An Assessment of Organizational B-2-B eBusiness Readiness and Status: The case of a Multinational Manufacturing Enterprise
Abstract
Electronic Business (e-business) is an evolving model that is rapidly changing
the context and boundaries of organizations and how they relate to their
supply chain members. The pressures of globalization, competition and
technology continue to drive organizations towards achieving integration
beyond the borders of a single business, to offer seamless event driven
transactions and information sharing. While in the past organizations tended
to implement e-business capabilities without careful evaluation of their value
to the business, today, e-readiness assessment have emerged as a
necessary first step in selection and prioritization of e-business initiatives.
This research is an assessment of the readiness status of one of the leading
manufacturing enterprises in Kenya. It is composed of an assessment of the
e-business strategy and the level of investment in technology which are
indicators of the organization's readiness for e-business on the one hand and
a focus on the extent of automation of both the supply and demand chain,
which are indicators of execution of e-business strategy on the other.
The research indicates that although the organization is internally ready for
e-business, external impediments have limited the extent to which it can
reap the benefits of value chain integration. Similarly, it also indicates that
the pre-requisites for e-business success are -largely internal rather than
external, hence organizations can achieve a ;lot by improving their own
internal readiness before extending the scope of their e-business initiatives.
Finally, the research indicates that more -work needs to be done with
particular focus on specific business sectors but with the participation of a
wider cross section of organizations in order understand the deficiencies of
small and large organizations in greater depth.
Citation
M.Sc. (Information systems) Thesis 2004Sponsorhip
University of NairobiPublisher
School of computing & informatics, University of Nairobi
Description
Master of Science Thesis