Domain specific standardization for collaborative business applications

The increasing deployment of Web-based information technologies to build inter-organisational information systems has pinpointed to multiple problems that might arise during design, implementation and operation of those systems. This paper argues that there is further need for standardisation in the area of technology, middleware and application, with respect to the dependency on the respective business domain the system has been designed for. As illustration, this paper introduces the business domain of strategic supply chain development, that enhances cross-enterprise collaboration by extending the frame of reference in strategic sourcing from a supplier-centric to a supply-chain-scope including the dynamic modelling of supply chains. Based on this business domain, process, technology and modelling standards are discussed and the process for the design, including identification and modelling, of a domain specific business component application is derived.