Virtual e-Chain (VeC) model for supply chain collaboration

In a virtual network, independent companies are working together based on shared values and a common goal of doing business to jointly exploit a particular business opportunity. Specifying each partner's business model, their organizational and technical coordination, and the appropriate criteria for agreements between them can solve the problem of combining the different competences of the partners. A Virtual e-Chain model, presenting a supply chain collaboration framework in a virtual environment, is developed for the classification of the roles of partners, the identification of key capabilities to structure each collaborative relationship, and the evaluation of the partners' readiness to collaborate. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.