EBEST platform supporting SMEs to manage supply chain and collaborate

Abstract

An ICT system can help small and medium-sized enterprises to overcome barriers in the way of applying for public procurement. Forming an ecosystem gives them a synergy with which they will become potential competitors in this market. In the eBEST project (Empowering Business Ecosystems of Small Service Enterprises to Face the Economic Crisis) an integrated platform was developed which equips SMEs and SME associations with state-of-the-art software tools for ecosystem-wide business collaboration. The eBEST approach proposes three interlinked software environments specifically conceived for networked small organizations, supported by advanced suite of ICT services and applications. In our paper the benefits brought by the eBEST platform components are described. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.