Internet-Based Geographical Information Systems System for E-Commerce Application in Construction Material Procurement

This study combines two luminous areas, geographical information systems ~GIS! and E-commerce system, and applies the combined technology in the business of construction material trading. In the era of electronic business, trades can be accomplished without limitations on time and space. The statement is true in principle only, but in reality, any kind of business activity must involve transportation of goods from one place to another, and therefore, constrain in space is always in existence. GIS is capable to integrate, to manage, and to analyze information regarding to space ~spatial information!. This study investigates the roles of internet-based GIS in E-commence systems. It is identified that there is a great potential to use GIS in E-commerce system to provide better services in location-based queries, business area analysis, and transportation analysis. Accordingly, an E-commerce system for the business of construction material is developed. The implemented system is called construction materials exchange, this is currently operating for the over 2,000 buyers, 29,000 suppliers, and 1,000 agents, and the system mainly servers for the great China region. This paper presents the system from its conceptual business model, logical system design, to the system implementation. DOI: 10.1061/~ASCE!0733-9364~2003!129:6~689! CE Database subject headings: Geographic information systems; Internet; Construction materials. This paper reports the development of an internet-based geographical information system ~GIS!—for E-commerce application, the paper covers the background knowledge of GIS, conceptual design of the E-commerce system, and the current status of