**4. Importance of enterprise CBIS**

It is anticipated that no business today will remain untouched by the emergence of the digital economy. The main role of enterprise CBISs in today's rapidly changing business environment is to bring market players together to execute real-time exchange transactions, for example cost and product stipulations, and facilitating teamwork and network synchronization. The key idea is that a group of customers and vendors transact in a single online platform, allowing member organizations to take advantage of greater economies of scale and liquidity; and to purchase or sell anything easily, quickly and cost effectively. In addition, enterprise CBISs can help companies transcend geographical barriers, and grow globally to attain profits in emerging markets that were once unattainable [18–20].

Furthermore, the promising roles of enterprise CBISs include aggregating and matching customers and venders and providing inter-business organizational market information [31]. It performs similar business transactions to conventional marketplaces, such as matching buyers and venders, facilitating transactions, providing institutional infrastructure and offering capability, but with increased effectiveness and reduced transaction expenditure.

The main function of B2B enterprise CBISs is to enable information about the market and transactions to flow more efficiently. Usually, a buyer has to set up connections and associations with many suppliers, who frequently use different IS and technologies, and vice versa. By utilizing an enterprise CBIS, the customer needs to create only one link with the enterprise CBIS, which provides a link to all the vendors on a system that shares similar standards. The enterprise CBIS offers a virtual space where customers and venders can come together to discover new business opportunities. The objective of the enterprise CBIS is to draw together as many buyers and venders as possible. Buyers bring purchase requirements while venders offer products or services. The enterprise CBIS will then match purchase requirements against selling offers, enabling the participants to undertake new exchanges [27, 32–35] Strengths and limitations of enterprise CBIS.

The development of IT/IS technologies and telecommunication allow the digital economy to flourish, allowing its customers to transact with a minimized cost. The ongoing improvement of IT/IS technologies and telecommunication increases the efficiency of enterprise CBISs. For instance, many recent developments in ICT have focused on improving the security of enterprise CBIS payments, which increase customers' confidence carry out business transactions on enterprise CBISs all over the globe [19, 20].

There is no doubt that the Internet has had an unprecedented impact on the digital business world. This is because of the noticeable advantages for both vendors and customers in comparison with conventional means of engaging in commercial activities. Despite these advantages, there are also disadvantages of conducting digital business on the Internet, such as security breaches to communication or confidentiality [36, 37].

#### **4.1. Strengths of enterprise CBIS**

Through the utilization of enterprise CBISs, SMEs stand a better chance of competing with larger organizations. Simply being connected to the Internet 'highway' provides the exposure that SMEs are otherwise unable to achieve [38]. In addition, unlike a physical organization which employs 'bricks and mortar' employees who need salaries, a work schedule, holidays, etc., an enterprise CBIS can offer their goods 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with lower costs [6, 32, 33]. Consumers are not restricted to particular business house and are thus able to attain information and place orders anytime, anywhere [12, 32].

Another advantage of enterprise CBISs is the facilitation of International transactions. The networked enterprise CBISs are not restricted by borders, nor do they belong to anybody and access and publication material costs are extremely low. Communication between a customer/vendor located at the opposite ends of the world is as simple as one click. Any vendor now can trade goods globally with less effort via the utilization of enterprise CBISs [12, 39].

In addition, the reduction of execution costs is also considered an advantage of enterprise CBISs. With reduced personnel required in enterprise CBISs, the costs of running an enterprise CBIS will also be lowered. This can provide an opportunity for businesses utilizing the enterprise CBIS to better optimize their assets [36, 37]. Furthermore, enterprise CBISs can offer comparison shopping. Customers are able to utilize online search engines and compare prices to select a product at the best price possible.

Another advantage of enterprise CBISs is their ability to provide detailed product information. There are limits to the amount of information that can be displayed in physical stores. Customers may need detailed information about certain products that is difficult to provide. Providing such detailed information has been made easy with enterprise CBISs [40]. Moreover, enterprise CBISs can also create more efficient and targeted advertising to attract consumers. Compared to physical marketplaces, enterprise CBISs are able to keep detailed data on consumers as well as information on their shopping preferences to direct future communication and provide relevant offerings based on the customer's data. Customer information can be obtained by using all available data for example, customer location, the type of browser and operating system, the website they use to access the enterprise CBIS and their online behaviors/activities. This can help enterprise CBIS vendors maintain efficient communication with customers [25–27].

The facilitation of transactions is also considered an important advantage of enterprise CBISs [2, 10, 41]. This involves the process of matching the customers and vendors, for example, a customer with specific interests could easily establish a relationship with a vendor who supplies the desired products. This relationship can be long-term and the customer of the enterprise CBIS will have the opportunity to receive updates on the desired product. For example, a customer interested in a specific mobile make and model can register on the enterprise CBIS of the vendor who supplies that specific model to establish a relationship and initiate a transaction. The customer in this scenario will have the advantage of reviewing the product information prior to purchasing, before finalizing the transaction. On the other hand, the vendor will be able to record the customer's interests, provide the required services and send future updates. Thus, the ability of enterprise CBISs to facilitate transactions in this way could have the potential to build stronger relationships between customers and vendors, thereby resulting in the better utilization of enterprise CBISs [3, 8, 15].

#### **4.2. Limitations of enterprise CBIS**

many suppliers, who frequently use different IS and technologies, and vice versa. By utilizing an enterprise CBIS, the customer needs to create only one link with the enterprise CBIS, which provides a link to all the vendors on a system that shares similar standards. The enterprise CBIS offers a virtual space where customers and venders can come together to discover new business opportunities. The objective of the enterprise CBIS is to draw together as many buyers and venders as possible. Buyers bring purchase requirements while venders offer products or services. The enterprise CBIS will then match purchase requirements against selling offers, enabling the participants to undertake new exchanges [27, 32–35] Strengths and limitations of enterprise CBIS.

The development of IT/IS technologies and telecommunication allow the digital economy to flourish, allowing its customers to transact with a minimized cost. The ongoing improvement of IT/IS technologies and telecommunication increases the efficiency of enterprise CBISs. For instance, many recent developments in ICT have focused on improving the security of enterprise CBIS payments, which increase customers' confidence carry out business transactions

There is no doubt that the Internet has had an unprecedented impact on the digital business world. This is because of the noticeable advantages for both vendors and customers in comparison with conventional means of engaging in commercial activities. Despite these advantages, there are also disadvantages of conducting digital business on the Internet, such

Through the utilization of enterprise CBISs, SMEs stand a better chance of competing with larger organizations. Simply being connected to the Internet 'highway' provides the exposure that SMEs are otherwise unable to achieve [38]. In addition, unlike a physical organization which employs 'bricks and mortar' employees who need salaries, a work schedule, holidays, etc., an enterprise CBIS can offer their goods 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with lower costs [6, 32, 33]. Consumers are not restricted to particular business house and are thus able to attain

Another advantage of enterprise CBISs is the facilitation of International transactions. The networked enterprise CBISs are not restricted by borders, nor do they belong to anybody and access and publication material costs are extremely low. Communication between a customer/vendor located at the opposite ends of the world is as simple as one click. Any vendor now can trade goods globally with less effort via the utilization of enterprise CBISs [12, 39].

In addition, the reduction of execution costs is also considered an advantage of enterprise CBISs. With reduced personnel required in enterprise CBISs, the costs of running an enterprise CBIS will also be lowered. This can provide an opportunity for businesses utilizing the enterprise CBIS to better optimize their assets [36, 37]. Furthermore, enterprise CBISs can offer comparison shopping. Customers are able to utilize online search engines and compare prices

Another advantage of enterprise CBISs is their ability to provide detailed product information. There are limits to the amount of information that can be displayed in physical stores.

on enterprise CBISs all over the globe [19, 20].

**4.1. Strengths of enterprise CBIS**

82 Management of Information Systems

as security breaches to communication or confidentiality [36, 37].

information and place orders anytime, anywhere [12, 32].

to select a product at the best price possible.

Fraud is a rising concern when utilizing enterprise CBISs. It is widely accepted that the use of the Internet and enterprise CBIS systems has created new fraudulent possibilities [16, 17]. This is due to a lack of a direct contact, and in some cases, a customer may deliberately provide an incorrect identity and details to the vendor. Identity theft incidents in 2006, as a result of providing false information on the Internet, cost an estimated \$50 billion US dollars to businesses in the USA. It was also found that with the increased number of online users, it has become difficult to report every incident in a timely manner.

The utilization of enterprise CBISs' also raises issues related to security, especially the security of the user's data. Unlike physical markets, enterprise CBISs are required to keep customer data safe from being exposed. Similar concerns are raised in relation to connecting to a community network where other users can possibly access private data. It is difficult for new companies which are utilizing enterprise CBISs to handle such threats unless they are supported by experienced employees or partners in this field. In addition, the costs involved in employing skilled IT staff and purchasing the hardware/software required to maintain a safer enterprise CBIS may be prohibitive for some vendors [2, 10, 12]. According to Al-Otaibi and Al-Zahrani [42], 70% of consumers in the Kingdom of SA are of the view that security is their major concern when it comes to buying or selling online [42]. This is especially so given the fact that to buy from the enterprise CBIS, personal details such as name and account details are needed. Of major concern is the disclosing of credit card details. Another study found that the majority of online customers believed that current advancements in security features, including encryption and other techniques, are not sufficient to lower their security concerns [3, 9]. Furthermore, potential enterprise CBIS customers might be worried that vendors can gather sensitive information without their knowledge that could be used in the future to cause discomfort and frustration.

Uncertainty regarding the reliability of enterprise CBISs was also found to be a disadvantage for customers. With a lack of human contact (such as feeling and touching the products being offered), reliability in this sense means the dependability of enterprise CBISs, where customers believe that information about the product being offered is accurate and precise. Gommans et al. [43] added that such uncertainties could prevent prospective enterprise CBIS customers from engaging in and transacting with the enterprise CBIS. Therefore, it is important to consider such concerns in order to gain customers' confidence and meet their expectations.
