B2B Benchmark Report - Booz Allen

content strategy & competitionBusiness-to-business e-commerce is fraught with peril for buyers and sellers alike. An exclusive survey of 1,800 e-Marketplaces shows what it takes to win.by Tim Laseter, Brian Long,and Chris CapersB2BBenchmarkThe State of Electronic Exchanges1Over the last two years, journalists, scholars, and Such e-Marketplaces burgeoned during the last fiveself-proclaimed experts have written volumes about years. As was inevitable, a shakeout has begun; most ofbusiness-to-business e-commerce. Thousands of news- these marketplaces will fail. The fate of individual firms,paper articles, dozens of popular business books, and however, will depend on the strategic decisions theycountless online newsletters examine the phenomenon make over the next 12 months. Many characters willfrom every angle — save one. None of these sources has play roles in this B2B drama — the founders, operators,conducted a truly rigorous examination of the new busi- and investors who shape strategy and tactics, as well asness model that we call e-Marketplaces. the buyers and sellers whose choices will ultimatelyWe define an e-Marketplace as a forum that lever- determine the survivors. Given the vast number of enti-ages the Internet to facilitate commerce among busi- ties and the breadth of participants, most corporate lead-nesses. Such a definition obviously encompasses a wide ers will play some part in the evolution.range of entities — from independent or ...