Enterprise Collaboration Maturity Model (ECMM): Preliminary Definition and Future Challenges

Collaboration and interoperability are pervasive topics today as organizations struggle to attiain competitive edge in today’s global market fostered by new economies of scale. Moreover, the deep introduction of Internet in our lives both at personal and business level is changing all aspects of our economies and societies and the way enterprises and individuals interoperate and collaborate. In the COIN IP project [IST-216256], a strategy based on readiness assessment to adopt best collaboration and interoperability practices has been implemented following the maturity models approach. The aim of this paper is to present a process improvement approach conceived as a maturity model for collaborative networked organizations, in which organizations participating in a network are assessed, both as a stand-alone company and with respect to the network. The result of this assessment will provide the organization with a picture of where they are at that moment and where they have to be if the maturity model is fully complied. Additionally a roadmap and an improvement plan is suggested, which will help the company fill the gap.