributing to the development and validation of the measurement of IS capabilities in the service operations context. Additionally, it adds to the emerging body of literature linking supplier integration to the operational performance of service firms.

中文翻译：

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了解服务中 IS 能力与成本绩效之间的联系：供应商整合的中介作用

目的

本研究的目的是探索服务环境中信息系统 (IS) 能力、供应商集成和成本绩效之间的联系。具体来说，它实证研究了供应商整合如何调节服务公司信息系统能力三个维度与成本绩效之间的关系。

设计/方法/方法

对 156 家英国服务公司进行了一项调查，并分析了数据以确定供应商整合在调节信息系统能力对公司成本绩效的影响中的作用。使用结构方程模型（SEM）对研究模型进行测试，并使用神经网络模型对从 SEM 获得的显着预测变量的相对影响进行排序。

发现

结果证实，供应商整合完全中介了供应链活动的信息技术（IT）和灵活的IT基础设施对成本绩效的影响，部分中介了运营经理的IT知识对成本绩效的影响。结果表明，运营经理的 IT 知识是供应商整合的最强预测因素。

原创性/价值

这项研究朝着消除对信息系统商业价值的担忧迈出了一步，有助于在服务运营环境中开发和验证信息系统能力的测量。此外，它还增加了将供应商整合与服务公司的运营绩效联系起来的新兴文献。