Internet Enabled Collaborative Store Ordering: Veropoulos Spar Retailer (A)

In 2001 Veropoulos Spar, a 770 million Euro retailer in Greece and the Balkan region, intiated the implementation of a new Internet enabled collaborative ordering IT system with 3 suppliers: P&G, Unilever, and Elgeka. Two years later the project failed and had to stop. The CEO is now evaluating a new proposal for re-starting the initiative.

The case allows a discussion of the challenges of implementing large Internet enabled business-to-business IT systems and inter-organizational technology issues. It also lends itself to discussions on the organizational changes brought by IT. The case can also be used to discuss collaborative supply chain issues. It can therefore be used either in IT implementation sessions, or in sessions about business-to-business Internet enabled initiatives, or for supply chain sessions on topics such as collaborative replenishment.