Introduction
Despite certain shortcomings, the new e-commerce strategy has been of great importance for both Chemical Industry and its partners. As the company was the second leading business in the world, it is in high demand for consumers. As the production is rather specialized, it requires the engagement of other production chains and transport. Therefore, the integrated e-supply chain industry fostered communication with other business segments and contributed to income annual increase of the company. Further, the company’s wide range of products encourages the establishment of new contacts all over the world as their production is used in various fields of industry. Regarding this, the innovative transformation of their business opened easier access to carrying business successfully. The integrated e-supply chain displayed beneficial options and choices and attracted a greater amount of customers. Due to the innovations, the chemical industry entered the international level based on SAP. Finally, Eastman Chemical Company was the first company to establish the e-brand and to open a Customer center for the consumers. Therefore, it also managed to adopt such businesses as Saqqara, Indiom, and Yantra thus enhancing the data exchange (Yen et al. 1022).
Constraints and shortcomings
Besides the positive results of the e-technology engagement, the company also encountered certain constraints and shortcomings. In particular, there were specific problems with the launching process. Introduced in 1999, the integration process takes a lot of time, as the company must gain confidence among their partners about the new method of communication. Therefore, Eastman had to take considerable risks. Another problem of re-connection was the low-quality data that aggravated the supply chain management and revenue volumes. The Asian-Pacific region was rather challenging for the company. The reason is that most companies considered the Eastman connection as a part of wider business policy thus are reluctant to involve the connection gradually (Yen et. al. 1027).
E-supply chain
A special consideration requires the influence of the integrated e-supply chain on the relations between Eastman and Nagase &Co. Ltd. Knight’s long-termed and fruitful cooperation with Nagase was rather important and therefore ISS communication was the key for the partners to evolve their further relations. Being the major distributor for the Chemical Industry, Nagase entered the e-communication process. The newly established portal approach allows ordering the product on the Eastman website. The initial results of XML technology were not rather persuasive, as brought improvement to both sides. Hence, it enables to exclude the third party from the agreement so that the company could directly cooperate. To prove the success of the ISS communication, it is worth saying that this novelty was easily accepted in the US. Therefore, the new philosophy was doomed to be a success for both Nagase and Eastman (Yen et al. 1025).
Conclusion
It is noteworthy that the adoption of the innovated strategy greatly contributed to the improvement of data exchange of the companies and their further cooperation. Because Eastman Chemical Industry has its subsidiaries in seventeen countries, it requires the alternative approach of handling business. Regarding the challenges that Craig Knight had to encounter, it will be reasonable to consider the language peculiarities in the Asian-Pacific region thus using the institution-based approach on the international market. Furthermore, as the novelty entails the introduction of a wider customer network, Eastman should take a peculiar consideration of the manufacturing process owing to the increase of sales volumes.
Works Cited
Yen, Benjamin, Fahoomand Ali, Ng Pauline. “Constructing an E-supply Chain at Eastman Chemical Company”. Twenty-Forth International Conference on Information Systems, 2003, 1011-1029.