Supply chain intelligence practices among small medium enterprises in Malaysia

Small and medium sized enterprises (smes) are the economic backbone of many countries. in order to survive and compete in dynamic markets,smes need supply chain intelligence (sci) as a structured tool to gather and analyse information of business activities and the market environment. however,studies on the concept are scare,in particular its application to the sme sector. this research study examines the level and extent of sci practices among smes and their impact on their competitive advantage and business performance respectively. in order to assess these,a survey was conducted among 813 sme owners and managers from various business sectors and subsectors. results showed that majority of the smes have the right culture and some form of intelligence activities including formal intelligence unit. these measures were developed with top management support. by emphasising its importance among employees,sci activities will improve smes' competitive advantage and performance. © 2016 universiti putra malaysia press.