Impact of E commerce in managing B2B Customers in Automobile Industry

Abstract

The Indian Automobile Industry is growing steadily over last one and a half decade and is in tandem with the international scenario. ICT and E-commerce have revolutionized the Global economy and the Business to Business (B2B) E-Commerce has grown in leaps and bounds. The Automobile Industry is undergoing some radical changes on experimenting in use of alternative fuels, shift in safety norms, and changes in the customer s expectations on the comfort and convenience front. These trigger the need to develop products that can fulfill these requirements and such developments need to be at a faster pace and falling in first time right category. B2B E-Commerce has emerged as trendsetter capable of changing the rules of the game. The study is focused on evaluating how E-commerce impacts the speed of communication, how E-commerce is changing the levels of business transparency and how the usage of E-commerce tools has driven the users to shed the conventional methods. The study is also aimed at deciphering as to how E-commerce tools help in the process of decision making in the supplier selection process, and how E-Commerce can influence the perceived professionalism in the corporate image of the organisation, After an extensive literature review on E-Commerce, ICT, B2B and the Indian Automobile Industry a survey was undertaken to assess the various opinions of officials associated with the Auto OEMs and Ancillaries, to understand their views on E-Commerce in the B2B working space. Statistical Tests conducted on the responses indicated that E-Commerce knowledge and adoption levels in the OEMs and the Ancillary Suppliers is practically at par and that both the factions have embraced the E-way of working successfully. It is observed that E-Commerce has accelerated the pace of communications and data exchanges, eased the Supplier Selection process, infused more transparency in the business systems, made decision making more data based and contributed to the positive development of the professional image of the Organisations