A Holistic Approach for B2B Integration at Different Conceptual Levels

Effective and efficient exchange and cooperation of information and goods between enterprises is a crucial prerequisite to compete successfully in globalized supply networks. Such business-to-business (b2b) integration affecting various partners across the whole supply network is very complex and dynamic by nature and may include multiple levels of integration (like data, application, business process, etc.) at the same time. The paper aims at analyzing concepts for b2b integration at different levels. The methodology comprises a thematic analysis, focusing on b2b models and frameworks in scientific literature, an empirical study to demonstrate the practical relevance, a classification and consolidation of findings in science and practice, and case studies to proof the practical applicability of the proposed concepts.