Collaborative Networked Organizations for Eco-Consistent Supply Chains

Abstract

The present study aims at exploring how to turn information and communication technology (ICT) networked tools to supply cooperative added-value duties and ecocompatibility certifying activities, as competitiveness is the permanent goal, but ecosystem preservation is a nonremovable asset. The chapter is organized into four sections. The first introduces the basic sustainability paradigm shifts, to switch from the affluent to the thrifty communities, showing that the knowledge society critically affects this transition. The following section deals with the information framework requested to characterize the extended artefact (or product-service) on the life-cycle span, dismissal included. The subsequent section considers the collaborative networked organizations needed to support the ecoconsistency management of the extended artifacts by means of net concerns, under the direct oversight of independent certification bodies. The last section outlines trends in the economical, legal, political, and social surroundings, aiming at the appropriateness of Web platform options.