The 4W framework for B2B e-contracting

Contracts are fundamental to the engagement of companies in commercial relations. B2B electronic contracting aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the contracting process and to provide new opportunities for the contracting parties. Virtual enterprises, for example, can be dynamically formed on the basis of e-contracts. For the implementation of e-contracting in practice, an integral understanding of the contracting field must be established. In this paper, we propose a conceptual framework for business-to-business e-contracting support. The framework provides a complete view of the e-contracting concepts and is the basis for specifying the requirements of the contracting systems. We use it to position research efforts in the e-contracting domain and to analyse them. Based on the framework, we discuss future research issues regarding e-contracting.