Introduction
In today's globalized world E-commerce does not mean trading as well as shopping on the internet. It is highly associated with the efficient business operations. For the same, it is essential for e-businesses to manage their supply chain process effectively. According to Vakharia (2002), supply chain management means organizing, forecasting, controlling procurement, inventories, and deliveries of products and services to customers. It can be defined as the backbone of e-business these days. By taking this concern into consideration the majority of UK-based organizations are adopting electronic supply chain (E-SCM) management. Johnson and Whang (2002) stated that it combines total concepts of e-business and supply chain management.
With the help of this, the company can depict how trade channel members are working together just to optimize resources and opportunities. Ballou (2007) stated that e-commerce is a growing slice of the economy of a country and it is also said to be a contributor to the advancement of business processes.
In this regard, the present study is based on the reasons for the growth of electronic supply chain management as well as it's adoption by e-business. This study takes place for the analysis of different organizations in the UK. With the adoption of E-SCM, they can minimize their cost and also integrate business enterprises closely with all the other players involved in the process.
Motivation for the study and methods
There has been a rapid growth in the area of e-commerce which has enhanced my interest in the given subject area. I further wish to make my career in this field hence I am interested to know about the advancement of business processes. Moreover, I lack proper knowledge in this subject area. Hence I wish to learn about the intricacies of the same.
Research Aim and Objectives
To examine the adoption and growth of electronic supply chain management (E-SCM) by e-business: A case study of UK-based companies.
Objectives
- To understand the meaning and concepts of electronics supply chain management and e-business.
- To assess the reasons for the growth of electronic supply chain management
- To examine the support provided to e-business through the application of electronic SCM.
Research Questions
- How does e-supply chain management aid in boosting the performance of e-business?
- What are the various reasons for the growth of E-SCM in the context of e-business?
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According to Ballou (2007), E-SCM uses various e-business concepts and web technology in order to manage beyond the enterprise. This can be defined as a strategic approach that carries initial product design and procurement of raw materials through shipping to the delivery point of consumers. With the help of the adoption of E-SCM, e-businesses can improve their relations with channel partners and better control their investments. However, the use of the internet has allowed easy access to any type of information as well as better coordination among B2B and B2C. According to Monczka and et.al., (2008), e-commerce develops the traditional supply chain process by increasing its capabilities for the betterment of various organizations. It is quite essential for different firms these days to enable comprehensive supply chain processes. With the help of this, they are able to compete successfully in the marketplace today and better serve the customer demands. With the help of the Internet, most organizations can easily access any type of information and exchange it in a more quick way and more cheaply than ever before.
There are various reasons why organizations are using E-SCM such as changing their business policies for the betterment of business operations. A company can also develop its positive brand identity in the mindset of customers by managing better relationships with them. Johnson and Whang (2002) stated that the adoption of electronic supply chain management is the most effective tool for increasing business performance and managing business operations in a more effective way. E-SCM is not just a process of increasing technology but also it involves the course of changes in management policies as well as performance metrics and business processes across the supply chain. It is the most effective through which companies can improve their customer service and develop better relationships with them. Electronic supply chain management (E-SCM) is the best process that develops through the collaborative use of the Internet just to enhance the Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Customer (C2C) processes (Power, 2005). It is another most effective way which help improve speed, agility, real-time control, and customer satisfaction.
Research Methodology
As per the given subject matter, there are different research methodologies that will be incorporated. With the help of an appropriate selection of research methods researcher can gather the best and an appropriate information (Wilson, 2010). Here, in this scenario, the Inductive research approach will be the most suitable as it helps in making an in-depth analysis of the adoption and growth of electronic supply chain (E-SCM) management by e-business (Jones, 2004). It helps the researcher in drawing an appropriate conclusion without framing any hypothesis. In addition to this, Interpretivism will be taken into consideration as no hypothesis will be developed. Moreover, there are mainly two sources of data collection i.e. primary as well as secondary. In this concern, data and information will be gathered from primary as well as secondary sources. In order to collect primary information, a questionnaire survey technique will be entailed. This questionnaire will be filled out by the sample population. In order to select an appropriate sample size, a purposive sampling technique will be incorporated. This technique helps in boosting the overall efficiency of the study.
In this regard, a sample size of 100 officials of different e-commerce businesses within the UK will be taken into consideration (Neubauer, 2009). They can give better responses for the reason behind the adoption of E-SCM within their business as well as the support provided to them. On the other hand, secondary data will be gathered from secondary sources such as online articles, books as well as past studies done by various authors. Further, one of the most essential tasks for researchers is to analyze the most effective findings and draw a better conclusion. As per the given subject matter, primary data will be analyzed by way of quantitative techniques. In order to analyze quantitative data, the SPSS tool will be used in which various methods will be incorporated such as frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, etc. (Petersen, 2012). This is the most effective technique through which researchers can reach valid findings and frame a better conclusion.
Anticipated outcomes
As per the anticipated outcomes, the reasons for the growth of E-SCM in the context of e-business are various reasons for the growth of E-SCM in context of e-business are due to the movement of companies towards creating a positive brand identity and managing better relationships with consumers. It has further been regarded as an effective tool for increasing business performance and managing business operations in a more effective way.
Contribution of the study
The study can contribute towards making the general public aware of How e-supply chain management aids in boosting the performance of e-business as well as assessing the various reasons for the growth of E-SCM in the context of e-business.
References
Ballou, R.H., 2007. Business Logistics/Supply Chain Management. Pearson Education India.
French, S., 2009. The deductive frame. Journal of Management Development. 28(3). pp.242 - 266.
Johnson, M. and Whang, S., 2002. EBusiness And Supply Chain Management: An Overview And Framework*. Production and Operations Management. 11(4). pp.413-423.
Jones, A., 2004. Logic: Inductive and Deductive An Introduction To Scientific Method. Kessinger Publishing.
Monczka, R. And et.al., 2008. Purchasing and supply chain management. Cengage Learning.
Neubauer, D., 2009. Acceptance Sampling in Quality Control. CRC Press.
Petersen, J., 2012. Statistical Methods in Customer Relationship Management. John Wiley & Sons.
Power, D., 2005. Supply chain management integration and implementation: a literature review. Supply chain management: an International journal. 10(4). pp.252-263.
Vakharia, A.J., 2002. Ebusiness and supply chain management. Decision Sciences. 33(4). pp.495-504.
Wilson, J., 2010. Essentials of Business Research: A Guide to Doing Your Research Project. SAGE.