Integration of an online platform for Austrian steel distributors: A study on greater customer loyalty and/or increased acquisition

The Austrian steel market finds itself in a precarious competitive situation, exacerbated by pressure from East Asian competitors. In order to strengthen its international position, this book presents the establishment of an e-commerce platform that not only establishes a cross-border customer base, but also deepens and individualises customer relationships. For a traditionally managed company, the switch to digital channels poses a challenge for logistics and internal communication and requires a long-term investment which, as the study found, represents a significant disruption to ongoing operations for company management. The lack of awareness of the practical advantages is problematic in this regard. Qualitative interviews revealed that the management of SMEs in Austria continues to take a rather observant stance and that the transformation towards Industry 4.0 is being implemented only hesitantly or with reservations.