Electronic commerce : supporting collaboration in the supply chain ?

This paper examines the influence of electronic commerce technologies in enabling companies to pursue more collaborative relations with their suppliers. It is shown how electronic commerce is supporting more collaborative relations by describing a number of the key areas of collaboration, where electronic commerce is having a considerable impact. Electronic commerce is radically re-shaping traditional supply chain structures in many industries and reducing the costs of closely integrating buyers and suppliers. However, it is argued that electronic commerce has yet to achieve its full potential in creating a transparent network of supply chain members. In particular, it is argued that a culture change is required in order to establish real partnerships between buyers and suppliers in which information can be exchanged on a regular basis in an environment of trust. © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.