| Collaborative B2B e-commerce or c-commerce as it is | | | | automated systems to ensure an error free |
| more popularly known refers to the process of | | | | environment ensuring users access to data by |
| companies sharing their intellectual capital as well as | | | | checking if they are authorized to access that data |
| their core competencies using the Internet and B2B | | | | without wasting much time. Businesses should have |
| exchanges. Businesses are linked to their partners | | | | well defined corporate policies regarding compliance |
| using extensive, complicated and expensive | | | | to all the rules and regulations that govern the |
| infrastructure that enables them to interact with each | | | | exchange of information as well as procedures to |
| other, sharing data and working together to in a | | | | ensure their implementation. Delegate authority to |
| reliable and secure B2B exchange. B2B exchanges can | | | | decide on the level of access to data any employee |
| be public or private; businesses prefer private | | | | can get and opt for systems that maintain user logs |
| exchanges, as they are considered more secure, | | | | and audit trails for security purposes. It is better to |
| reliable and where they can control the infrastructure. | | | | have experienced personnel to help implement the |
| Public exchanges are relatively cheaper; offer the | | | | plans. |
| chance of recruiting new customers but these | | | | Challenges Faced By Businesses Opting To Use |
| exchanges have not been very successful. | | | | Collaborative B2b E-Commerce: |
| When businesses collaborate and participate in B2B | | | | Collaborative B2B e-commerce is still untested |
| e-commerce, they save time and labor, reduce | | | | territory for many businesses as they are daunted |
| inventories, can easily find new customers and work | | | | by the numerous challenges it faces. |
| with them in a common platform, have excellent | | | | 1. Investing in the infrastructure needed to integrate |
| control over their supply chain integration and get a | | | | internal, as well as external processes can be a very |
| competitive edge. Transactions are more transparent | | | | costly venture few companies are able to afford. |
| and business processes are more streamlined. With | | | | 2. Getting business partners to agree to use |
| efficient B2B integration, B2B partners can collaborate | | | | collaborative B2B e-commerce can be another |
| more effectively helping growth and boosting sales. | | | | challenge. |
| Collaborative B2B e-commerce requires the exchange | | | | 3. Security of data shared is another aspect to be |
| of data and business processes between multiple | | | | considered. |
| business partners such as suppliers, traders, buyers | | | | 4. The more the number of business partners, the |
| and distributors necessitating a large complex | | | | harder it is to get to design an infrastructure that can |
| infrastructure that may cost between $30,000 to a | | | | deal with the different needs of the different |
| few million dollars! | | | | partners of the collaboration. |
| Certain basic factors influence successful collaborative | | | | There are firms that offer services as well as |
| B2B e-commerce such as being able to share | | | | products that help run businesses successfully. |
| resources to cooperate better, having state of art | | | | |