Revising concepts for interfirm collaboration - A case-based approach

Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: Technical advances and strategic reconsiderations in the Business-to-Business (B2B) market have led companies to meet new challenges with innovative forms of collaboration. Since 1999, industrial organizations have separately attempted to enable common interfirm trade with the help of online trading platforms and e-marketplaces. In most industries, the use of these platforms has been reduced to low numbers of intra-industry transactions between first-movers and strategic visionaries. Despite their damped optimism, companies' readiness has progressed along with the market potential. Tackling the initial weaknesses, an integrative B2B trading network that is based on true interoperability and openness is now well-positioned to exploit this increased potential. At the example of Eastman Chemical Corporation, this paper analyzes the possibilities of creating a completely revised interfirm collaboration network. Inhaltsverzeichnis:Table of Contents: Index of figuresIII Index of tablesIV List of abbreviationsV 1.Introduction1 1.1Statement of purpose1 1.2Research focus and goal2 1.3Outline2 2.The case of Eastman Chemical Company3 2.1Company background3 2.2Overview of corporate e-business portfolio3 2.3Backbone of current IT infrastructure4 2.4Strategic focus in the chemical industry6 3.Comparison and extension of collaboration forms7 3.1Organizational responses to current challenges7 3.2B2B collaboration models8 3.2.1Traditional view of collaboration8 3.2.2Selected non-equity interfirm relations9 3.2.3Selected equity interfirm relations9 3.2.4Strategic outsourcing of non-core activities10 3.2.5From portals and catalogues to e-marketplaces11 3.3Review of collaboration models14 4.Creating a framework for dynamic collaboration17 4.1Current challenges and unsolved problems17 4.2Meta-market framework requirements18 4.2.1Ensuring security and privacy18 4.2.2Adapting and standardizing online laws19 4.2.3Enhancing trust20 4.2.4XML-enabled web semantics21 4.2.5Extending on UDDI as global directory services23 4.2.6Extending on Web Services for standardized communication24 4.3Feasibility appreciation of a new collaboration model25 5.Introducing the dynamic collaboration network model27 5.1Operational deployment and integration of a MetaHub27 5.1.1Connectivity and implementation processes27 5.1.2Initiation and funding29 5.1.3Structuring transactions and negotiations30 5.2Extending towards a dynamic [...]