Business-to-business electronic commerce is booming but for many companies attempting to do business electronically, it seems like a nightmare journey into the unknown rather than the golden road to competitive advantage. Firms are finding that prices are under pressure, profit margins are hit, new competitors appear from nowhere and benefits are hard to realize. Drawing on case studies of companies such as Marshall Industries, FedEx, Industry.Net, Amazon.com, Citius Belgium and TradeZone, Paul Timmers addresses the critical issues facing managers today as they endeavour to move into a new business environment. Looking at the opportunities and the risks involved, the book provides in-depth practical examples of how innovative companies are developing competitive advantage by doing business on the Internet. The author then goes on to show companies how they can organize their business, by providing a systematic classification of electronic commerce business models and a range of tools for the development of Internet marketing strategies. Finally, a number of scenarios provide a window on the future of business-to-business electronic commerce. In a clear and concise way, this book will help dispel the uncertainty surrounding electronic commerce by explaining how the reader can overcome obstacles and reservations and capitalize on the many benefits on offer.

This volume analyzes strategic marketing approaches on the basis of both marketing theory and international case studies. Its systematic study of Internet commerce models should allow any company to better organize their business and understand where their sources of revenue come from. It offers an assessment of a rapidly growing area, covering current models and showing how they have fared in practice. The book also provides an analytical assessment of the marketplace for business-to-business electronic commerce strategies and Includes recommendations for the implementation of a marketing strategy for business-to-business e-commerce.