SCM in Retail Trade - Business Processes and ICT Solutions

The world economy in the last two decades, faces the extraordinary growth of competition caused by the processes of internationalization, globalization and concentration. In the new constellation of forces in distribution channel, retail trade occupies a dominant position. As one of the key responses to these many challenges, a successful retail companies are choosing a faceing toward members of their own supply channels. The concept originated in the belief that all supply chain participants must jointly strive for accelerating and improving the flow of primarily material goods and supporting information, but also work together to solve all other problems of any member of the supply chain that can affect the delay in flow of products or services to the end customer / users, called supply chain management (SCM). Given that cooperation and communication are basic requirements of this concept, it is understandable why information and communication technology has a key role in the supply chain management. Information communication technology was the assumption of origin of supply chain management, today is the foundation of his implementation, but also a source and support of its further development and improvement in the future. The paper lists the basic modern theoretical knowledge on the concept of Supply Chain Management, and view most used information communication technologies in supply chain management. Special attention will be devoted to technologies that are used in operating activities of the flow of goods, as well as software applications which are mainly based communications supply chain. The aim of the paper is to indicate the importance of information and communication technologies for the supply chain management and provide a specific classification of modern technology solutions that are currently used in the management of supply chain.