Challenges in Interorganizational Structures

LUCIANA BALLEJOS; JORGE MONTAGNA

Cancún, México

Congreso; 2nd World Conference on Production and Operations Management; 2004

The importance reached in several levels by the formation of networks between organizations has generated multiple works about its requirements, challenges and the different technologies used to support them. This work analizes the concepts and characteristics of Interorganizational Networks (IO Networks) –for example Strategic Alliances, Virtual Organizations, etc. - and Interorganizational Information Systems (IOS) that enable and support the creation of these structures, with emphasis on the Supply Chain Networks. Although IO Networks and IOS are well known terms in the literature, there is a big gap between them because of multiple organizational and technical reasons and possible risks that have to be taken into account before an IOS implementation. To order and relate these concepts, this work proposes a set of stages that need to be defined and integrated before the IOS development or acquisition and implementation, to analyze the particularities of the specific network in which it will be used and to minimize the occurrence of latent risks, which are also considered. This work emphasize about the particular elements that arise specifically from the Supply Chain Network structure.