The Evolving B2B E-Commerce and Supply Chain Management: A Chronological Mémoire

• Published in: Journal of Business and Management Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 49 - 67
• Main Authors: Monroe, Richard W, Barrett, Paul T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Fort Collins J.B.M 01.03.2019; Journal of Business and Management
• Subjects: Business to business commerce; Censuses; Costs; Electronic commerce; Growth rate; Hypotheses; Information sharing; Information technology; Manufacturers; Manufacturing; Suppliers; Supply chain management; United States > US; systems integration; maturity model; e-commerce; supply chain integration; technology systems
• ISSN: 1535-668X
• DOI: 10.6347/JBM.201903_25(1).0003

Purpose- B2B e-commerce in the U.S. has grown substantially in the last two decades. This study aims to describe that growth and explore factors that contribute to the magnitude and timing of growth. Method- Sixteen years of historical data is analysed to quantify the growth rate in B2B e-commerce in the U.S. A literature review guides the discussion of factors contributing to the growth. Findings- For the period from 2000 to 2015, B2B e-commerce in the U.S. grew by an average rate of more than 10 percent year-over-year. The growth gained momentum in the period from 2003 through 2005 after a slow start in the prior years. Limitations- The study analyses aggregated data for the entire U.S. manufacturing sector which limits the ability to explore those manufacturing industry sectors that may be leaders or laggards. Implications- The study suggests that major contributing factors are systems integration and the stage within a maturity model for the company working towards integration. Managers should set reasonable goals and timelines based on project complexity and the organisation's maturity level for systems integration. Originality- Both theory and practice are informed by examining the growth of B2B e-commerce for a sixteen-year period. Consequently, this study provides an historical view for the evolution of B2B e-commerce and the maturation of related information systems and supply chain management processes in the U.S. manufacturing sector.