Partnering with Oracle and Commerce One Inc., respectively, Ford and GM will open Internet commerce sites in the first quarter that let the automakers and their suppliers buy and sell parts and coordinate production online.
Businesses are about to find out.
The role of major companies acting as intermediaries of public online exchanges is relatively new. Ford will own a majority share in its marketplace, AutoXchange, as will GM in GM TradeXchange. Both companies have enormous clout, lending credibility to their efforts. That will take days and dollars out of the supply chain. The implication is if you're not prepared to do that, Ford will find someone else.