An analysis of northern hardwood lumber buyers' use of electronic commerce

This article examines eCommerce use by U.S. purchasers of northern hardwood lumber in the northern region of the United States. The primary data analyzed in this study come from a mail survey administered in November 1999 to 460 firms. This research examines the use of Internet-based activities and the importance of these activities to responding firms. These data indicate that eCommerce activity among buyers of hardwood lumber can be thought to represent three underlying dimensions: communication, sourcing, and order handling. Although respondents are relatively ambivalent toward the role of e-commerce in their operations, differences in usage patterns exist between buyer segments.