Title: Gauging web portals' impact on Supply Chain Management concepts

Authors: Alan D. Smith, O. Felix Offodile

Addresses: Department of Management and Marketing, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-3099, USA. ' Department of Management and Information Systems, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242-001, USA

Abstract: As the utilisation of web-based portals continues to increase in modern businesses, adoption and use of efficient, reliable, secure, and cost-effective enterprise web-based portal modules amongst key departments will be crucial to companies striving to compete in the ever-evolving global economy. This paper will examine Business-to-Business (B2B) web-based portals and their role in business transactions. One of the tools that are allowing this expanding segment of e-commerce to grow is web-based portal applications. An empirical examination was conducted of web portals to illustrate how they can be used as a tool to communicate, share and exchange rich information across wide networks that may span across the globe. Today, web-based portals are used in business to aid in design, manufacturing and production processes, and a key component in business functions like Supply Chain Management (SCM). Web-based portals must provide security, reliability, functionality, usability, and also be cost-effective in order to add value to the organisation as well as provide a competitive advantage. Web-based portals and their use in SCM in its role in the Information Technology applications and its effect on major stakeholder groups like vendors, suppliers, management and employees are explored.

Keywords: B2B; customer relationship management; CRM; e-commerce; empirical; information technology; supply chain management; SCM; web-based portals; electronic commerce; business-to-business; business transactions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2008.016570

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2008 Vol.4 No.2, pp.184 - 206

Published online: 11 Jan 2008 *

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