1804 EBBSC Table 4. The second group generic e-business framework comparison Framework commonality Afuah & Tucci (2001) Damanpour (2001) De et al. (2001) Dubosson et al. (2001) Hamel (2000) Hasan & Tibbits (2000) Rayport & Jaworski (2001) Whelan & Maxelon (2001) Business Core Perspective price, revenue sources, sustainibility ZKDWLVGLI¿FXOW to initiate of the business model) business ¿QDQFLDO models (business model and opportunities) Revenue models (Advertising, retail, banking & information harvesting) Product innovation (market segment, value proposition), Financial Aspects (cost & revenue structures) Core Strategy (business mission, product/ market scope, differentiation basis), Pricing structure Finance/ Business value Financial model Product Analytic e-CRM Perspective Customer value (distinctive offering or low cost), Scope (customer & products/ services) Relationships (relationships & collaboration management) Transaction and Switching costs, User Experience, Models, Versioned products/niche marketing Customer Relationship, Infastructure Management I (partner network) Customer Interface (support. info & insight, re la ti os hip dynamics); Customer EHQH¿WV Customer User perspectives Marketing offering Customer management Process Structure Perspective connected activities (interdependency between different activities) Responsiveness HI¿FLHQF\ & timing of transactions) Commerce (e-buying & selling mechanism) Network externalities, Infastructure investment Infastructure Management II (activities & processes) Strategic resources (core processes); &RQ¿JXUDWLRQ Value network, company boundaries Internal business/ Process Value cluster Channel e-Knowledge Network Perspective Implementation (resources needed); Capabilities (skills needed) Infastructure Management III (resources/ assets) Strategic resources (core competencies, strategic assets) Innovation/ Learning future readiness Resource system Resource management; Information 1805 EBBSC Figure 2. Business model perspective of strategic e-business management Supply: e-business capacity (Goldszmidt, Palma, & Sabata, 2001); e-supply chain efficacy (Golicic et al., 2002; Craighead & Shaw, 2003). Demand: Customer retention - stickiness (Ingsriswang & Forgionne, 2001; Smith, 2003) e-Marketing mix (see below). Dynamic pricing (Kelkar, Leukel, & SchmitzPrice, 2002) Presentation style (Chittaro & Ranon, 2002) e-Distribution effort (Mascarenhas, Kumaraswamy, Day, & Baveja, 2002; Manthou, Vlachopoulou, & Folinas, 2004) Fixed cost: e-business system development and maintenance (Lee & Brandyberry, 2003). Variable cost: material/labor input & training input employ empowerment (Ash & Burn, 2001; Cash, Yoong, & Huff, 2004). Online customer profile: demographic characteristics, preferences and behavior patterns (Fang & Salvendy, 2003; Koppius, Speelman, Stulp, Verhoef, & Heck, 2005; Lee & Brandyberry, 2003) E-service quality (Dutta, 2001); Competition status (Hasan & Tibbits, 2000) Lead-time (Brewer, 2002); Product quality (Fornell & Johnson, 1996) E-loyalty (Ingsriswang & Forgionne, 2001; Turban et al., 2004) Channel flexibility: Reichheld et al., 2000; Chiang et al., 2003) Profitability ratio: purchase margin vs. serving cost (Schoeniger, 2003) Figure 3. e-CRM perspective of strategic e-business management 1806 EBBSC SUR¿OHLVD FRPSRVLWHYDULDEOHWKDW UHÀHFWVWKH customers’ demographic characteristics, prefer- ences, and behavior patterns. As noted by Lee and Brandyberry (2003), when compared with traditional customers, online customers tend to EHOHVVVWDEOHGXHWRWKHLU³/RJLFDO´UDWKHUWKDQ ³3K\VLFDO´UHODWLRQVKLSV Analytic e-CRM Perspective Customers are at the core of all businesses. With the Internet, customers have realized the ben- H¿WVRIVKRSSLQJRQOLQHLQFOXGLQJFRQYHQLHQFH broader selection, competitive pricing, and greater access to critical business information (Chen et al., 2004). Relationships and collaborations are forged in e-business to enter new markets or en- hance customer, supplier and business interactions (Damanpour, 2001). On the other hand, customers’ involvement in online retailing is impeded by security and privacy concerns, download time, and other technology barriers, or unfamiliarity (Chen et al., 2004). Furthermore, customers can switch to other competitive URLs in seconds with PLQLPDO¿QDQFLDOFRVW,QJVULVZDQJHWDO which makes successful customer management especially vital in e-business (Ace, 2002). Figure 3 depicts the e-CRM perspective. As LQGLFDWHGLQWKH¿JXUHWKHNH\VWRDFKLHYHFXV- WRPHUSUR¿WDELOLW\DUHFXVWRPHUDFTXLVLWLRQDQG customer retention, i.e., to continuously attract newcomers and retain loyal customers. Achieving customer satisfaction can turn newcomers into loyal customers. Representative decision factors in the e-CRM perspective, which have not been covered previously, are highlighted in Figure 4. The success or failure of a customer acquisition campaign depends on precise, timely targeting that delivers valuable offers to prospects and keeps FRVWVORZ7KLVWDUJHWLQJFRXOGLQYROYH¿QGLQJ previously untapped customers (for example, baby diapers for new parents) or competitors’ custom- ers (Berson, Smith, & Thearling, 1999). While acquisition costs vary widely among various busi- nesses, optimized targeting with proper customer SUR¿OHUHVHDUFKDQGHPDUNHWLQJPL[VWUDWHJ\LV consistently a top priority, as is e-service quality and competitive status. E-service quality involves network reliability and customer support (Dutta, 2001), while competition status represents the company’s external relationship with the supplier, availability of other distribution channels, entry barriers, rivalry, and product substitutes (Kaplan et al., 1992; Hasan et al., 2000). The next step is to ensure customer satisfac- tion with lead time, product quality, service quality, and competitive pricing (Kaplan et al., 1992). Lead time measures the time required for the company to meet its customers’ needs, VRPHWLPHUHIHUUHGWRDV³RUGHUWRGHOLYHU\F\FOH time” (Brewer, 2002). Quality measures the de- fect level of products as perceived and measured by the customer. A product with high quality and a high level of customization may increase the degree of customers’ satisfaction (Fornell & Johnson, 1996). E-service quality and price also will greatly impact satisfaction. +RZHYHUVDWLV¿HGFXVWRPHUVDUHQRWQHFHVVDU- ily loyal customers (Gale, 1997). Loyal customers, who repeat their purchases or visits persistently, Figure 4. A generic value chain (Adapted from Lewis, 2001) Inbound Logistics Operations Outbound Logistics Marketing & Sales Customer Service Procurement, Human resources, Technology, Infrastructure Customer needs Identified Customer Needs Satisfied 1807 EBBSC are valuable business assets (Turban et al., 2004). According to Reichheld and Schefter (2000), e-loyalty is an economic necessity in the e-era. The idea is to develop and maintain long-term relationships with customers by creating superior customer value and satisfaction (Ingsriswang et al., 2001). Goodwill, the favor or prestige that a business has acquired beyond the mere value of what it VHOOV 0HUULDP:HEVWHU RQOLQH UHÀHFWV the cumulative impact of marketing and customer satisfaction (Anderson & Fornell, 1994; Jennings & Robinson, 1996). Companies should determine their and use their core competencies to target the PDUNHW 6PLWK &KDQQHO ÀH[LELOLW\ UHIHUV to the convenience and availability of distribu- tion channels besides the Internet. According to Reichheld et al (2000), the seamless integration of different channels can prove to be valuable. This ¿QGLQJKDVEHHQYHUL¿HGE\&KLDQJHWDO¶V who determined that the e-channels could increase WKHHEXVLQHVVFRPSDQLHV¶SUR¿WLQGLUHFWO\WKURXJK retail channels. All customers are not created equal. If the FRPSDQ\FRXOGSURSHUO\PHDVXUHWKHSUR¿WDELOLW\ of its customers, it can implement corresponding Figure 5. Process structure perspective for e-business strategy Process integration (synchronization) (Park, 2003); Process intelligence (automation) (Kraev, 2003) 3-level e-services: foundation of service; customer- oriented services; value-added services (Voss, 2000) Process integration (synchronization) (Park, 2003); Process intelligence (automation) (Kraev, 2003) Figure 6. E-knowledge networks characteristics (Adapted from Warkentin et al. 2001) z Knowledge oriented z Extensive sharing z Long-term alliance z Relies on leading-edge IT such as agents, data mining etc. z Central to business model z New organizational forms enabled z Automated, Intelligent E-Knowledge Networks 1808 EBBSC margin strategies to achieve higher customer DQG FRUSRUDWH SUR¿WDELOLW\3UR¿WDELOLW\ FDQ EH measured at either the individual or segment level by identifying the customers’ purchase to cost margin. Costs uniquely traceable to customers include customer transactional cost, customer service and support cost, packaging, delivery, and post sales costs. The ratios of the mix of customer purchase margin to the customer serving cost are thereby revealing when compared on an individual customers basis, as well as by segment or channel (Schoeniger, 2003). Process Structure Perspective (EXVLQHVVVKRXOGIHDWXUHVSHHGÀH[LELOLW\DQG ÀXLGLW\VRPHWLPHVGHVFULEHGDVDJLOLW\,QWURQD 2001; Metes, Gundry, & Bradish, 1998). Existing business processes must be seamlessly integrated with the new, electronic form of interaction with suppliers and customers. A generic value chain is illustrated in Figure 4, which offers an abstract description of the processes within any type of business (including e-business). To be feasible in e-business, the internal process view should FRQVLGHU WKH ÀH[LELOLW\ DQG LQWHOOLJHQFH RI WKH process structure (Hasan et al., 2000). For e-businesses to operate successfully there PXVWEHÀH[LELOLW\DQGVFDODELOLW\WRDFFRPPRGDWH continuous process changes, readiness to provide an up-to-the-minute and integrated view of the product, process and equipment, and capability to collect and store the results of historical and proac- tive analysis for future process innovation. Such process improvements can be achieved through intelligence and integration of business models and data with the Internet and with the systems of the company’s trading partners. As summarized LQ)LJXUHLPSURYHGHIIHFWLYHQHVVDQGHI¿FLHQF\ in these core business processes will lead to faster cycle times, enhanced service quality, reduced overhead, and more competitive offerings. Different from the customer-perspective sales cycle, the general cycle time measures the time needed by the business to plan and stock (inbound logistics), inventory and schedule (operations), lead time (order-to-delivery time), and invoice a particular product (outbound logistics). Ac- cordingly, incremental costs are induced as the cycle lengthens. Effective process integration and intelligence can optimize this cycle, measurably reduce inventories and help offer exactly the products that the market demands at any given time. Wherever there are manual and sporadic Figure 7. E-knowledge network perspective of strategic e-business management e-Knowledge repository, knowledge sharing network, knowledge exchange and management (Warkentin, Sugumaran & Bapna, 2001; Malhotra, 2002; Park & Park, 2003; Koh & Kim, 2004; Plessis & Boon, 2004) 1809 EBBSC tasks in the product cycle, there are chances for overhead costs, delays, and errors, all of which can all contribute to longer cycle times. In the EBBSC framework, process integration LVDFRPSRVLWHYDULDEOHWKDWUHÀHFWVWKHGHJUHHRI problem critical data, information and knowledge sharing, and transmission across different depart- ments and groups (from downstream to upstream and inbound to outbound). Process integration also incorporates the effectiveness of two or more iden- tical (horizontal) or successive (vertical) stages in producing or distributing a particular product. Process intelligence represents the ability of the business processes to perceive and act in the sur- rounding environments, to respond appropriately to the prevailing circumstances in a dynamic business situation, to learn and to improve the process with prior experiences. As emphasized in the e-CRM perspective, e-service is the glue that holds the e-business process together (Tschohl, 2001). According to Voss (2000), customer service generally involves three levels of service and overall e-service qual- ity can be estimated by incorporating the quality indicators of the three levels of e-services. 7KH ¿UVW OHYHO IRXQGDWLRQ RI VHUYLFH LQ e-business, includes minimum necessary services, such as site responsiveness (e.g., how quickly and accurately the service is provided), site effectiveness (e.g., site interface friendliness and freshness), and RUGHUIXO¿OOPHQW7KHHEXVLQHVVFRPSDQLHV should monitor network performance and infrastructure to ensure basic customer service. • The second level, customer-oriented ser - vices, involve: (1) informational capabilities: service and help information availability, perceived ease and actual convenience of ¿QGLQJ WKH KHOSQHHGHG FXVWRPHU SUR¿OH personalization, and interactive communi- cation with service representatives, and (2) transactional capabilities: site security and S U LY D F\ R UG H U F R Q ¿ J X U D W LR Q F X V W RP L ] DW L RQ and tracking, complete support during the ordering process and after the purchase period. • The last level, value-added services are extra services, such as location sensitive selling and billing or online training and education that add value to overall service quality. Some value-added services may stand alone from an operational perspective, while oth- ers add value to existing services. Overall, value-added services provide operational and administrative synergy between or among other levels of services. %HLQJDJLOHDQGÀH[LEOHWKHYLUWXDOSURFHVVRI e-business replaces the traditional product inquiry and physical clearinghouse process and provides greater operating advantages that may lead to reduced overhead. As the cycle time is shortened through process integration and intelligence, overhead will be reduced accordingly. Process LQWHJUDWLRQDQGLQWHOOLJHQFHLVDVLJQL¿FDQWDGYDQ- WDJHLQDFKLHYLQJHEXVLQHVVIRFXVDQGÀH[LELOLW\ because, in many instances, these capabilities can UHSODFHWKHQHHGIRUDZHOOGH¿QHGRUJDQL]DWLRQDO structure and often whole layers of staff. E-Knowledge Network Perspective Targets for success keep changing so that the company must make continual improvements to survive and succeed in the intensive global competition (Kaplan et al., 2001). Organizations operating in the new business environment should be adept at creation and application of new knowledge as well as ongoing renewal of exist- ing knowledge archived in company databases (Malhotra, 2000; Soliman et al., 2001). (EXVLQHVVNQRZOHGJHRU³HNQRZOHGJH´ including knowledge about internal functions and processes, about customers and markets, and about strategic partners, can be created, shared, and managed more effectively by a combination 1810 EBBSC Table 5. Description of the measures & factors in the EBBSC framework Factor (symbol) Explanation Factor (symbol) Explanation 3UR¿W3UR¿W The difference between the revenue and cost Marketing-mix (M) The company’s effort on commercial processes involved in promoting/selling Revenue (R) Total income in a given period Customer Acquisition (CA) The number of new customers acquired in a given period Cost (C) The total expense (e.g. money, time, and labor) incurred in a given period Customer Satisfaction (CS) Measure of determination that a product meets a customer’s expectations and needs Price (P) The amount of money needed to purchase the product Customer Retention (CR) Measure of customers revisit to the site and repeat purchases over a period of time Purchases (PU) The total quantity of product actually sold to customers Customer 3UR¿WDELOLW\&3 The ratio of the customer serving costs to the mix of customer purchase margin Quantity Demanded (QD) The total quantity customers are willing and able to purchase 6WDII3UR¿FLHQF\ (SP) 7KHHI¿FLHQF\RIWKHFRPSDQ\ staff in providing the product and service Quantity Supplied (QS) The total quantity the company offers for a sale E-service quality (EQ) Measure of the company’s e- service quality Variable Cost (VC) The portion of cost that varies in relation to the level of production activity Process Integration (PIG) The degree of the company’s business process integration Sales Cycle (SC) The time between the point the product is listed and the point the product is sold Process Intelligence (PIL) The ability of the company’s business process to respond to and improve its position in the business environment Cycle Time (CT) Time that elapses in conducting inbound operations, and outbound logistics Knowledge Network (I¿FDF\.1( The company’s investment in knowledge transmission, sharing, and innovation Unit Cost (UC) The cost per product Capacity (CT) The equipment, personnel, and technology capacity of the company Fixed Cost (FC) The portion of cost that is independent of the number of products produced/sold Goodwill (G) The company’s accumulative prestige and perceived value in the market Product (PD) Measure of the product quality, positioning, and Internet branding etc. Competition (CO) Measure of the rivalry between the company and other businesses in the market Presentation The selection of product presentation and distribution formats Channel Flexibility (CF) The convenience and availability of distribution channels besides the Internet Promotion (PM) The company’s expenditures on product promotion Supply Chain (I¿FDF\6&( The effectiveness of the company in managing relationships with its suppliers 3UR¿OH3) The target customers’ average disposable income, needs or preferences index 6WDII4XDOL¿FDWLRQ (SQ) General rating of the company’s staff skill level Distribution Effort (DE) The company’s effort on distribution channel Staff Training (ST) The company’s investment in staff training 1811 EBBSC of new organizational designs and the adoption of new technologies, such as data mining and intelligent agents. Organizations are now creating knowledge networks to facilitate improved com- munication of data, information, and knowledge, while improving coordination, decision making, DQGSODQQLQJEDVHGRQWKH,QWHUQHWGULYHQ³QHZ economy” technologies that were unavailable until recently (Warkentin, Sugumaran, & Bapna, 2001). Figure 6 highlights some of the characteristics of e-knowledge networks. This enhanced e-knowledge innovation and PDQDJHPHQWZLOOOHDGWRJUHDWHUEDFNRI¿FHHI- ¿FLHQF\ÀH[LEOHDGDSWDWLRQWRPDUNHWFKDQJHV greater customer intimacy, improved strategic planning, improved decision making, rapid and ÀH[LEOHUHODWLRQVKLSPDQDJHPHQWSURFHVVHVDQG RWKHURUJDQL]DWLRQDOEHQH¿WV7KHUHDUHDGGLWLRQDO LPSOLFDWLRQVRIVWDIISUR¿FLHQF\SURFHVVLQWHJUD- tion, and process intelligence, as summarized in Figure 7. 6SHFL¿F PDQDJHU SUR¿FLHQF\ DQG HPSOR\HH skills are required to operate in the new competi- tive e-business environment. E-business managers are responsible for identifying the major factors involved in their business strategy, specifying the relationships between the factors, and generating long-term and short-term strategic e-business plans that will improve overall organizational Figure 8. An overview of the EBBSC framework Demand Good will Organization hierarchy Lead time Inbound Operations Outbound Staff Training & Qualification Knowledge network efficacy Supply Chain Efficac y Distribution Efforts Presentation Promotion Product Competition Profile Channel Flexibili Capacity Supply Unit Cost Purchases Price Fixed Cost Variable Cost 1812 EBBSC performance. Similarly, employees should be SURYLGHGZLWKSDUWLFXODUVNLOOVDQGSUR¿FLHQFLHV across different departments. For instance, cus- tomer service team is capable of assisting custom- ers throughout their online purchase process in a timely and friendly manner to ensure customer satisfaction and retention. A technical support team is in charge of ensuring that the site runs properly and securely under all circumstances. The e-knowledge network offers a repository where new knowledge is created and collected, while existing knowledge, archived in data ware- houses, is renewed and updated. Management and operational judgment, knowledge, and ex- periences are shared and managed to facilitate improved communication, coordination, deci- sion making, and planning. Staff training can be utilized to improve employee skills and maintain currency with the technology shift. Process integration enables a company to unify every aspect of its back-end infrastructure and increase responsiveness to inventory levels, customer demands, and delivery schedules by integrating disparate business processes, not only within an enterprise, but also across organizational boundaries. To achieve process integration in e- business, the communication infrastructure must be designed for a mission-critical environment, scalable to increasing numbers of transactions and trading partners, and robust enough to integrate with the core business applications. E-knowledge innovation and management facilitates the inte- gration process by creating e-knowledge networks that are characterized by automated exchange of rich knowledge by unattended computer systems, programmed to capture and evaluate knowledge with data mining algorithms, share it with strategic allies, and direct the operation of key interactive processes. Through e-knowledge networking, internal business data can be retrieved and shared across different departments and groups, and problem critical information and knowledge can be transmitted, integrated and processed from downstream to upstream as well as inbound to outbound. 7KHÀDWWHQLQJRIWKHRUJDQL]DWLRQDOKLHUDUFK\ also contributes to process integration, which OHDGVWRKLJKHUSURFHVVHI¿FLHQF\YLVLELOLW\DQG transparency. In contrast, traditional organiza- tion structures are hierarchical and function- ally oriented (Chen & Ching, 2002). As a result, LQIRUPDWLRQLV¿OWHUHGDQGPRGL¿HGDVLWPDNHV its way through different levels of management. Enabled by e-business capabilities, companies ZLWK D ÀDWWHQHG RUJDQL]DWLRQDO KLHUDUFK\ KDYH WKH EXLOWLQ ÀH[LELOLW\ WR PRYH VZLIWO\ WRZDUG capturing new opportunities, react quickly to shifts in the environment, and respond promptly to the customers needs. Process intelligence facilitates matches between the company’s offering and target cus- tomers, competitors, and the current business by automating the decision and action processes and initiating real time analytics of sales and Decisio - Process Outcome T T EBBSC Strategy Evaluation Model Strate gy Makin g Efficienc y Process Intelligence (PIL) E-service Quality (EQ) Process Integration (PIG) C y cle Time ( CT ) Lead Time ( LT ) Sales C y cle ( SC ) Organization Performance Customer Relationship Profit Maximization Cost Reduction ( C ) Revenue Increase (R) Customer Ac q uisition ( CA ) Customer Satisfaction (CS) Customer Retention (CR) Strategy Making Effectiveness Customer Profitability (CP) Figure 9. EBBSC strategy evaluation model 1813 EBBSC HVHUYLFHVDVZHOODVEXVLQHVVQRWL¿FDWLRQDQG alerting (Park & Park, 2003). Such effort requires a wide range of process steps to be understood and represented, not only within an organization, but communicated to trading partners. An e-knowledge network generates and stores immediate (real-time) knowledge about internal functions and processes, about customers and markets, about strategic partners, and about sup- ply chain partners (suppliers, vendors, dealers, and distributors). Using the knowledge reposi- tory, the company can create new internal and external structures and relationships, which leads to further knowledge and continuous strategy improvements. Intelligent technology, which en- ables communication with trading partners across different platforms, can help represent, implement and track external business processes (contact agents of other companies, request information on merchandise/suppliers, and negotiate with them about purchase conditions) in a dynamic DQGÀH[LEOHZD\3DUNHWDO EBBSC SUMMARY AND ILLUSTRATION Using the EBBSC components, we can develop the major measures and factors involved in the EBBSC framework. These measures and fac- WRUVZKLFKKDYHEHHQLGHQWL¿HGLQHDFK(%%6& perspective, are summarized in Table 5. The major measures (Square) and the corre- sponding decision factors (Oval) and relationships $UURZ/LQHVVSHFL¿HGLQWKH(%%6&IUDPHZRUN are illustrated in Figure 8. This framework also forms the basis for specifying a precise and ex- plicit functional model for strategic e-business management. At the conceptual level, it offers the e-business manager a big-picture perspective that is critical in generating effective e-business strategies. Aided by this framework, e-business companies can identify the major factors regard- ing the four e-business perspectives and specify the direct and indirect relationships among the various factors. As an illustration, consider an e-business that seeks to acquire more customers in the next SODQQLQJSHULRG7KHPDQDJHU¿UVWZLOOORFDWHWKH strategic measure of new customer acquisition in the framework and identify the relevant decision factors. As the EBBSC framework indicates, these IDFWRUVLQFOXGHWKHFXVWRPHUSUR¿OHFRPSHWLWLRQ the marketing mix, and e-service quality. Next, the manager can formulate a tentative strategy plan. In this case, the framework suggests that the company needs critical data and information regarding the prospective customer population and the competitors. Based on the collected in- IRUPDWLRQPDQDJHPHQWPXVWGHFLGHRQDVSHFL¿F marketing mix and e-service solution. Starting from the market mix or e-service quality compo- nents, the EBBSC framework suggests the steps to create the mix and quality plan. Having the priority of the strategic objective at each stage, the manager can plan and allocate the available budgets and resources more effectively to achieve these objectives. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION In this study, we have developed a balanced score- card-based framework for strategic e-business management, which contributes to both theory and practice. From a theoretical standpoint, the balanced scorecard adaptation offers an innovative methodology to formulate and evaluate e-business strategy. The EBBSC framework also indicates that e-business strategy making will involve multiple decision criteria. Using this framework, the decision maker can establish an evaluation model for strategic e-business decision support. Figure 9, for example, shows such a multi-criteria e-business strategy evaluation model utilizing the VWUDWHJLFPHDVXUHVVSHFL¿HGLQWKH(%%6&IUDPH- work. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) concept (Forgionne, 1999), this EBBSC . readiness to provide an up-to-the-minute and integrated view of the product, process and equipment, and capability to collect and store the results of historical and proac- tive analysis for future. created and collected, while existing knowledge, archived in data ware- houses, is renewed and updated. Management and operational judgment, knowledge, and ex- periences are shared and managed. business data can be retrieved and shared across different departments and groups, and problem critical information and knowledge can be transmitted, integrated and processed from downstream