A strategic framework for the selection and evaluation of e-business models within supply chains

The Internet is revolutionising how business is conducted and many organisations now recognise the benefits of Internet-enabled supply arrangements. However when confronted by the range of e-business models currently available, organisations struggle to identify the one most appropriate to their needs. There is also a lack of quantitative evidence as to the benefits of deploying e-business model(s). These are serious problems as different e-business models focus on different applications and using inappropriate models will fail to deliver the expected benefits. This paper describes a methodology which integrates supply chains and e-business models through a strategic framework and then quantifies the benefits of deploying e-business model(s) using simulation modelling. The methodology proposed here provides guidelines on selecting the appropriate e-business model(s) to be deployed when a particular company or supply chain seeks to move towards Internet-based operation. A case study is provided to illustrate the use of the methodology.