Key success factors for a functioning supply chain in the e-commerce B2B

Abstract

The Internet opens international business markets that previously were considered unreachable. Doing business globally brings entirely new obstacles for e-commerce Business-to-Business (B2B) as, barriers, tariffs, culture, and customs and regulations, which have to be overcome before a successful e-business can be completed. Today many logistic providers offer technologies that enable a company to make their products and services global. By providing different systems for payment processing and to automate an international supply chain, including supply and demand management, logistics, import and export and documentation. The trend of e-commerce is hard to ignore and obstacles that may occur on the way can represent large opportunities in the future. When trying to understand companies that are acting on the B2B market, it is of greatest importance to realize how purchasing is managed and how logistic provider relationships are handled strategically. We are living in and doing business in a world where information and ideas are the new capital. The vital driver of this economic change is the Internet. The result of our research shows that e-commerce B2B is predicted to develop more and faster in the future. Due to this development the demands on the logistic performance will increase and follow B2B's development. The logistic provider will become even more important dependent on the fact that B2B companies will focus harder on their core business and outsource further services.