Integrated management of the PGI 'Matera' Bread chain

Supply chain management can be considered as a mean to achieve higher levels of service and substantial savings in costs. Integrated management systems represent a crucial starting point and the backbone for reaching desired goals of competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to analyse a ‘new institutional’ IT-based approach to the integrated management of the Italian Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) ‘Matera’ Bread food chain. The research carries out a comparative analysis of economic performance indicators, that were collected ex ante and ex post the IT technology introduction. Results highlight how efficient use and sharing of information assets can improve the vertical integration of supply chain and contribute in reduction transaction costs for all supply chain operators. Finally, this paper sheds some light on the importance of integrated policies and systems of the food chain necessary for encouraging a rise in the quality of the final product.