Product details

This is the first of a two-case series (302-179-1 and 302-180-1). During the Internet boom in the late 1990s, disc drive manufacturer Seagate Technologies International (Seagate) had become very focused on improving its supply chain management (SCM) practices, which it viewed as a key element for achieving competitive advantage. To keep on the leading edge of SCM, Seagate, along with nine other electronics and high technology industry leaders, launched e2open.com in August 2000, as a means for securing greater collaboration and procurement efficiencies among industry players. However, a severe downturn in market sentiment towards the Internet hampered the adoption of new on-line business models. By April 2001, scepticism had turned into significant doubts over which models would be successful or not in the years ahead. This has left two of Seagate''s key Singapore-based managers involved in the e2open project (YC Goh, Executive Director - Asia Materials and CP Teh, Senior Director - e- Business), with the task of drafting recommendations about the new on- line venture that could attract more interest and participation from other industry members. The case study is ideal for courses in business- to-business (B2B) supply chain management and new venture creation based on the Internet.