Abstract: Provided herein is a secure Internet electronic commerce solution for buyers/manufacturers (hereafter “manufacturers”) and their respective vendors/suppliers (hereafter “suppliers”). The embodiments of the present invention provide an inter-enterprise business application or supplier relationship management system (“SRMS”) including tools that allow trading partners to collaboratively manage and optimize the execution of the supply chain management process. Further, the embodiments of the present invention provide benefits to both the manufacturer and the manufacturer's suppliers. The manufacturer benefits from greater supply chain efficiency arising from more comprehensive, accurate, and timely information, and from the cost savings afforded by having more suppliers connected electronically.