A Framework for Performance and Value Assessment of E-Business Systems in Corporate Travel Distribution

Abstract

This chapter proposes and illustrates a framework that the authors call the value life cycle for e-commerce systems. Based on recent research results that relate to technology investments in the corporate travel industry and related theoretical and empirical perspectives, the authors lay out the corporate travel e-commerce system solutions value life cycle. The perspective involves estimating the maximum value that that an organization can obtain by implementing an e-commerce system in a specific industry and competitive environment. It also considers multiple factors that act as value contingencies for the implementation process. These create barriers to value accrual and to post-implementation performance assessment. The analytical perspective emphasizes the importance of comparing the expected value from the evaluation stage with the realized value from actual system usage. The authors highlight a key finding for corporate travel procurement specialists: the value of e-commerce systems infrastructure is surprisingly dependent on a variety of factors in the implementation environment of the organization, and as a result, the authors suggest that investments in this kind of technology be made with considerable caution and a clear sense of the potential pitfalls that may lead to insufficient value accrual.