A study about cybermediary types in the E-business environment

摘要

Supply chain management shows some new trends in the e-business environment. A new kind of intermediary— cybermediary, which only operates in the virtual environments, has emerged in many industries. According to what role played in a virtual supply chain, these cybermediaries could be classified by five types: informational, transactional, assurance, logistical and customization. Combining the roles with their positions in a supply chain (in terms of their attitude to customers and suppliers), a two-dimensional model is developed to present their types. Then, case studies of several online intermediaries are showed to illustrate the model.