Complexity and Divergence in Electronic Commerce

Complexity and Divergence

Supply chain management in today’s business environment is changing as technological advancements continue to shape how business is carried out. Day (2011) states that the supply chain is shifting from commoditized anonymity to an important part of what constitutes branded products or services. One of the advancements that have characterized the change in supply chain management is the emergence and rapid growth of electronic commerce and sustainability. Jacobs & Chase (2020) define electronic commerce as the use of the Internet as an important part of business activity. Electronic commerce provides a convenient means for customers to shop for their products and for businesses to reach a wider target audience. Businesses have been forced to develop electronic commerce systems for online sales in effort to enhance their customer base and increase profitability.

An example of a company that has established an electronic commerce system is Custom Ink, which is an American-based online retail firm that produces custom clothing like sweatshirts and T-shirts (Custom Ink, 2021). Since its inception in 1999, the company has experienced tremendous growth and profitability. The concepts of complexity and divergence as evident or applicable in the operations of Custom Ink. According to Jacobs & Chase (2020), complexity refers to the number of steps and actions it takes to offer a service while divergence is the various ways a service provider/customer can interact with these steps.