v Foreword In the past companies focused on the one hand on rationalizing their supplier base to reduce transaction costs. On the other hand firms tried to take advantage of the research and development potential of their suppliers. Due to these developments buyers put emphasize on the establishment and maintenance of long-term supplier relationships. The primary focus was not the success optimization of single procurement processes, but rather the long-term perspective of supplier relationships has moved into the center of attention. Furthermore, global procurement and joint product development became commonly applied approaches. Nowadays most firms have been captured by the developments of the E-century. The establishment of electronic networks between business partners promises competitive advantages. Referring to success stories such as General Motors the application of new information technologies (e.g. E-procurement) seems to be necessary. However, past empirical studies do not confirm a relation between corporate success and the application of new information technologies. These studies do not analyze the decision process for using these new tools. They cannot reveal, if and why the IT application in supplier relationships is necessary and which benefits can be realized. Furthermore, it is questionable, which value the classical approach of supplier relationship management has.
