Evolution of inter-organizational information systems in industrial distribution: the cases of Luna and Pappersgruppen

Abstract

Many of the best known and most successful examples of competitively advantageous information systems are those that link the focal organizations with their suppliers, distributors or end-users; so called inter-organizational information systems. There is little published research describing the evolutionary processes of such systems. This article presents two, earlier unpublished, longitudinal Swedish case studies of successful evolution of inter-organizational information systems. On the basis of the comparative analysis of the cases, future research is proposed to focus on dynamic aspects and applying relationship (or industrial network) perspectives.