An Empirical Study
An Empirical Study
of the Current State of
B2B Integration in Practice
Norbert Frick
Institute for IS Research
University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany
Petra Schubert
Centre for Applied Information and Communication
pp
Technologies – CAICT
Research Question / Motivation
Is there a relationship between the industry
t /
iti
i th
l
h i
f
sector/position in the supply chain of a
company and the choice of the technical
integration of the information systems?
integration of the information systems?
Uniform Case Structure
1 The Portrayed Company
1.1 Background, Industry, Products and Target Group
2 Reason for the Project
2.1 Starting Position and Reason for the Project
3 Individual Title for the Solution
3.1 Business View/Objectives Products, and Target Group
1.2 Company Vision 2.2 Introduction of Business Partners 1.3 Meaning of IT
and E Business
Reason for the Project
3.2 Process View 3.3 Application View
5 Experiences 6 Success Factors
and E-Business
4 Implementation and Operation
3.4 Technical View
5.1 User Acceptance 5.2 Fulfillment of Objectives and Changes
6.1 Specialties of the Solution 6.2 Reflection of „Yearly Focus Topic“ 4.2 Project Management/
Change Management 4.1 Investment Decision
5.3 Investment, Profitability and Financial Ratios 4.4 Regular Maintenance
4.3 Programming and
Roll-out of the Software 6.3 Lessons Learned
Criterion 1: Direction of Integration
Vertical Integration
The partners are in the same industry
sector but at different positions in the
l
h i
supply chain
Horizontal Integration
The partners are in the same industry
sector and at the same position in the
supply chain
supply chain
Diagonal Integration
The partners are in different industry
sectors and at different positions in the
supply chain
© 2009 Prof. Dr. Petra Schubert, CAICT, CBS | 4
Criterion 2: Integration Scenarios
1.
Parallel use of different information
t
l
t
l
t
systems, manual external system access
2.
Parallel use of different information
t
systems,
EDI with direct partner integration
3
Parallel se of different information
3.
Parallel use of different information
systems,
EDI provided by an intermediary
EDI provided by an intermediary
4.
Joint use of a self-operated, central ERP
system
system
5.
Joint use of a central system operated by
an intermediary
© 2009 Prof. Dr. Petra Schubert, CAICT, CBS | 5
Scenario 1: Parallel use of different
information systems, manual external
y
,
system access
Initiating partner Connected partner
Browser
Collaborative business process Complementary process
ERP client Browser ERP client
Portal ERP system O d t ERP system O d t Communication component Access to ERP data Order management Accounting Further ERP functions Order management Accounting Further ERP functions
ERP DB Portal DB ERP DB Documents
Material master data Customer data Order entry data
Material master data Customer data Order entry data
Scenario 2: Parallel use of different
information systems, EDI with direct
y
,
partner integration
Initiating partner Connected partner
ERP client ERP client
Collaborative business process Complementary process
Integration gateway
Integration
ERP system ERP system
Integration g gateway Integration Order management Accounting Further ERP functions Order management Accounting Further ERP functions ERP DB ERP DB
Material master data Customer data Order entry data
Material master data Customer data Order entry data
Scenario 3: Parallel use of different
information systems, EDI provided by
intermediaries
Initiating partner Intermediary Connected partner In some cases: Further intermediaries Complementary process Collaborative business process
ERP client ERP client
VAN
Format Data transfer
ERP system ERP system
Format transformation
Order entry data
Integration gateway Integration functions VAN VAN Order management Accounting Further ERP f ti Order management Accounting Further ERP f ti ERP DB ERP DB Format transformation Data transfer Digital signature
ERP functions ERP functions
Invoice data Digital signature
Archiving
Material master data Customer data Order entry data
Material master data Customer data Order entry data
Scenario 4:
Joint use of a self-operated, central
ERP system
Locations Sales force Service partner Initiating partner Business process Citrix client/ Collaborative business process ERP-Client p Business process Citrix client/ Business process Citrix client/ Citrix client/ Browser ERP system C e t Terminal server/ Citrix Presentation Server Citrix client/ Browser Citrix client/ Browser Server Customers Web server Order management Accounting Further ERP f ti ERP-DB Business process Browser ERP functions Browser Material master data
Customer data Order entry data Order entry data
Scenario 5: Joint use of a central
system operated by an intermediary
Supplier Intermediary Customer Order processing Platform operation Order entry
Browser Browser/ ERP client Browser/ ERP client Central platform ERP system ERP system p ERP DB ERP DB Order management Accounting Further ERP functions DB
Material master data Customer data Order entry data
Case Profiles
Industry
44 “Wholesale and Retail Trade”
30 “Manufacturing”
Direction of integration
82 vertical integration
14
14 horizontal integration
16 diagonal integration
Integration Scenarios
Organizational Integration - Integration Scenario
Number of Integration Scenarios K = 112
45 50 47 25 30 35 40 28 Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 10 15 20 25 16 15 Scenario 4 Scenario 5 0 5 10 Integration Scenarios 6
