Chapter 7
E-Supply Chains,
Collaborative Commerce,
Intrabusiness EC,and
Corporate Portals
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 2
Learning Objectives
1,Define the e-supply chain and describe its
characteristics and components.
2,List supply chain problems and their causes.
3,List solutions to supply chain problems provided
by EC.
4,Define c-commerce and list the major types.
5,Describe collaborative planning and
Collaboration,Planning,Forecasting,and
Replenishing (CPFR) and list the benefits of
each.
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 3
Learning Objectives
6,Define intrabusiness EC and describe its major
activities.
7,Discuss integration along the supply chain.
8,Understand corporate portals and their types
and roles.
9,Describe e-collaboration tools such as workflow
software and groupware.
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 4
E-Supply Chains
Definitions and Concepts
supply chain
The flow of materials,information,money,and services
from raw material suppliers through factories and
warehouses to the end customers
e-supply chain
A supply chain that is managed electronically,usually
with Web technologies
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 5
E-Supply Chains
Supply Chain Parts
– Upstream supply chain
– Internal supply chain
– Downstream supply chain
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 6
E-Supply Chains
Managing Supply Chains
– Managing supply chains can be difficult due to the need
to coordinate:
Several business partners
Several internal corporate departments
Numerous business processes
Possibly many customers
Information technology provides two types of software
solutions,
1,SCM
2,ERP and its predecessors MRP and MRP II
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 7
E-Supply Chains
Managing e-Supply Chains
e-supply chain management (e-SCM)
The collaborative use of technology to improve the
operations of supply chain activities as well as the
management of supply chains
– The success of an e-supply chain depends on:
The ability of all supply chain partners to view partner
collaboration as a strategic asset
Information visibility along the entire supply chain
Speed,cost,quality,and customer service
Integrating the supply chain more tightly
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 8
E-Supply Chains
Activities and Infrastructure of e-SCM
– Supply chain replenishment
– E-procurement
– Supply chain monitoring and control using RFID
– Collaborative planning
– Collaborative design and product development
– E-logistics
– Use of B2B exchanges and supply webs
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 9
E-Supply Chains
Infrastructure for e-SCM
– Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
– Extranets
– Intranets
– Corporate portals
– Workflow systems and tools
– Groupware and other collaborative tools
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 10
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
Typical Problems along the Supply Chain
– Supply chains can be very long,involving many internal
and external partners located in different places
– Both materials and information must flow among
several entities,and these transfers,especially when
manually handled,can be slow and error-prone
– Companies can improve their demand forecasting by
using IT-supported forecasts,which are done in
collaboration with business
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 11
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
Typical Problems along the Supply Chain
– A lack of logistics infrastructure exacerbates
uncertainties that exist in delivery times
– Quality problems with materials and parts can
contribute to deficiencies in the supply chain
– Pure EC companies are likely to have more supply
chain problems because they do not have a logistics
infrastructure and are forced to use external logistics
services
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 12
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
Typical Problems along the Supply Chain
– Other problems along the EC supply chain mainly stem
from the need to coordinate several activities and
internal units and business partners
bullwhip effect
Erratic shifts in orders up and down supply chains
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 13
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
The Need for Information Sharing along the
Supply Chain
– A supply chain includes the flow of information to
and from all participating entities
– It includes:
Product pricing
Inventory
Shipping status
Credit and financial information
Technology news
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 14
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
EC Solutions along the Supply Chain
– Order taking can be done over the Internet,EDI,
EDI/Internet,or an extranet,and may be fully
automated
– Order fulfillment can become instant if the products
can be digitized
– Electronic payments can expedite both the order
fulfillment cycle and the payment delivery period
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 15
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
EC Solutions along the Supply Chain
– Managing risk to avoid supply-chain breakdown can
be done in several ways
– Inventories can be minimized by introducing a build-
to-order (on-demand) manufacturing process as well
as by providing fast and accurate information to
suppliers
– Collaborative commerce among members of the
supply chain can be done in many areas
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 16
Collaborative Commerce
collaborative commerce (c-commerce)
The use of digital technologies that enable companies
to collaboratively plan,design,develop,manage,and
research products,services,and innovative EC
applications
collaboration hub
The central point of control for an e-market,A single
c-hub,representing one e-market owner,can host
multiple collaboration spaces (c-spaces) in which
trading partners use c-enablers to exchange data with
the c-hub
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 17
Collaborative Commerce
Mobile Collaborative Networks and Grid
Computing
grid computing
A form of distributed computing that involves
coordinating and sharing computing,application,
data,storage,or network resources across dynamic
and geographically dispersed organizations
– Mobile networks have the ability to share valuable
business information in mobile scenarios with those
who are co-located or remote and who are not
necessarily from the same enterprise
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 18
Collaborative Commerce
grid computing
A form of distributed computing that involves
coordinating and sharing computing,application,data,
storage,or network resources across dynamic and
geographically dispersed organizations
vendor managed inventory (VMI)
The practice of retailers making suppliers responsible
for determining when to order and how much to order
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 19
Collaborative Commerce
RFID Technology Contributes Value at Three
Levels
– Immediate value
– Short-term value
– Long-term value
Limitations of RFID
– For small companies,the cost of the system may be too high
– Radio frequency interference and RFID’s limited range (30 to
50 feet) also may be problematic
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 20
Collaborative Commerce
Collaborative Commerce and Knowledge
Management
– Knowledge management is the process of capturing
or creating knowledge
– C-commerce is essentially an integration of KM,EC,
and collaboration tools and methodologies that are
designed to carry out transactions and other
activities within and across organizations
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 21
Collaborative Commerce
Barriers to C-Commerce
– Technical reasons involving integration,standards,
and networks
– Security and privacy concerns
– Internal resistance to information sharing and to new
approaches
– Lack of internal skills to conduct collaborative
commerce
– Lack of defined and universally agreed-upon
standards
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 22
Collaborative Planning,
CPFR,and Collaborative Design
collaborative planning,forecasting,and
replenishment (CPFR)
Project in which suppliers and retailers collaborate in
their planning and demand forecasting to optimize flow
of materials along the supply chain
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 23
Collaborative Planning,
CPFR,and Collaborative Design
advanced planning and scheduling (APS)
systems
Programs that use algorithms to identify optimal
solutions to complex planning problems that are bound
by constraints
product lifecycle management (PLM)
Business strategy that enables manufacturers to
control and share product-related data as part of
product design and development efforts
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 24
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
The internal parts of the supply chain are
related to the value chain and include:
– Inbound logistics
– Production processes
– Outbound logistics
– Marketing and sales
– Customer services
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 25
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
intrabusiness EC
E-commerce activities conducted within an
organization
Intrabusiness can be done:
1,Between a business and its employees
2,Between units within the business
3,Among employees in the same business
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 26
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
business-to-employee (B2E)
Intrabusiness EC in which an organization delivers
products or services to its employees
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 27
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
Some Representative Applications of B2E
include:
– Providing field representatives and employees in
yards,warehouses,and other non-office places
with electronic communication tools
– Training and education provided over intranets
– Employee use of desktop purchasing
– Employee use of the corporate intranet for both
corporate and personal use to purchase
discounted insurance,travel packages,and tickets
to events
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 28
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
– Providing office employees with electronic tools for
communication,collaboration,and information
discovery
– Offering corporate stores on the intranet that sell
the companies’ products to their own employees,
usually at a discount
– Systems that disseminate information or allow
employees to manage their fringe benefits via the
intranet
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 29
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
Activities between Business Units
– Transactions between strategic business units can
be easily automated and performed over the
organization’s intranet
Activities among Corporate Employees
– Many large organizations also provide a system by
which employees can collaborate on an individual
(sometimes nonbusiness) level
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 30
Integration along the Supply Chain
Enabling Integration
– To ease the task of integration,vendors have
developed integration methodologies and special
software called middleware
– In addition,major efforts are being undertaken to
develop standards and protocols that will facilitate
integration
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 31
Corporate (Enterprise) Portals
corporate (enterprise) portal
A gateway for entering a corporate Web site,
enabling communication,collaboration,and access
to company information
Reasons for implementing corporate portals:
– To cut costs
– To free up time for busy executives and managers
– To add to the bottom line
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 32
Corporate (Enterprise) Portals
Types of Generic Portals
– Portals for suppliers and other partners
– Customer portals
– Employee portals
– Executive and supervisor portals
– Mobile portals
mobile portals
Portals accessible via mobile devices,especially cell
phones and PDAs
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 33
Corporate (Enterprise) Portals
Functionalities of Portals
information portals
Portals that store data and enable users to
navigate and query these data
collaborative portals
Portals that allow collaboration
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 34
Corporate (Enterprise) Portals
Corporate Portal Applications
– Knowledge bases and learning tools
– Business process support
– Customer-facing (front-line) sales,marketing,and
services
– Collaboration and project support
– Access to data from disparate corporate systems
– Personalized pages for various users
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 35
Corporate (Enterprise) Portals
Corporate Portal Applications
– Effective search and indexing tools
– Security applications
– Best practices and lessons learned
– Directories and bulletin boards
– Identification of experts
– News
– Internet access
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 36
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
workflow
The movement of information as it flows through the
sequence of steps that make up an organization’s work
procedures
workflow systems
Business process automation tools that place system
controls in the hands of user departments to automate
information processing tasks
workflow management
The automation of workflows,so that documents,
information,and tasks are passed from one participant
to the next in the steps of an organization’s business
process
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 37
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Types of Workflow Applications
– Collaborative workflow
– Production workflow
– Administrative workflow
The benefits of workflow management
systems include:
– Improved control of business processes
– Improved quality of services
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 38
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
The benefits of workflow management
systems include:
– Lower staff training costs
– Lower management costs,which enables
managers to concentrate on nurturing employees
and handling special cases rather than on routine
reporting and distribution issues
– Improved user satisfaction
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 39
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Groupware,Collaboration Tools
groupware
Software products that use networks to support
collaboration among groups of people who share a
common task or goal
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 40
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
– Synchronous versus asynchronous products
synchronous communication and collaboration are
done in real time
– Web conferencing
– Instant messaging
– Voice-over-IP (VOIP)
asynchronous communication and collaboration are
done by the participants at different times
– Databases
– Browsers
– Online workspaces
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 41
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
virtual meetings
Online meetings whose members are in different
locations,even in different countries
group decision support system (GDSS)
An interactive computer-based system that facilitates
the solution of semi-structured and unstructured
problems by a group of decision makers
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 42
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Real-Time Collaboration Tools
– Real-time collaboration (RTC) tools help
companies bridge time and space to make
decisions and collaborate on projects
– RTC tools support synchronous communication of
graphical and text-based information
– These tools are used in distance training,product
demonstrations,customer support,e-commerce,
and sales applications
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 43
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Electronic Teleconferencing
teleconferencing
The use of electronic communication that allows
two or more people at different locations to have a
simultaneous conference
video teleconference
Virtual meeting in which participants in one
location can see participants at other locations on
a large screen or a desktop computer
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 44
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Electronic Teleconferencing
data conferencing
Virtual meeting in which geographically dispersed
groups work on documents together and
exchange computer files during videoconferences
Voice-over-IP (VOIP)
Communication systems that transmit voice calls
over Internet Protocol-based networks
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 45
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Other Groupware Tools
– Interactive whiteboards
screen sharing
Software that enables group members,even in
different locations,to work on the same document,
which is shown on the PC screen of each
participant
– Instant video
virtual reality (VR)
System that delivers interactive computer-
generated 3D graphics to a user through a head-
mounted display
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 46
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Implementation Issues for Online
Collaboration
– An organization needs an effective collaborative
environment
– The need to connect collaborative tools with file
management products on an organization’s
intranet
– Protocols are needed for easy integration of
different applications and for standardizing
communication
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 47
Managerial Issues
1,How difficult is it to introduce
e-collaboration?
2,How much can be shared with business
partners? Can they be trusted?
3,Who is in charge of our portal and intranet
content?
4,Who will design the corporate portal?
5,Should we conduct virtual meetings?
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 48
Summary
1,The e-supply chain,its characteristics,and its
components.
2,Supply chain problems and their causes.
3,Solutions to supply chains problems provided by EC.
4,C-commerce,Definitions and types.
5,Collaborative planning and CPFR,
6,Intrabusiness EC.
7,Integration along the supply chain.
8,Types and roles of corporate portals.
9,Collaborative tools.
E-Supply Chains,
Collaborative Commerce,
Intrabusiness EC,and
Corporate Portals
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 2
Learning Objectives
1,Define the e-supply chain and describe its
characteristics and components.
2,List supply chain problems and their causes.
3,List solutions to supply chain problems provided
by EC.
4,Define c-commerce and list the major types.
5,Describe collaborative planning and
Collaboration,Planning,Forecasting,and
Replenishing (CPFR) and list the benefits of
each.
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 3
Learning Objectives
6,Define intrabusiness EC and describe its major
activities.
7,Discuss integration along the supply chain.
8,Understand corporate portals and their types
and roles.
9,Describe e-collaboration tools such as workflow
software and groupware.
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 4
E-Supply Chains
Definitions and Concepts
supply chain
The flow of materials,information,money,and services
from raw material suppliers through factories and
warehouses to the end customers
e-supply chain
A supply chain that is managed electronically,usually
with Web technologies
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 5
E-Supply Chains
Supply Chain Parts
– Upstream supply chain
– Internal supply chain
– Downstream supply chain
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 6
E-Supply Chains
Managing Supply Chains
– Managing supply chains can be difficult due to the need
to coordinate:
Several business partners
Several internal corporate departments
Numerous business processes
Possibly many customers
Information technology provides two types of software
solutions,
1,SCM
2,ERP and its predecessors MRP and MRP II
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 7
E-Supply Chains
Managing e-Supply Chains
e-supply chain management (e-SCM)
The collaborative use of technology to improve the
operations of supply chain activities as well as the
management of supply chains
– The success of an e-supply chain depends on:
The ability of all supply chain partners to view partner
collaboration as a strategic asset
Information visibility along the entire supply chain
Speed,cost,quality,and customer service
Integrating the supply chain more tightly
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 8
E-Supply Chains
Activities and Infrastructure of e-SCM
– Supply chain replenishment
– E-procurement
– Supply chain monitoring and control using RFID
– Collaborative planning
– Collaborative design and product development
– E-logistics
– Use of B2B exchanges and supply webs
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 9
E-Supply Chains
Infrastructure for e-SCM
– Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
– Extranets
– Intranets
– Corporate portals
– Workflow systems and tools
– Groupware and other collaborative tools
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 10
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
Typical Problems along the Supply Chain
– Supply chains can be very long,involving many internal
and external partners located in different places
– Both materials and information must flow among
several entities,and these transfers,especially when
manually handled,can be slow and error-prone
– Companies can improve their demand forecasting by
using IT-supported forecasts,which are done in
collaboration with business
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 11
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
Typical Problems along the Supply Chain
– A lack of logistics infrastructure exacerbates
uncertainties that exist in delivery times
– Quality problems with materials and parts can
contribute to deficiencies in the supply chain
– Pure EC companies are likely to have more supply
chain problems because they do not have a logistics
infrastructure and are forced to use external logistics
services
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 12
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
Typical Problems along the Supply Chain
– Other problems along the EC supply chain mainly stem
from the need to coordinate several activities and
internal units and business partners
bullwhip effect
Erratic shifts in orders up and down supply chains
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 13
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
The Need for Information Sharing along the
Supply Chain
– A supply chain includes the flow of information to
and from all participating entities
– It includes:
Product pricing
Inventory
Shipping status
Credit and financial information
Technology news
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 14
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
EC Solutions along the Supply Chain
– Order taking can be done over the Internet,EDI,
EDI/Internet,or an extranet,and may be fully
automated
– Order fulfillment can become instant if the products
can be digitized
– Electronic payments can expedite both the order
fulfillment cycle and the payment delivery period
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 15
Supply Chain Problems and Solutions
EC Solutions along the Supply Chain
– Managing risk to avoid supply-chain breakdown can
be done in several ways
– Inventories can be minimized by introducing a build-
to-order (on-demand) manufacturing process as well
as by providing fast and accurate information to
suppliers
– Collaborative commerce among members of the
supply chain can be done in many areas
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 16
Collaborative Commerce
collaborative commerce (c-commerce)
The use of digital technologies that enable companies
to collaboratively plan,design,develop,manage,and
research products,services,and innovative EC
applications
collaboration hub
The central point of control for an e-market,A single
c-hub,representing one e-market owner,can host
multiple collaboration spaces (c-spaces) in which
trading partners use c-enablers to exchange data with
the c-hub
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 17
Collaborative Commerce
Mobile Collaborative Networks and Grid
Computing
grid computing
A form of distributed computing that involves
coordinating and sharing computing,application,
data,storage,or network resources across dynamic
and geographically dispersed organizations
– Mobile networks have the ability to share valuable
business information in mobile scenarios with those
who are co-located or remote and who are not
necessarily from the same enterprise
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 18
Collaborative Commerce
grid computing
A form of distributed computing that involves
coordinating and sharing computing,application,data,
storage,or network resources across dynamic and
geographically dispersed organizations
vendor managed inventory (VMI)
The practice of retailers making suppliers responsible
for determining when to order and how much to order
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 19
Collaborative Commerce
RFID Technology Contributes Value at Three
Levels
– Immediate value
– Short-term value
– Long-term value
Limitations of RFID
– For small companies,the cost of the system may be too high
– Radio frequency interference and RFID’s limited range (30 to
50 feet) also may be problematic
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 20
Collaborative Commerce
Collaborative Commerce and Knowledge
Management
– Knowledge management is the process of capturing
or creating knowledge
– C-commerce is essentially an integration of KM,EC,
and collaboration tools and methodologies that are
designed to carry out transactions and other
activities within and across organizations
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 21
Collaborative Commerce
Barriers to C-Commerce
– Technical reasons involving integration,standards,
and networks
– Security and privacy concerns
– Internal resistance to information sharing and to new
approaches
– Lack of internal skills to conduct collaborative
commerce
– Lack of defined and universally agreed-upon
standards
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 22
Collaborative Planning,
CPFR,and Collaborative Design
collaborative planning,forecasting,and
replenishment (CPFR)
Project in which suppliers and retailers collaborate in
their planning and demand forecasting to optimize flow
of materials along the supply chain
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 23
Collaborative Planning,
CPFR,and Collaborative Design
advanced planning and scheduling (APS)
systems
Programs that use algorithms to identify optimal
solutions to complex planning problems that are bound
by constraints
product lifecycle management (PLM)
Business strategy that enables manufacturers to
control and share product-related data as part of
product design and development efforts
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 24
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
The internal parts of the supply chain are
related to the value chain and include:
– Inbound logistics
– Production processes
– Outbound logistics
– Marketing and sales
– Customer services
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 25
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
intrabusiness EC
E-commerce activities conducted within an
organization
Intrabusiness can be done:
1,Between a business and its employees
2,Between units within the business
3,Among employees in the same business
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 26
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
business-to-employee (B2E)
Intrabusiness EC in which an organization delivers
products or services to its employees
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 27
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
Some Representative Applications of B2E
include:
– Providing field representatives and employees in
yards,warehouses,and other non-office places
with electronic communication tools
– Training and education provided over intranets
– Employee use of desktop purchasing
– Employee use of the corporate intranet for both
corporate and personal use to purchase
discounted insurance,travel packages,and tickets
to events
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 28
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
– Providing office employees with electronic tools for
communication,collaboration,and information
discovery
– Offering corporate stores on the intranet that sell
the companies’ products to their own employees,
usually at a discount
– Systems that disseminate information or allow
employees to manage their fringe benefits via the
intranet
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 29
Internal Supply Chain Solutions:
Intrabusiness and B2E
Activities between Business Units
– Transactions between strategic business units can
be easily automated and performed over the
organization’s intranet
Activities among Corporate Employees
– Many large organizations also provide a system by
which employees can collaborate on an individual
(sometimes nonbusiness) level
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 30
Integration along the Supply Chain
Enabling Integration
– To ease the task of integration,vendors have
developed integration methodologies and special
software called middleware
– In addition,major efforts are being undertaken to
develop standards and protocols that will facilitate
integration
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 31
Corporate (Enterprise) Portals
corporate (enterprise) portal
A gateway for entering a corporate Web site,
enabling communication,collaboration,and access
to company information
Reasons for implementing corporate portals:
– To cut costs
– To free up time for busy executives and managers
– To add to the bottom line
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 32
Corporate (Enterprise) Portals
Types of Generic Portals
– Portals for suppliers and other partners
– Customer portals
– Employee portals
– Executive and supervisor portals
– Mobile portals
mobile portals
Portals accessible via mobile devices,especially cell
phones and PDAs
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 33
Corporate (Enterprise) Portals
Functionalities of Portals
information portals
Portals that store data and enable users to
navigate and query these data
collaborative portals
Portals that allow collaboration
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 34
Corporate (Enterprise) Portals
Corporate Portal Applications
– Knowledge bases and learning tools
– Business process support
– Customer-facing (front-line) sales,marketing,and
services
– Collaboration and project support
– Access to data from disparate corporate systems
– Personalized pages for various users
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 35
Corporate (Enterprise) Portals
Corporate Portal Applications
– Effective search and indexing tools
– Security applications
– Best practices and lessons learned
– Directories and bulletin boards
– Identification of experts
– News
– Internet access
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 36
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
workflow
The movement of information as it flows through the
sequence of steps that make up an organization’s work
procedures
workflow systems
Business process automation tools that place system
controls in the hands of user departments to automate
information processing tasks
workflow management
The automation of workflows,so that documents,
information,and tasks are passed from one participant
to the next in the steps of an organization’s business
process
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 37
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Types of Workflow Applications
– Collaborative workflow
– Production workflow
– Administrative workflow
The benefits of workflow management
systems include:
– Improved control of business processes
– Improved quality of services
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 38
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
The benefits of workflow management
systems include:
– Lower staff training costs
– Lower management costs,which enables
managers to concentrate on nurturing employees
and handling special cases rather than on routine
reporting and distribution issues
– Improved user satisfaction
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 39
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Groupware,Collaboration Tools
groupware
Software products that use networks to support
collaboration among groups of people who share a
common task or goal
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 40
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
– Synchronous versus asynchronous products
synchronous communication and collaboration are
done in real time
– Web conferencing
– Instant messaging
– Voice-over-IP (VOIP)
asynchronous communication and collaboration are
done by the participants at different times
– Databases
– Browsers
– Online workspaces
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 41
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
virtual meetings
Online meetings whose members are in different
locations,even in different countries
group decision support system (GDSS)
An interactive computer-based system that facilitates
the solution of semi-structured and unstructured
problems by a group of decision makers
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 42
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Real-Time Collaboration Tools
– Real-time collaboration (RTC) tools help
companies bridge time and space to make
decisions and collaborate on projects
– RTC tools support synchronous communication of
graphical and text-based information
– These tools are used in distance training,product
demonstrations,customer support,e-commerce,
and sales applications
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 43
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Electronic Teleconferencing
teleconferencing
The use of electronic communication that allows
two or more people at different locations to have a
simultaneous conference
video teleconference
Virtual meeting in which participants in one
location can see participants at other locations on
a large screen or a desktop computer
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 44
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Electronic Teleconferencing
data conferencing
Virtual meeting in which geographically dispersed
groups work on documents together and
exchange computer files during videoconferences
Voice-over-IP (VOIP)
Communication systems that transmit voice calls
over Internet Protocol-based networks
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 45
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Other Groupware Tools
– Interactive whiteboards
screen sharing
Software that enables group members,even in
different locations,to work on the same document,
which is shown on the PC screen of each
participant
– Instant video
virtual reality (VR)
System that delivers interactive computer-
generated 3D graphics to a user through a head-
mounted display
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 46
Collaboration-Enabling Tools
Implementation Issues for Online
Collaboration
– An organization needs an effective collaborative
environment
– The need to connect collaborative tools with file
management products on an organization’s
intranet
– Protocols are needed for easy integration of
different applications and for standardizing
communication
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 47
Managerial Issues
1,How difficult is it to introduce
e-collaboration?
2,How much can be shared with business
partners? Can they be trusted?
3,Who is in charge of our portal and intranet
content?
4,Who will design the corporate portal?
5,Should we conduct virtual meetings?
Electronic Commerce Prentice Hall? 2006 48
Summary
1,The e-supply chain,its characteristics,and its
components.
2,Supply chain problems and their causes.
3,Solutions to supply chains problems provided by EC.
4,C-commerce,Definitions and types.
5,Collaborative planning and CPFR,
6,Intrabusiness EC.
7,Integration along the supply chain.
8,Types and roles of corporate portals.
9,Collaborative tools.
