The Impact of Technology

Chapter 7

The fiercely competitive marketplace has seen the emergence of a new phenomenon. There is formal recognition in viewing an organizationís suppliers as partners. This phenomenon is particularly visible in the manufacturing sector. Automobile companies, aircraft manufacturers and a multitude of computer companies have created alliances that compliment each others skills. Prior to the proliferation of the WWW this process was slower and constrained. The WWW has expedited this process and organizations willingly post information on the process/procedures involved in doing business with them. A good example of one such company is the Boeing corporation.

Boeing clearly furnishes information for its customers, suppliers and vendors. This is done in order to quickly provide contractual information as required by individual purchase contracts.