Supply chain ontology: Review, analysis and synthesis

In an environment where supply chains compete against supply chains, information sharing among supply chain partners using information systems is a competitive tool. Supply chain ontology has been proposed as an important medium for attaining information systems interoperability. Ontology has its origin in philosophy, and the computing community has adopted ontology in its language. This paper presents a study of state of the art research in supply chain ontology and identifies the outstanding research gaps. Six supply chain ontology models were identified from a systematic review of literature. A seven point comparison framework was developed to consider the underlying concepts as well as application of the ontology models. The comparison results were then synthesised into nine gaps to inform future supply chain ontology research. This work is a rigorous and systematic attempt to identify and synthesise the research in supply chain ontology.