E-business strategy: How companies are shaping their supply chain through the internet

• Published in: International journal of operations & production management Vol. 25; no. 12; pp. 1309 - 1327
• Main Authors: Cagliano, Raffaella, Caniato, Federico, Spina, Gianluca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Group Publishing Limited 01.01.2005
• Subjects: Business models; Collaboration; Communication; Customer relationship management; Customer services; Electronic commerce; Electronic procurement; Integrated approach; Integration; Internet; Manufacturers; Manufacturing; Operations management; Studies; Supply chain management; Supply chains; Europe
• ISSN: 0144-3577; 1758-6593
• DOI: 10.1108/01443570510633675

This paper aims to explore the actual adoption of Internet technologies in supply chain processes. The study is based on survey data from a large sample of European manufacturing firms participating in the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey. The interest of both researchers and practitioners around the use of Internet-based tools to support business processes has been quite high in the last few years. However, despite the initial enthusiastic expectations, it is still not completely clear whether these expectations have been translated into business reality. Results show a close link between the use of Internet tools and the level of integration with customers and suppliers, thus suggesting the need to define e-business strategies in coherence with the use of traditional integration mechanisms.