Evaluating eCollaboration: Toward A Positioning Map For Supply Chain Integration

E-business systems have the potential to transform supply chain relationships into integrated collaborative networks. However many firms are hesitant to adopt e-business systems, and in particular collaborative supply chain initiatives, as the benefits often fail to fulfill the promise. To reduce this anomaly, firms need to realize the successful creation and implementation of a collaborative supply chain system is more complex than other inter-organizational systems (IOS). Decision makers need to evaluate the different options for integrating the supply chain and determine the most appropriate partners. Although previous studies have assessed e-business and IOS, few offer a predictive model that can assist decision makers with the selective deployment of an integrated supply chain system. Based upon previous research and empirical data, the authors have devised a positioning framework for prospective adopters to illustrate the potential impact of a collaborative supply chain system. This framework enables a positioning of current supply chain partners, based upon pre-adoption factors, to identify the potential level of impact achievable. An EU-Funded project, Co-Improve, provided the empirical setting to test this framework. With e-business evaluation still in its infancy, this new framework can assist managers with the complex task of instigating and implementing e-supply chain initiatives.