Factors determining the failure of global systems in the air cargo community

Air cargo parties are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of information technology and, more and more, they are understanding the value information technology could provide for the total value chain performance. However, whereas in other sectors information technology has scored big successes, there are no real signs of successful global community systems in the air cargo community. This paper describes the failure of global systems in the air cargo community. It draws on extensive fieldwork in the air cargo community in Europe, in addition to reviews of relevant trade and academic literature. The paper provides interesting data on the IT-related dynamics in this business network. The objective of this research study is to describe the situation in the air cargo community in such a manner that from this the underlying causes for information technology systems `failures´ can be extracted. By providing an insight into the existing information systems and the evolving dynamics in the air cargo community, the paper presents a set of determinants for the failure of IT initiatives in the global air cargo industry