Governance of inter-organizational systems: a longitudinal case study of Rotterdam’s Port Community System

An increasing use of inter-organizational systems, as Port Community System (PCS), can be observed in port collaborations. As multiple organizations often rely on PCS, even for business-critical processes, proper governance of these systems is crucial. This study aims to explain the governance of inter-organizational port collaborations using a lifecycles paradigm. The governance is explored using three points of view – i.e. governance mechanisms, governance aspects, and governance models – and by describing the actors’ roles in collaborations. A case study in the port of Rotterdam is analyzed to explain how these actors affect the governance models through the mechanisms to govern the aspects in each lifecycle stage. The port collaboration in Rotterdam has gone through three full governance lifecycles and has entered the fourth iteration after the set-up of Portbase. During the last two cycles, the collaboration has maintained its Network Administrative Organization governance model. This case study analysis of Rotterdam’s port collaboration provides an example of how a systematic approach could help to discuss and communicate the governance of inter-organizational port collaboration systems and gives some lessons learned for other collaborations

Governance of inter-organizational systems: a longitudinal case study of Rotterdam’s Port Community System

An increasing use of inter-organizational systems, as Port Community System (PCS), can be observed in port collaborations. As multiple organizations often rely on PCS, even for business-critical processes, proper governance of these systems is crucial. This study aims to explain the governance of inter-organizational port collaborations using a lifecycles paradigm. The governance is explored using three points of view – i.e. governance mechanisms, governance aspects, and governance models – and by describing the actors’ roles in collaborations. A case study in the port of Rotterdam is analyzed to explain how these actors affect the governance models through the mechanisms to govern the aspects in each lifecycle stage. The port collaboration in Rotterdam has gone through three full governance lifecycles and has entered the fourth iteration after the set-up of Portbase. During the last two cycles, the collaboration has maintained its Network Administrative Organization governance model. This case study analysis of Rotterdam’s port collaboration provides an example of how a systematic approach could help to discuss and communicate the governance of inter-organizational port collaboration systems and gives some lessons learned for other collaborations

Revolutionize Supply Chain Collaborations through cloud implementation

Cloud technology offers a lot of benefits for organizations in the global supply chain network to achieve agile and sustainable Supply Chain Collaborations (SCCs). Characteristics of cloud computing (especially Software as a Service and Coordination as a Service) - i.e. on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, measured service - shift SCCs' traditional business model. By facilitating transparency in data exchange, supporting the establishment of neutral orchestrators, and increasing the collaborations' flexibility to choose members and service providers, cloud transforms the nature of the Inter-Organizational System (IOS) from a support system to an enabling IOS. This paper explains the revolution in SCCs' business models and structures which are enabled by cloud implementation. Each element of SCCs' Business Model Canvas - i.e. customers, key resources, partners, channels, revenue streams, key activities, and cost structures - and the influence of cloud to each element are described. Cloud-enabled SCCs' structures are not limited to a hierarchical structure with a central orchestrator, but can also be a less hierarchical network with individualistic decision-making and shared governance. In the end, a set of alternatives elements and structures are presented. Some examples of SCCs are also identified based on the framework proposed. This framework could be used by academics and practitioners in transforming a traditional SCCs and establishing or evaluating a cloud-enabled SCCs' business model

The governance of cloud based Supply Chain Collaborations

Despite of the promising benefits of cloud computing in enabling efficient, sustainable and agile Supply Chain Collaborations (SCCs), this service does not eliminate governance challenges in SCCs. Cloud based SCCs may flounder without a proper understanding of how to govern inter-organizational relations and insight into how the cloud service will affect it. Using a case study method, this study aims to: (1) observe cloud based SCCs in practice and (2) get an overview of current governance models that exist for cloud based SCCs. Five types of company roles in cloud based SCCs are proposed to reduce ambiguity in inter-organizational communication. Using this classification, this study introduces market and shared governance for cloud based SCCs besides the hierarchical governance, Network Administrative Organization. This study's contribution is to describe how cloud is currently used to enable diversity of the SCCs' governance models