Electronic reverse auctions: emerging from the shadows?

Abstract

This chapter examines the role of business-to-business electronic reverse auctions (eRAs), one tool in the armoury of e-purchasing used by businesses including retailers. It tracks the development of this particular technology through the hype cycle and presents some propositions to maximise the use of eRAs as an effective e-purchasing tool. It also explains the damaging effect of the early negative perceptions and underlines the difficulty in overcoming them.