Towards an Understanding of Digital Social Networks and Web 2.0 in Supply Chain Management

摘要

Value bundles as a customer-focused combination of physical products, services and intangible assets are getting important strategic offerings for companies. Offering value bundles requires a significant integration of customer processes in existing business processes on the company side and leads to complex interaction on the supplier side. The task for the seller to find the best suppliers appropriate for the offering is challenging. Regarding the intangible assets of hybrid bundles, there is a need for relevant information from the potential suppliers. Digital social networks like online communities, blogs or wi-kis might be a way to strengthen this coordination. Having this in mind, the question arises in which means digital social networks may affect procurement processes when dealing with value bundles. To answer this question, different kinds of digital social networks are investigated in terms of a literature review and evaluated by using a derived framework. The evaluation leads to recommendations how to use digital social networks for the enhancement of procurement processes for value bundles in a supply network.