Currently mostly every single company has intranet, which contains information of various kinds i.e. company news, employee directory, training material etc. The same companies have different platforms/tools for project work and other similar activities. The problem with these systems is that they are usually very complex to find information, scattered and difficult to use - anti-user-friendly in other words.
The very same issues apply to the customer and supplier side. Many companies have some kind of systems in place, where they interact with their suppliers as well as customers. However in my opinion interaction is the wrong word to be used in this context as it remains on superficial level. It can be inferred from previously mentioned that there is room for a totally new kind of approach that integrates the company internally as well as externally to all of its interest groups. This kind of supply chain wide network application increases collaboration and thus enhances all the activities and tasks performed in the included companies.
The solution should be a web-based application; kind of like ERP-system and merged in social media (such as Facebook) with the difference that it truly integrates all the company departments and the whole supply chain including suppliers and customers as well as the shareholders into a single easy-to-use network application. Communication both internally and externally would be handled with Messenger like application that enables both talking and chatting as well as conferences, all with video possibility.
The network would consist of four overlapping dimensions: the company, customers, suppliers and shareholders. They all would be basically using the same interface with different access policy. In the company context the system would work similarly as intranet and ERP, but everything would be merged into one application where e.g. information and data would be shared, projects managed, manufacturing controlled etc. External communication between suppliers and customers would be of course two-way lane. Sourcing department would communicate with suppliers and place orders in the systems. In the other end customers would be able to place orders, track them and give feedback to sales department. This kind of two-way communication would also generate valuable data to marketing and make it possible to post e.g. customer surveys or such and get the data immediately into the system. The application would also make possible a better communication with the finance department and shareholders. All in all the solution would put everything under the same roof and would be a true move towards boundary breaking collaboration and real-time information.
Security issues could be tackled using a cloud computing-based approach, which would basically mean that application and data are stored on servers and the users would be operating with “dummy-terminals”. This would enable the necessary mobility and free working from time and place. A problem however remains how to get companies and people to change the culture and adopt this kind of approach, which would no doubt benefit all in many ways (may it be cost savings, efficiency, accuracy or increased profit margins).
