René W. Wagenaar

A survey of Web-based business models for e-government in the Netherlands

Abstract Governments worldwide are increasingly using Web-based business models to enhance their service delivery. Yet the concept of the business model is unexplored within the context of e-government. Drawing upon the literature on e-commerce, we develop a taxonomy for analyzing Web-based business models for e-government. Based on a systematic survey of 59 e-government Web sites in the Netherlands, our findings indicate that most of the Web sites use the content provider or direct-to-customer business models, while only a few are using novel business models. Overall, the concept of business model is appealing and useful in the public sector. Specifically it compliments research on Web site quality by analyzing and describing Web sites using atomic e-government business models and suggesting improvements by using combinations of business models.

Web Service Orchestration in Public Administration: Challenges, Roles, and Growth Stages

Abstract Public managers are looking for ways to fully exploit the advantages of Web services and Web services orchestration technology for improving service delivery. This article analyzes the quest toward the creation of citizen-centric, cross-agency processes using Web service orchestration technology. Based on pilot projects in the Netherlands, the authors find that the use of Web service orchestration technology requires the introduction of new process orchestration roles and an evolution from hierarchical to agreement-driven relationships. Eight process orchestration roles and a stage model developed by the authors are presented.

Electronic data interchange in international trade: frameworks for the strategic analysis of ocean port communities

Abstract As informational aspects of international trade become more important, the strategic positions of ocean port communities become increasingly dependent on the quality and availability of telecommunication and processing infrastructures. This paper develops two frameworks to assess the level and nature of electronic trade integration within the context of a port community enterprise model. Port communities throughout the world are applying electronic data interchange (EDI) to trade functions because it enables open communications among many partners, provides acceptably quick communications for relatively low cost, and offers the prospect of significant savings in time and cost through reduced data capture volume and error-rates. EDI enables not only internal efficiencies but also the creation of new trade services. The first framework specifies the information systems and technology needed to enable EDI in international trade. The framework comprises two levels of infrastructure: communications and documentary; both supporting a third superstructure of business processes. Port communities are evolving from providing not only goods-handling facilities but offering advanced data-handling and processing systems as well. As competition between ports increases, information systems become key elements in their strategic positions. A second framework provides the structure for understanding physical and informational strategies of ports and port communities, and to examine their importance. Port communities may follow several models of infrastructure integration in moving towards their strategic objectives. However, realizing this potential requires research to determine the specific configurations that will fit into each trade environment. The contributions of this research to governments and corporations are primarily to provide models of successful application of EDI to international trade, and insight into technology transfer and diffusion, corporate competitiveness and policy formulation.

A comprehensive approach to assess the value of EDI

We describe a comprehensive approach that helps to assess the value of various courses of action that can be taken in implementing Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). The approach consists of two components. The first relies on Activity-Based Costing and quantifies the costs and benefits that are to be expected in the information processes when EDI is being used. The second uses discrete-event computer simulation to quantify the costs and benefits to be expected in the physical logistic processes. The combination of the two results in an overall costs/benefits analysis for a diverse set of EDI scenarios.

An analysis of a shared services centre in e-government

Information systems engineering projects in e-government are confronted with high costs, lack of expertise and developing similar functionality over and over. A shared services centre might provide common services to local government organizations without affecting the autonomy of organizations and providing the flexibility to enhance and include additional functionality. As such a SSC promises tremendous economies of scale and scope. A promise is however not sufficient, research yields ambiguous results. A sound analysis of motives to use a shared services center and management issues determining success and failure is necessary. The goal of the research presented in this paper is to explore the concept of a shared services center by investigating the motives and management issues determining its successful implementation. We explore the concept by investigating a SSC at the Dutch judicial organization.

Towards a flexible ICT-architecture for multi-channel e-government service provisioning

The planning and subsequent nationwide implementation of e-government service provisioning faces a number of challenges at the level of municipalities in the Netherlands. Initiatives are confronted with a highly fragmented ICT-architecture that has been vertically organized around departments and with hardly any common horizontal functionality. This situation is even further enforced by a defacto duopoly on the software market of information systems used by municipalities. The provision of services over Web-based channels leads to a need for a more flexible, open ICT-architecture based on standardized elements. The goal of the research presented in this paper is to determine the feasibility of a component-based approach to meet the aforementioned challenge for a more flexible, open ICT architecture. The research consisted of two parts (1) the identification of opportunities for generic components in the ICT-architecture of municipalities and (2) supporting the evaluation of these opportunities using simulation.

Scenario building for E-Government in 2020: Consolidating the results from regional workshops

E-government research is currently at a stage of consolidation and new orientation. Smaller steps of government modernization have in part been successfully implemented; larger ones still lie ahead of us. Within an EC funded project, a roadmap for e-government is being defined. Thereby, scenario building about the future is being used to grasp pictures of the future. From these future scenarios, research actions shall be derived. In this paper we present the results of the scenario building workshops in four regions for e-government in the year 2020. In total 15 scenarios were developed shaping aspects of different dimensions of alternative futures. A wide range of topics were addressed, varying from interoperability, division of power, corruption, cyber war to changing democratic systems, religious activities, participations and the role of individualisms in society. Next steps are to assess the scenario results in respect to the current EC agenda and to derive from there actions of research in order to ensure that desired futures will come true and that unwanted futures are being avoided

Modelling inter-organizational trade using Documentary Petri Nets

Organizations engaging in electronic commerce typically are faced with defining detailed bilateral agreements between business partners. This implies that set-up costs for new electronic linkages can be quite high. There is a growing need to model and simulate this form of interorganizational interaction to lower these costs. The research presented contributes to this problem in two ways by: stipulating requirements on representation languages to be used for modelling trade procedures; and presenting a common graph-based representation language, Documentary Petri Nets, which satisfies these requirements. The practical implementation of Documentary Petri Net models is illustrated using a modelling environment, Case/Open-edi, a tool that may be used for the design and analysis of trade procedures. A simplified documentary credit procedure is used to give an example of such a Documentary Petri Net model. Finally, conclusions and directions for research are given.<<ETX>>

A method to assess expected net benefits of EDI investments

In this paper we analyze how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the Port of Rotterdam can be supported in the assessment of electronic data interchange (EDI) investments in terms of expected net benefits. In contrast to many other industry sectors, where a dominant hub actor is able to enforce wide-scale adoption of EDI by spoke SMEs, port communities need more ex-ante insights into the benefits that may accrue from EDI before they decide to allocate part of their scarce monetary resources to investments in this technology. There is a need for a cheap method of quantifying bottom-line savings from EDI in a traceable way.A literature survey shows that none of the existing IT evaluation methods satisfies these criteria. Therefore, we developed a new tool, called Edialysis, which aids in the decision-making process in terms of whether investments in EDI may yield a positive net present value, given a context-specific set of interorganizational communication scenarios.This paper discusses the methods scope, design, and underlying plan. In addition, a case study conducted at a forwarder operating in the Port of Rotterdam illustrates the results one may obtain from the Edialysis application.

Towards users driven privacy control

For widely available and acceptable dynamic Web and mobile applications, users privacy concerns should be well considered and effectively maintained. Users should be able to control their private information collection by most Web applications and third parties. A functional architecture is proposed that allows users to automatically control coming requests for their private information either based on fuzzy reasoning or by predefined users privacy preferences. In addition, users are given manual control capabilities in cases of uncertain automatic behavior. The proposed approach has been implemented in the MIES platform in the university campus. Results obtained are promising.