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Interorganizational information systems (IOS), the computer based communication between buyers and sellers, can improve inventory management and control as well as reduce costs for all participants. However, stable relationships have been found to be disturbed when IOS is implemented. The objective of this study is to refine our understanding of the differences in perceptions and expectations of benefits from developing IOS as well as changes in the relationship structure. Results support previous research that identified gaps in relationship satisfaction between buyers and sellers when IOS technology is implemented.

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) proposes to take into account the “voice of the customer,” through a list of customer needs, which are (qualitatively) mapped to technical requirements in House One. But customers do not perceive products in this space, nor do they not make purchase decisions in this space. Marketing specialists use statistical models to map between a simpler space of customer perceptions and the long and detailed list of needs. For automobiles, for example, the main axes in perceptual space might be categories such as luxury, performance, sport, and utility. A product’s position on these few axes determines the detailed customer requirements consistent with the automobiles’ position such as interior volume, gauges and accessories, seating type, fuel economy, door height, horsepower, interior noise level, seating capacity, paint colors, trim, and so forth. Statistical models such as factor analysis and principal components analysis are used to describe the mapping between these spaces, which we call House Zero.

This paper focus on House One. Two important steps of the product development process using House One are: (1) setting technical targets; (2) identifying the inherent tradeoffs in a design including a position of merit. Utility functions are used to determine feature preferences for a product. Conjoint analysis is used to capture the product preference and potential market share. Linear interpolation and the slope point formula are used to determine other points of customer needs. This research draws from the formal mapping concepts developed by Nam Suh and the qualitative maps of quality function deployment, to present unified information and mapping paradigm for concurrent product/process design. This approach is the virtual integrated design method that is tested upon data from a business design problem.

Home center retailers are adopting interorganizational information system (IOS) technologies to reduce order cycle time and improve inventory management. One such technology is electronic data interchange (EDI). Examines EDI adoption in the wood products supplier – home center buyer channel. Discusses management implications and presents recommendations.

The make‐up, structure, functioning and outputs of multi‐person buying decision‐making units, commonly referred to as “buying centers,” have received substantial attention in the business marketing literature. Although most business buying decisions are non‐static in nature, theorists and researchers have been hard pressed to effectively capture the dynamic nature of business buyers’ decision‐making processes. This paper presents a synthesis of recent buying center research and reports the findings of a study which attempted to capture “process effects” in buying center structure during the buying process. Study findings affirm the widely held belief that buying centers change over time and provide interesting insights regarding how these decision‐making units change in structure and make‐up over time. The resulting implications and caveats of these findings for business marketers are discussed.

Competitive success in business‐to‐business markets often depends upon the ability of the firm to adapt specifically to the needs of a single customer organization. Research into buyer‐seller relationships in industrial markets has shown that both buying and selling firms implement specific adaptations for a single partner. Adaptation can take place at the level of the product or more broadly in terms of management processes, information exchange, and even organizational restructuring. The paper develops an improved taxonomy for dyadic adaptation in business‐to‐business markets, and explores the driving forces behind relationship‐specific adaptation. Adaptation by supplier firms is found to be more frequent than adaptation by buyers. Supplier adaptation is driven by relative power, buyer support, and by the managerial preferences of the two firms for a more or less relational form of exchange. Several managerial implications and avenues for further research are discussed.

The adoption of communication technologies that link marketing channel members has modified the way buyers and sellers interact. These technologies, termed interorganizational systems (IOS), are electronic buyer‐seller information exchanges that are implemented to facilitate business transactions and increase efficiency, competitiveness and profitability for participant companies. Shows how differences in buyer and seller perceptions and benefits IOS exist in early stages of implementation. Describes the IOS induced “Relationship Satisfaction Gap” and then offers thoughts and recommendations on how to close this gap. Believes that this gap is minimized when exchange partners are co‐operative and exhibit a high degree of understanding and commitment to the other party as implementation occurs. Additional factors that minimize the gap include trust that has evolved in the relationship over time, the existing mutually accepted power balance, the level of importance that the exchange partner represents from a strategic perspective and the general relationship structure.

This paper seeks to help marketers become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the current state of wireless technology that is being applied to marketing problems.

The paper first examines successful applications of wireless technology to connect marketing applications to wireless technology. A total of 11 important issues and questions are presented to help marketers know the key points in building a successful wireless application. A glossary to clarify the acronyms is presented.

The main focus is business persons as they will create the technology environment that will become the research environment. The excitement caused by new developments such as wireless has the potential to have significant impacts on marketing practice or lead to major failures. Mobile commerce (m‐commerce) driven by wireless technology is generating interest from marketers. A partnership between marketers and technology developers is needed to create a successful application. Developers are enthusiastic and speak in acronyms and may overwhelm marketers with the excitement of an application.

The paper presents new developments such as wireless technology that have the possibility of significant impacts in marketing and organizational performance that are counterbalanced by the potential of significant failures. This changing business environment will be the environment that scholars doing research in sales and service marketing must understand in order to design relevant research studies.