Business and Economic Models for Supply Chain Data Repository Services

Abstract

This paper, prepared as part of a larger study into long term data repositories (entitled RASSC - Repository Access Services Through the Supply Chain), analyses the business models and business cases appropriate to supply chain data repositories. It adapts the concept of a value chain to cover the initial, formal, eventual and informal relationships likely to develop on the RASSC platform, and to identify the way value arises and is captured. This, in turn, allows stakeholders to design and implement suitable business models that can enhance the value of existing supply relationships. By classifying business models and placing them in supply chain and broader economic contexts, it also supports eventual business case development and policy/regulatory analysis of what may be an emerging business area that complements supply chains across a range of sectors. Because the specific components are complex and rely for their accurate and persuasive implementation on specialised and context-dependent information, the deliverable seeks to provide a general framework illustrated with examples rather than a specific instance.