e-Business and Supply Chain Integration

Abstract

E-business— the use of Internet-based computing and communications to execute both front-end and back-end business processes — has emerged as a key enabler to drive supply chain integration. Businesses can use the Internet to gain global visibility across their extended network of trading partners and help them respond quickly to a range of variables, from customer demand to resource shortages. This paper examines the impact of e-business on supply chain integration on four critical dimensions: information integration, synchronized planning, coordinated workflow, and new business models. By adopting e-business approaches businesses can reap the benefits of supply chain integration — reduced costs, increased flexibility, faster response times — more rapidly and effectively. 1