ABSTRACT Multiagent-Based Partner Selection of Dynamic Alliances in Inter-Organizational Co.pdf

Multiagent-Based Partner Selection of Dynamic Alliances in Inter-Organizational Collaborative E-Commerce* Jie Wang 1 2 Xingguo Shi 2 Weijun Zhong 2 1 Laboratory of System Engineering Department of Intelligent Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China Email: aiky903@126.com and 2 School of Economics and Management, Southeast University Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China Email: shixg@ ABSTRACT Collaborative e-commerce have been considered as an effective waterway for underpinning advanced inter-organizational relationships. Dynamic alliance is one of novel organization structures that bring together individual entities located in an open and distributed environment temporarily for a specific goal, and combine their core competencies to improve the agility and flexibility of alliances in the global market. Agent technology provides a suitable enabler for achieving aims of dynamic alliances. Partner selection is a critical step in the success of a dynamic alliance. In this paper, a multiagent-based model to support the formation of dynamic alliances is proposed. The required attributes of the agents in the proposed model are explained. To address how to form a dynamic alliance rapidly and efficiently, the key issues in the process of partner selections are presented and discussed. Keywords: Partner Selection, Dynamic Alliance, Intelligent Agent, Inter-Organization Collaboration, Electronic Commerce 1. INTRODUCTION E-commerce encompasses business processes directly and indirectly related to the buying, selling and trading of products, services and information via Internet. In comparison with traditional commercial activities, the e-commerce transactions are carried out more rapidly and less costly in CSCW environment. Today inter-organizational collaboration and communication has become the kernel for B2B e-commerce, where business activities and processes are not limited wi