¹Edith Cowan University, Churchlands, Perth, Australia

Correspondence: Colin G Ash, Edith Cowan University, Churchlands, Perth 6018, Australia. Tel: +618 9273 8718; Fax: +618 9273 8332; E-mail: c.ash@ecu.edu.au

Received 15 May 2002; Revised 31 January 2003; Accepted 18 July 2003.

Abstract

This paper reports on research carried out in 1999–2001 on the use of e-business applications in enterprise resource planning (ERP)-based organisations. Multiple structured interviews were used to collect data on 11 established organisations from a diverse range of industries. The findings are analysed according to the level of sophistication of e-business models and their transformational impact on the organisation. Early adopters of e-business show a trend towards cost reductions and administrative efficiencies from e-procurement and self-service applications used by customers and employees. More mature users focus on strategic advantage and generate this through an evolutionary model of organisational change. Two complex case studies of e-business integration with global suppliers and their corporate customers are analysed to identify specific stages of benefits accrual through the e-business transformation process. Collectively, the set of case studies is used to demonstrate the increased benefits derived from an e-business architecture based on a network of ERP-enabled organisations.