Abstract
Globalization and the rapid market changes increased the perception in the Portuguese footwear industry that success in the value chain is closely tied to information sharing, the creation and development of collaborative networks, and the management of the knowledge of the various partners. Business to Business (B2B) and e- Commerce (eC) are a key opportunity, and at the same time, a challenge for contemporary companies. We believe that the insights provided in this paper allow theory and practice to better understand the reasons for the success of the Portuguese footwear industry and of its key cluster of Felgueiras. Based on the research conducted, we argue that there is a lack of B2B-eC initiatives in the footwear industry and the existing ones are still incipient. Furthermore, the existence of only one platform that to some extent addresses B2B-eC, also indicates that there is a need for greater research and development of approaches/technology allowing companies to explore opportunities to collaborate and negotiate among themselves.

Abstract
The Portuguese footwear industry is aware that success in the value chain is directly tied to information sharing and the development of collaborative networks, which are consequences of the constant rapid market changes. In this paper a state-of-the-art of the Portuguese footwear sector is presented, giving special focus to the cluster of Felgueiras and the good practices that are applied to it. Next, B2B and eCommerce domains will be discussed, as well as the good practices and information systems that support them. Afterwards, a list of functional and non-functional requirements, which have been validated and prioritized using a case studies approach, will be presented. Finally, it will be presented a non-functional prototype for an eC-B2B platform for the footwear sector.

Abstract
Many organizations depend on the success of rapidly deployed, limited time frame and multipartner projects as an important element of their business strategies. Information management is regarded as a critical and upmost important issue, especially in projects. Complex projects require additional team collaboration and a consistent information management strategy to support the development of the project. This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study on information management barriers in complex projects, particularly focusing issues and difficulties recognized by project participants and managers. Our study intends to fill the gap in empirical research regarding this subject and to provide new insights for project managers of complex projects to devise more effective information management strategies and tools to set up and run information technology platforms. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract
Numerous projects are considered complex because of the number of stakeholders, the diversity of skills, and the uncertainty involved, requiring accurate information retrieval and management of the social interactions between different participants leading to efficient knowledge sharing. This paper reports the findings of an empirical study on knowledge sharing barriers and research and development (R&D) activities that occur in the context of complex project management. The study presents issues, difficulties, and practices acknowledged by project managers related to knowledge sharing and R&D (focused on activities that involve cooperation and collaboration). Particularly, we point out the following major knowledge sharing barriers: codification process, inadequate information technology, lack of initiative and strategy by the workers, and lack of time and resources. We also explained the following practices and issues regarding the collaborative R&D activities: information exchange and retrieval, communication barriers, interdependence of knowledge and skills, and different technical terminologies. We intend to contribute to the understanding of the work carried out in the context of complex projects to improve the management practices and the information technology platforms to support them. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd..