Table 2 Theoretical implications of... | Emerald Publishing

Table 2

Theoretical implications of digital traceability systems as inter-organisational information infrastructures

Dimension	Empirical evidence	Theoretical interpretation	IS implications
Traceability as IOS infrastructure	Traceability system connects multiple organisational actors through a shared digital platform enabling continuous generation and exchange of traceability information across supply chain tiers	Digital traceability systems operate as inter-organisational information infrastructures rather than stand-alone tracking technologies	Extends IOS literature by conceptualising traceability systems as distributed socio-technical infrastructures enabling multi-tier coordination and information visibility
Information integration	Data standardisation, shared identifiers, and interoperable coding structures enable actors to exchange and interpret traceability information consistently across organisational tiers	Information integration depends on syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic alignment across heterogeneous organisational actors	Highlights the multi-dimensional nature of information integration within digital traceability systems
Platform-enabled coordination	Digital platforms support continuous synchronisation, validation, and updating of interconnected information flows across organisational boundaries	Platform-enabled coordination supports reciprocal interdependence among distributed supply network actors	Extends platform and IOS literature by showing how digital platforms operate as coordination infrastructures within multi-tier supply networks
Governance mechanisms	Governance mechanisms regulate data validation, information access, and coordination among actors with heterogeneous digital capabilities	Effective traceability depends on the interaction between technological interoperability and relational governance mechanisms	Reinforces the socio-technical nature of inter-organisational information systems and highlights governance complexity within distributed digital infrastructures
Traceability depth	Upstream actors implement batch-level traceability while downstream actors increasingly adopt item-level traceability systems	Traceability depth represents a configurable design dimension shaping informational granularity, data lineage continuity, and cross-tier visibility	Extends traceability literature by conceptualising traceability depth as an information systems design characteristic rather than merely an operational tracking parameter
Sustainability-oriented visibility	Traceability systems support sustainability monitoring, responsible sourcing, and customer-facing transparency across organisational tiers	Digital traceability systems enable sustainability-oriented visibility across distributed supply networks	Connects IOS and information integration literature with sustainability and transparency research streams

Dimension	Empirical evidence	Theoretical interpretation	IS implications
Traceability as IOS infrastructure	Traceability system connects multiple organisational actors through a shared digital platform enabling continuous generation and exchange of traceability information across supply chain tiers	Digital traceability systems operate as inter-organisational information infrastructures rather than stand-alone tracking technologies	Extends IOS literature by conceptualising traceability systems as distributed socio-technical infrastructures enabling multi-tier coordination and information visibility
Information integration	Data standardisation, shared identifiers, and interoperable coding structures enable actors to exchange and interpret traceability information consistently across organisational tiers	Information integration depends on syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic alignment across heterogeneous organisational actors	Highlights the multi-dimensional nature of information integration within digital traceability systems
Platform-enabled coordination	Digital platforms support continuous synchronisation, validation, and updating of interconnected information flows across organisational boundaries	Platform-enabled coordination supports reciprocal interdependence among distributed supply network actors	Extends platform and IOS literature by showing how digital platforms operate as coordination infrastructures within multi-tier supply networks
Governance mechanisms	Governance mechanisms regulate data validation, information access, and coordination among actors with heterogeneous digital capabilities	Effective traceability depends on the interaction between technological interoperability and relational governance mechanisms	Reinforces the socio-technical nature of inter-organisational information systems and highlights governance complexity within distributed digital infrastructures
Traceability depth	Upstream actors implement batch-level traceability while downstream actors increasingly adopt item-level traceability systems	Traceability depth represents a configurable design dimension shaping informational granularity, data lineage continuity, and cross-tier visibility	Extends traceability literature by conceptualising traceability depth as an information systems design characteristic rather than merely an operational tracking parameter
Sustainability-oriented visibility	Traceability systems support sustainability monitoring, responsible sourcing, and customer-facing transparency across organisational tiers	Digital traceability systems enable sustainability-oriented visibility across distributed supply networks	Connects IOS and information integration literature with sustainability and transparency research streams