ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Inter-organisational co-operation holds a huge potential for exploiting the opportunities of dynamic, global markets – especially for SMEs. Furthermore, today’s ICT potentially allows for quick exchange of information and for co-ordinating activities. However, state-of-the-art software architectures and technologies also hamper cross-organisational interoperability. A technologically determined need for extremely detailed modelling of business processes is a significant obstacle for establishing co-ordinated processes, which is a pre-requirement for scheduling and control in organisational networks. An approach that achieves the exploitation of technological potentials for efficient and effective cross-organisational processes without hampering flexibility is still to be developed. This requires simpler modelling and with it an easier adaptability of ICT on the one hand, and a better integration of human factors on the other hand. This paper reflects on existing ICT for co-operation, collaboration and co-ordination and identifies gaps and further research opportunities.
