Allowing for risk in contemplating co-operation

Business solutions are best arranged by splitting up e-business and e-commerce solutions into as many different modules as possible. This will allow risks to be spread and at the same time facilitate the maximum of information and knowledge being brought to bear on the solution.

These modules can be treated as objects that include the designer, so, instead of having to deal with the technology involved in the module, it is only necessary to deal with the module's interface: a human person. Thus, to arrange for the modular components to be incorporated into a total solution, a solution builder will have to set up many different arrangements of co-operation with a number of different people.

The solution builder is now in the same position as the professional investor. The solution builder will be effectively buying a number of incomes. These incomes are in the form of a promise to commit time to provide a module that will respond appropriately to messages that are sent to it from other parts of the solution. The solution builder will have to give a value to each module designer's promise to build the module they are responsible for. The designer, on his or her part, has to specify a price for their expertise in the same way that an offshore company might ask a price for an annuity it is offering.

The difficulty is immediately apparent. What are the risk factors involved that will be used to discount the value of the expert's offer to build the module? The solution builder cannot hope to make a perfect choice of expert for every module, so, there will have to be a discount built into the price to arrange for either duplication, or, for unsatisfactory modules being replaced. The expert on the other hand has to allow for the risk that his or her work will be paid for at the end of the day.