Title: Design of an adaptable logistics workflow management system for e-business

Authors: H.C.W. Lau, C.K.M. Lee, G.T.S. Ho, K.L. Choy, Bartholomew P.K. Leung

Addresses: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong. ' Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong. ' Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong. ' Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong. ' Department of Applied Mathematics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong

Abstract: Owing to the rapid development of information technology, there is a growing interest in e-commerce and trading on the internet. However, the downturns of e-business in recent years have indicated that the supply chain dimension of e-business has not received the attention it deserves. If the basic logistics performance is not assured, the advanced technologies and well-defined business infrastructures of e-business applications will never save an e-company; the company will not make profit without the physical support for the concepts behind the virtual store. To meet the existing turbulent and volatile global and virtual marketplace, it is necessary for the supply chain network to equip itself with some degree of flexibility and ability to adapt to unforeseeable changes in the market. This paper focuses on the supply chain and logistics dimensions of e-business and suggests practical approaches and models to avoid their poor management, thereby improving productivity and cost-effectiveness to support the virtual stores.

Keywords: supply chain management; SCM; e-business; electronic business; value chain; supply chain models; logistics performance; workflow management; virtual stores; flexible supply chains; agile supply chains; agile systems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJASM.2006.011627

International Journal of Agile Systems and Management, 2006 Vol.1 No.4, pp.329 - 345

Published online: 06 Dec 2006 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article