Improved methodological tools for evaluation of interfirm interaction efficiency in the context of digitalization

The development of efficient interfirm interactions for the sustainable development of particular business entities and their strategic structures calls for special tools and management methods in the context of economy’s digitalization driven by a wider openness of economic systems and more extensive network development. This determines the demand for a methodology designed to evaluate the interfirm interactions to improve their efficiency under the digital transformation of the social and economic system. The purpose of the study is to develop methodological tools to measure the efficiency of the interfirm interactions, and these tools can be derived from identifying and analyzing the factors contributing into the result-focused exploitation of the information communication technologies. The authors hypothesize that a model of efficient interfirm interactions is defined by its three components: interaction strategy; availability of the resources for interfirm interactions (information communication technologies); resource management. The article analyzes evaluation approaches to interfirm interactions to identify a number of shared features and to systematize efficiency factors. The heads of the industrial enterprises were surveyed, and the motivation factors for the business entities to develop their interfirm interactions were defined: 1) lower risks of contracting liabilities; 2) better coordination of entities’ activities. A multi-factor model of digitalization factors which affect the efficiency of interfirm interactions is developed. This model complements theoretical methods which describe the impact of digital technologies on the relationships between firms and will contribute into their sustainable economic development. A matrix of firms’ strategy types has been derived from their exploitation of information communication technologies. It describes the strategies of involvement, awareness, monitoring, and integration. The authors came to conclusion that the development of the information communication resources is turned out to be fundamental for the integration and the key factor to shape and to develop the efficient interfirm interactions in modern economy. A further research is seen to be in developing a tool and algorithm based approach to examine the behavioral strategies for the business entities so that to define their status in the interfirm interactions and to develop measures aimed to increase the efficiency of interfirm interactions with regard to forecasted digitalization.