Automotive e-hubs: Exploring motivations and barriers to collaboration and interaction

Abstract

Business-to-business electronic marketplaces or 'e-hubs' are adopted by organisations seeking to achieve dramatic reductions in cost. While initially heralded in such industries as the automotive sector as the key to restructuring old economy firms, the claims for e-hubs now appear optimistic. This chapter explores collaboration and interaction by examining four cases of e-hub adoption by vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. A conceptual framework emerges from this examination that helps to assess the real benefits of electronic applications -not the hyperbole -by revealing firm and industry level motivations and barriers. The framework explains the dissonance between expected and realised benefits, and extends thinking on information system barriers. It concludes with recommendations for how best to adopt e-hubs in terms of supply topology, buyer-supplier relationships, leadership and how to avoid disbenefits. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.