The research model of this study is presented in Figure 3. It illustrates the various components of the study when looking at the ways in which companies can best capture the potential of e- business in supply chain management. During the research process, we conducted a literature review where we looked at the development of e-business tools and methods and how e-
business impacts supply chain management. This literature review also allowed us to see the research challenges related to the phenomenon we are focusing on in this study.
Capturing the potential of e-Business in SCM Development of e-Business; technology and processes Impact of e-Business in SCM
e-Business development targets from SCM point of view
Benefits of e-business in SCM Publications I, II
Publication III
Research challenges of the phenomenon
Figure 3 Research model
This study includes the three separate publications that are presented in Table 1. In this chapter, we give only a brief review of the main results of each of the publications and describe the methodologies used. Also the author’s role in each of the publications is described. More detailed information can be obtained from the individual papers that are presented as appendixes of this study.
Table 1 The publications included in the study
Publication I
Auramo J, Aminoff A., Punakivi M. (2002), “Research agenda for e- business logistics based on professional opinions”, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, Vol. 32, No.7, pp. 513-531
Publication II
Auramo J., Kämäräinen V. (2002), “Fast growing high-tech start-ups: efficient network operations require knowledgeable governance”, The Logistics Research Network (LRN) conference 2002 proceedings pp. 13-20.
Publication III
Auramo J., Kauremaa J., Tanskanen K. (2005), “Benefits of IT in supply chain management – an explorative study of progressive companies”, forthcoming in International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management
Publication I This paper presents guidelines on where to focus research and development
efforts to enable companies to benefit from e-business in supply chain management. The presented resource allocation is based on the opinions of experts. Previous research (Christopher, 1998) has identified the task-orientated, interaction-centered focus groups (workshops) as an ideal methodology for exploring professionals’ experiences and for describing that experience, the Delphi method (Linstone, 1975) was used in data collection in Publication I. This method includes an iterative process of summarizing and evaluating the respondents’ views on a consensus view (McKinnon and Forster, 2000). The Delphi method used in Publication I consisted of focused interviews that were followed by a workshop. The focused interviews of this method were conducted to determine the key research and development topics in the field of e-business logistics. Experts from four fields - representatives from the leading edge companies (trade and manufacturing companies that have a reputation for being early adapters of new business trends), representatives from logistics service companies, consultants and IT companies and researchers at universities and research centers – were interviewed. Later, a Delphi-workshop was organized for the interviewees, where the findings from the interviews were further evaluated and specified and finally prioritized in a consensus view. Finally, a research agenda to guide future research work in the field of e-business logistics was formulated based on the results of the Delphi- workshop.
The author has been involved both in the planning and execution stages of the study Publication I is based on. Furthermore, as the corresponding author of the publication, the author had a major role in designing and writing the paper.
Publication II looks at the challenges related to integrating supply chain operations with
services providers. After a more general approach in Publication I, we wanted to focus on a more specific question in Publication II. It reports the findings of a single case analysis within one supply chain where the core company has outsourced manufacturing, logistics operations, and retailing to third parties and concentrates on product development and marketing operations. This case company had difficulties building a reliable information system that would bring more visibility to its supply chain. Thus, interviews were conducted with the representatives from the core company; the logistics service provider, and several downstream
and upstream supply chain partners to find out the reasons that prevent successful collaboration within the supply chain. Identified reasons were categorized into two groups: transaction related and supply chain co-ordination related. Furthermore, the paper highlights the importance of understanding the business processes related to the collaboration and the need for appropriate measures and tools to monitor the performance of supply chain partners.
Mr Kämäräinen, the co-author of this paper, had a major role in the actual case study together with the author. However, the author has been responsible for the analysis presented in Publication II and had an overall responsibility in writing it.
Publication III This paper examines how leading edge companies in Finland have been able
to benefit from e-business implementations. This study was conducted during the so-called second wave of e-business (vanHoek, 2001) when companies with existing and well- established processes and performance were implementing e-business solutions to their supply chain management operations.
As the research in Publication III is exploratory in nature, qualitative methods were deemed appropriate. The case method was selected as it permits exploration of the question of what the benefits of IT in SCM are, even though many of the variables related to the phenomenon are still unknown (Meredith, 1998). Data was collected using multiple inquiries: SCM consultants were interviewed to increase our understanding of the current state of IT implementations in SCM, a phone inquiry to 48 companies was conducted with the objective of identifying what IT solutions companies have implemented in SCM and what practical benefits they have recognized, and in-depth interviews were conducted in 18 leading edge companies to expand our understanding of the practical benefits of IT in SCM through a more detailed case analysis. The data from these leading edge company interviews were analyzed at two levels: within-case analysis and a cross-case analysis (Yin, 2003; Eisenhardt, 1989), followed by an expert analysis, from which the results were presented to the research project steering group consisting of industry experts and research advisors. Identified benefits were further developed into five propositions that are presented in Publication III. The findings of the paper present an opportunity to further develop an understanding of the underlying mechanisms related to the benefits of e-business in supply chain management.
Mr Kauremaa had the foremost role in designing the study; however the author was involved in the process as well. The author participated in data collection and data analysis together with the co-authors. The author had the responsibility for the overall structure of the paper and writing the methodology part of Publication III. All three authors participated in developing the propositions presented in the paper.