Computer Revolution

Over the past two decades, not only has chain analysis become a strategic focus of leading firms, it has also spawned an impressive array of research that brings together diverse research communities. Adding to this diversity and intellectual energy is the emergence of E-Business. E-Business creates new

Competitive dimensions that are fast-paced, ever-changing, and risk-prone, dimensions where innovation, speed, and technological savvy often define success. Most importantly, E-Business challenges the premises and expands the scope of chain analysis.

Integrating traditional and Internet channels is among the most significant E-Business developments that have a direct impact on supply chain management. For instance, an emerging retail structure known as “bricks-and-clicks” allows retailers such as Best Buy and Circuit City to maintain market presence through the Internet and the physical stores. However, the retailers must face significant operational challenges in effectively coordinating the dual channels. (Levi 2004)

Fundamental to the operations and execution in a supply chain are the issues of network design and information technology. E-Business potentially increases the complexity of and changes the design criteria for these systems we hope that this is not the end but the beginning of an era where new ideas and innovation opportunities brought by E-Business provide the catalyst for next generation development of supply chain strategies.

Legacy Systems for an E-Business Strategy

An e-business system can extend to all aspects of your business including front and back offices, eCommerce and collaboration with partners. Integration to the core traditional business applications in EAI, ERP and other legacy systems is also significant. The limited connection between these two worlds is through integration tools that, if aimed in the right direction, allow e-business systems to selectively access legacy data and trigger back-end transactions. (Simon, 2000)

Componentization can change this dynamic by repackaging legacy intelligence so new systems can reuse legacy logic to meet strategic e-business requirements. Development efforts can meet new development requirements more quickly and more effectively by incorporating legacy components. This is far superior to attempting to replicate decades of embedded legacy business logic from scratch.

IT executives should enable developers to address new development and legacy systems integration under a single strategy that fully synthesizes integration into the systems design and development life cycle. Anything less compromises the future of e-business solutions in major enterprises. The limited connection between these two worlds is through integration tools that, if aimed in the right direction, allow e-business systems to selectively access legacy data and trigger back-end transactions.

Organizational Structure Influenced By an E-Business Strategy

E-business however, is more than e-commerce. E-business provides the greatest value when applied to the transformation of business processes that drive out inefficiencies by integrating across operational units. Through linking processes from customer to supplier and reinventing processes, organizational performance is enhanced through lower cost structures and quicker, more informed decisions. E-commerce is often one of the tools used to meet a greater strategic goal.

The recent move toward the creation of B2B e-markets, the adoption of e-procurement, and Internet-based customer enrollment processes to support retail competition, are examples of ...