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The purpose of this paper is to analyse a series of engineering services partnerships to better understand requisites needed in building high value co-creation alliances – especially where innovation is the strategic goal.

Using a combination of quantitative surveys, qualitative “deep-dive” assessments and a small number of in-situ mini-case investigations this research sets out to analyse 99 joint-venture innovation partnerships. These ventures represent a variety of asymmetric and symmetric alliances within the engineering services sector. Particular emphasis is given to those where the prerequisites for co-creative innovation are either in place or could be built.

Partnering and progressing innovative ideas are important behaviours for organisations seeking higher levels of commercial success and competitive advantage. Navigating the partnering dynamic can also be harder than expected, potentially hindered by misunderstandings and differing expectations between enterprises. Particularly for symmetric endeavours, success often hinges upon not only having clarity in the degree of innovation sought but also alignment as to the depth and stage of the partnering dynamic itself. However, when such collaboration works customer satisfaction and associated contract retention can increase significantly.

Most inter-company innovation projects historically seem to occur where one firm is significantly larger than the other. In contrast, this study highlights issues encountered when innovation co-creation projects are undertaken by a mature (as opposed to maturing) organisation in collaboration with partners where the power balance is similar between the two enterprises. In such cases, customer satisfaction surveys can be useful tools for objectively navigating the innovation co-creation experience.

As the information asymmetry and credit rationing are existing, SMEs are finding it difficult to gain bank credit. Trade credit, as a one off substitution, gives another access to SME finance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects between inter‐corporate relationships (including the direct‐relationship and indirect‐relationship) and trade credit.

Following the mainstream of qualitative and quantitative research, this paper examines the relationship between SMEs and their analysis of the commercial credit financing. In the empirical research, through text‐analysis to build the variable of “the number of unions that enterprises take part in”. First, find the relate union through “baidu and googel” by the keywords of enterprise's name and the Union; then two persons select and determine which the enterprise may take part in and calculate the number. For that which cannot make sure, ask the third person. Learning from the HHI‐index, the paper calculates according to the amount and times of the enterprise related transactions to build the variable of “the concentration of enterprises related transactions”. Based on three years panel data (from 2007 to 2009) of 196 small and medium listed companies, this paper establishes the empirical models and examines the effects between inter‐corporate relationship and trade credit through the random effect model.

The paper finds that: SMEs must pay attention to inter‐enterprise relationship management. Without the power and status owned by large enterprises, SMEs have to learn how to survive in the complex and changing environment. The managers of SMEs have to develop their skills to manage the inter‐enterprise relationship. It finds the effects between inter‐enterprise relationship and trade credit seem like a “U” shape. SMEs should take part in associations wittingly and establish the relationship with the others, as all economic activities are embedded in the social network. This research shows that participating in the business associations, especially provincial associations, has a positive impact to gain trade credit.

This paper breaks through the traditional SMEs' financing theories. In this paper, the individual level theories have been extended to the organizational level. This paper also expands the study of the social capital theory and gives a more tolerable empirical test.

The purpose of this paper is to attempt to calculate the trust degree between two enterprises in an industrial network using grey correlation degree algorithm for exploring characteristics of community structure and evolution rules of cluster cooperation networks in axle‐type and satellite‐type clusters.

Starting from analysis of trust formation mechanism of inter‐enterprise in industrial networks, adjacency of inter‐enterprise relationship, their information acquisition ability, their influence power in network and their past interaction experience are chosen as influencing factors of the trust between two enterprises. Grey correlation degree algorithm was chosen to calculate the trust degree between two enterprises in an industrial network. According to the rules of dynamic adjustment of trust degree originated from thoughts of the prisoners' dilemma model, computer simulation is applied to explore characteristics of community structure and evolution rules of cluster cooperation network in axle‐type and satellite‐type clusters.

With the dynamic adjustment of enterprises' trust degree, the network density of axle‐type and satellite‐type cluster networks was decreasing as the cluster scale was enlarging, and eventually tended to be stable; community structure was emerged in axle‐type and satellite‐type industrial clusters as the cluster scale was enlarging; community characteristics were obviously stronger in axle‐type cluster networks than in satellite‐type; communities were overlapped in axle‐type cluster networks, that is, bridge nodes emerged between communities.

This paper is the first to apply the grey correlation degree algorithm to calculate the trust degree between two enterprises in cluster networks for designing the rules of dynamic adjustment of trust degree.

First this paper introduces the concepts of virtual manufacturing system (VMS). The host enterprise and the multiple numbers of supply and distribution enterprises that make up a VMS, and the hierarchical and horizontal relationship that exists between these enterprises are explained. The steps involved in formation and operation of a VMS are then analyzed in detail. Second, we present a three view based methodological approach to make a multi‐agent model of VMS. Finally, with the help of a testing prototype, we show how to develop an autonomous Internet based data collection system for operation of VMS in accordance with the proposed methodological approach.

This research aims to examine the characteristics, requirements, benefits, and barriers to various collaborative relationships and proposes a typology of collaborative approaches.

The research discusses insights and observations from exploratory interviews with 21 managers from ten different manufacturers and retailers.

A typology of three types of collaborative approaches (collaborative transaction management; collaborative event management; and collaborative process management) is proposed. The three collaborative approaches are compared and contrasted. Benefits and limitations associated with each type of collaboration are discussed.

Managers can use the typology to assess current collaborations and seek ways to improve current collaborative efforts. Managers can also use the typology to develop collaborative strategies across a broad spectrum of relationships in order to determine which type of collaboration best fits each individual business relationship.

This research extends previous relationship typologies by focusing specifically on collaborative relationships. The research examines various types of collaborative relationships in order to categorize collaborative approaches in a manner useful to academicians and practitioners.

The purpose of this paper is to assess and explain the trust situation in EU agri‐food supply chains in the context of the assumption that the existence of well‐functioning trust‐based supplier‐buyer relationships enables a secure and safe food supply.

Using structural equation modelling (SEM) and survey data (n=1,430) on supplier‐buyer relationships from six different countries, two commodity supply chains (meat and cereals) and two supply chain stages (farmer‐processor and processor‐retailer), main trust determinants are identified and discussed. By simultaneously covering two supply chain stages the analysis adopts a perspective beyond the dyad.

The SEM results indicate that trust in supply chain partners can be significantly improved by effective communication and by positive past collaboration. The existence of personal bonds (ties) between partners does not seem to play a direct role in the retailer‐processor relationship but is important when dealing with farmers. In both supply chain stages positive past collaboration as well as the existence of personal bonds also indirectly enhance trust by promoting effective communication which in turn positively impacts on trust levels, thus proofing communication to be a powerful mediator variable.

This study's findings can be used by practitioners to learn how to improve trust in their supply chain relationships and how to communicate effectively.

The results provide large‐scale empirical evidence on trust drivers in European agri‐food supply chains thus confirming earlier studies on the topic from other industries.

The developing ISO edi conceptual model and its relationship to OSI are described. The term “edi” (lowercase) contrasts with the familiar EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and its connotation to syntax‐specific standards, such as X12 and EDIFACT. The edi model will define common structures, services, and processes that X12 and EDIFACT could adopt. OSI is of interest to edi because of its potential services to help enable “open edi”—global interoperability, across EDI functional groups. A sidebar describes the CCITT standard X.edi and its use of OSI services.

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of contemporary supply‐chain management systems.

The paper highlights the examples of state‐of‐the‐art practice in supply‐chain management, and speculates about where this movement is headed. Some of the collaborative supply chain management products generating the most interest will also be examined.

Collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) is the most recent prolific management initiative that provides supply chain collaboration and visibility. By following CPFR, companies can dramatically improve supply chain effectiveness with demand planning, synchronized production scheduling, logistic planning, and new product design. CPFR will force suppliers to innovate, building on strong one‐to‐one relationships that will drive smarter ways of doing things. Most companies and industries can benefit from CPFR. However, companies that experience variation in demand, buy or sell a product on a periodic basis, and those that deal in highly differentiated or branded products will benefit the most.

Practitioners can gain first‐hand knowledge of the CPFR model, technology and factors influencing adoption. Practitioners can also find examples of state‐of‐the‐art practice in supply‐chain management, and study some of the collaborative supply chain management products generating the most interest.

The paper is valuable to practitioners interested in implementing CPFR in their organizations.

The study aims to figure out the impact of supply chain planning (SCP) on innovation performance (IP), the mediating role of agreement on supply chain vision and goals (ASCVG), and the moderated effect of information technology (IT) use with buyers and suppliers.

Based on 265 pieces of data collected from global manufacturing companies, the authors tested the proposed hypothesis through regression analyses. Meanwhile, the plug-in of statistical software SPSS, PROCESS (Model 4 and 14) was used to examine the mediation and moderated mediation models.

The results reveal that ASCVG partially mediates the effect of SCP on IP. Furthermore, the indirect influence of SCP on IP is stronger when the extent of IT use with buyers is higher, while this indirect effect is not moderated by IT use with suppliers.

In this study, the authors investigated the combined effect of SCP, ASCVG, and IT use with external partners on IP, which provides theoretical and practical insights into the ways that manufacturing firms effectively use the SCP, ASCVG and IT use with external partners to heighten IP.