Electronic Catalogs in the Web-Based Business-to-Business Procurement Process

Electronic catalogs [e-Catalogs] are becoming the gateway to Electronic Commerce on the Internet. Most of the research and applications to date have centered on supplier based catalogs. There are at least as many business buyers as there are suppliers and yet little information is available to these buyers concerning the benefits, costs, and managerial considerations associated with the use of e-Catalogs. We examine e-Catalog issues from the business buyer’s viewpoint. We concentrate particularly, on the use of web-based supplier catalogs in the management of procurement transactions. After reviewing the Web-based e-Catalog system design issues, we consider tangible and intangible aspects of cost/benefit relationships when adopting a Web-based procurement/purchasing system [WBPS]. There are some obvious tangible and intangible benefits. However, when adopting a WBPS, it is important for management to address the organizational issues very early on to assure organizational buy-in. We consider the various managerial issues that need to be addressed to assure a successful implementation.