Dear Sir/Madam,

We cordially invite you to participate in an online survey to help us understand how small businesses share sales data, inventory information, and order status with their suppliers and customers. I am a doctoral student of Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at McGill University. This survey is a part of my dissertation study.

Research shows that the higher the level of information sharing, the higher the chance your business will survive in the future. The level of information sharing with suppliers/customers is also a major index indicating how strong your relationship with your suppliers/customers and how firmly have you established your position in your industry. The lack of accurate and timely information flow across supply chain partners also results in inefficiency, such as inaccurate forecasts, excessive inventory, low capacity utilization, and inadequate customer service. Higher level of information sharing in supply chains brings better performance to your business. By completing this questionnaire you can:

* get an instant report about your scores on six indicators of information sharing;
* compare your scores with benchmarking scores of other small businesses;
* identify existing problems in your current practice of information sharing;
* obtain useful suggestions to improve its effectiveness and efficiency.

If you are interested, we will also provide you with the final report of the study. This survey takes about 5-10 minutes to complete, please visit: Information Sharing in Supply Chains

Please fill out the survey before April 30, 2007. Thank you in advance for taking the time to give us your valuable feedback!

Sincerely,

Xiaowen Bao, Ph.D. Candidate
Graduate School of Library & Information Studies
McGill University
Tel: (514) 803-21**
Fax: (514) 362-0981
Email: xiaowen.bao@mail.mcgill.ca

Superviser: France Bouthillier, Ph.D., Director
Graduate School of Library and Information Studies
McGill University
3459 McTavish Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1Y1
Tel: (514) 398-3362
Fax: (514) 398-7193