The impact of e‐business on supply chain management : An empirical study of key developments

Purpose – E‐business systems and processes that use ubiquitous platforms such as web browser and internet have a profound impact on the management of inter‐organisational processes. Consequently, a major implication of e‐business is its impact on supply chain management. This paper focuses on the developments in e‐business system adoption and deployment in support of supply chain management. Design/methodology/approach – The research conducted for this paper was empirical in nature, involving an interview study with a large sample of organisations and selected case study visits. Analysis of the impact of e‐business on supply chain strategy also examines three representative areas of supply chain management – procurement, customer relationship management, and fulfilment process. Findings – E‐business systems deployment was also seen to act as a significant catalyst for each of the three areas examined, although this paper presents only the findings from the exploratory study. Originality/value – From the research analysis it was possible to develop a normative, five‐stage, model classifying the evolution of e‐business systems deployment for supply chain management. Finally proposes the need for longitudinal research to surface the underlying dynamics of e‐business adoption and deployment.