SME Interaction in Supply Chains

E-business activity involves the electronic transfer of critical business information. In particular, e-business activity encompasses e-procurement, supply chain management and the transformation of firms’ internal functions so as to allow the seamless transfer of information along supply chains. The role of the National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE), in the development of Australian ebusiness markets, involves the brokering of business relationships and the playing of a catalytic role in innovative projects, so as to: promote the effective use of ebusiness that results in productivity growth for the Australian economy; facilitate firm e-business adoption—especially by small business; remove impediments to small business participation in e-business by reducing associated costs, complexity and risk; and ensuring government e-business activity is consistent with broad industry contexts. In October 2001 NOIE released the report, B2B e-Commerce: Capturing Value Online, which provided independent assessment of contemporary developments in Australian e-business markets. The core emerging issues identified by that report for Australian e-business growth revolved around necessary cooperation on standards, greater interoperability between e-business frameworks and the effective integration of new and established technology.1