A methodology for introducing interoperability in industrial sectoral applications of electronic commerce

Introducing electronic commerce applications necessitates a prudent approach which has to take into account investments in technology and work methods, as well as dependencies on prior legacy and communications systems etc. An interesting and safe way to proceed may be to promote collaborative approaches where a critical mass of interested stakeholders can be formed, and introduce interoperability through standardized open solutions built on consensus and which can therefore co-exist in a competitive environment. This paper first analyses the factors necessary to stimulate industrial competitiveness through electronic commerce, and then discusses interoperability with a view towards open, transparent and competitive solutions. It presents a reference model for open electronic commerce and discusses attempts to define the necessary building blocks from both technical and business perspective. Finally, it proposes a methodology (Industrial Sectoral Interoperability Methodology-ISIM) which is based upon consensus-building standardized solutions developed in a collaborative manner and open to competition, and elements of which are being implemented in Europe giving some promising results for future developments.