E-procurement tool benefits B-to-B interactions

Dharmaraj ("Raj") Veeramani (13K JPG)

Although many of Rockwell Automation's worldwide customers hoped to implement e-procurement systems that help improve ordering and fulfillment transactions within the company, after the systems were in place, the results were not as successful as Rockwell hoped. Working with researchers from the college's E-Business Consortium (EBC), Rockwell staff learned the breakdown was not necessarily technological, but often the result of organizational glitches.

Additionally, EBC researchers developed an assessment tool to help Rockwell determine its customers' readiness for adopting an e-procurement system. The tool establishes benchmarks for companies at the development, rollout and adoption phases of their e-procurement strategies. And after they've implemented the system, the tool also provides a "scorecard," so that companies can tell which aspects are working or not working, and why.

Professor and EBC Director Raj Veeramani says that because the tool really identifies various areas of risk, it can apply to many companies and many situations. "The tool relates to any type of business-to-business interaction," he says. "So you can tailor it easily."

EBC forms radio frequency identification workgroup

The E-Business Consortium has formed an industry workgroup on RFID (radio frequency identification). "RFID is poised to fundamentally change the way organizations track, trace and manage their assets. This will have major implications for various industries including manufacturing, distribution, retail, healthcare and pharmaceuticals," says Veeramani. This workgroup will focus on analyzing the true capabilities and limitations of RFID technologies, validating the practicality and potential business benefits associated with them, understanding the keys to successful deployment and adoption of RFID technology applications, and gaining insight into the future evolution of these technologies.