Supply chain interoperability for enhancing e-business adoption by SMEs: a case study from the European clothing sector

The fragmented nature and the large number of SMEs of the clothing and textile industry increases the importance of innovative e-collaboration which combined with other new manufacturing and supply chain paradigms can potentially provide some of the answers to strengthen or re-gain global competitiveness, especially in the turmoil of the current economic crisis. Our study presents the works of a pilot project, funded by EU, which applied a simplified approach and deployed an SME friendly e-business solution based on the eBIZ profile of Universal Business language (UBL) and further enhanced by ebXML messaging and GLN and GTIN, GS1 identification standards. The ultimate objective of our approach is to provide SMEs with the necessary justification for withdrawing their current reservations for investing in interoperable technological solutions, thus enhancing their competitiveness, visibility and extroversion, all of them qualities necessary to survive in the new European single market.

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