Interorganizational information systems in support of manufacturing networking

Networking among small manufacturing firms is a growing phenomenon. New initiatives will be enabled as small manufacturers begin to build IS infrastructures, driven by decreasing costs, increased customer pressure for EDI capabilities, growing interest in and easier access to external databases, and competitive requirements for rapid response. While information systems are expected to become a major factor in supporting manufacturing networking, they will not be sufficient to establish and manage these networks. A new type of intermediary - the "trust" intermediary will assure reliance on and maintain confidence in this type of relationship. IS support will help these networks quickly respond to opportunities in a highly competitive global environment. Using some exploratory case studies, this paper illustrates several models to develop trust and IS support for different forms of collaboration among small manufacturing firms.