Finding the Fit: Applications of B2B e-Business in Three UK Insurance Companies

In information-based industries like insurance, the greater connectivity offered by the Internet offers significant opportunities for cost reduction, increased speed of response and improved supply chain cooperation. Capitalizing on these opportunities may depend upon the way that e-commerce business processes are integrated with existing business processes. This paper reports findings from case studies of three major UK-based insurance companies incorporating e-commerce within their business-to-business operations. It looks at four questions: (1) what are the key features of the business model adopted for clicks-and-mortar e-commerce; (2) to what extent are 'clicks' and 'bricks' business processes and information systems integrated; (3) how are companies managing the way that 'clicks' processes are integrated with 'bricks' processes; and (4) what are the key issues arising from the integration process? All three companies have had to contend with a conservative industry culture and a lack of industry sta...