Electronic Commerce and Supply Chain Management at ETA Fabriques d'Ebauches SA

Electronic Commerce (EC) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) are fundamental strategic concepts when businesses are forging links with their suppliers and customers. This article analyzes the complementary nature of both concepts. ETA SA, part of ‘The Swatch Group’ in Switzerland, has redesigned the distribution of spare parts to brand manufacturers by pursuing an integrated approach of EC and SCM. The article describes the interaction of SCM and EC from a conceptual and a practical perspective and develops some implications for designing and implementing EC and SCM solutions using the Business Engineering method.