Web-based e-catalog systems in B2B procurement

E lectronic commerce (EC) has many possible definitions [1, 4, 6]; we define it as the use of electronic systems in the exchange of goods/services/information. There are two major divisions of EC on the Internet: consumer-oriented electronic commerce (CEC) and business-to-business oriented electronic commerce (BEC). Of the two, BEC is expected to grow more rapidly—from $114 billion in 1999 to $1.5 trillion in 2004 [5]. Electronic catalogs have become the entry point for both CEC and BEC and as such represent much of what is expected of EC. The benefits of e-catalogs for both