Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Spotting E-Business
Trends

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What is a Trend?
What is a Trend?
A trend is a compass for navigating a sea of
chaos
Points the way to a new
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Themes, like “aging demographics” or “decreasing
attention spans”
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Cost curves - like Moore’s Law - decreasing
hardware and computing costs
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Innovation - mobile devices
Trends are essential filters for managers so that
they can separate signal from noise
“Look Before, or you’ll find yourself behind.”
- Benjamin Franklin

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Self service
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More Product Choices
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Integrated solutions, not piecemeal products
E-service - service and process trends
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Convergence of sales and service
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Seamless Support
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Flexible fulfillment convenient delivery
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Increased Process Visibility
“The rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.”
- Warren Buffet (CEO Berkshire Hathaway)

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E-Business Trends (cont.)
E-Business Trends (cont.)
Organizational trends
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Outsourcing -- retain the core, outsource the rest
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Contract manufacturing

Web Services
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E-learning tools and methods
E-Business Trends (cont.)
E-Business Trends (cont.)

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Consumer Trends: Faster Service
Consumer Trends: Faster Service
People want to maximize their limited available
time
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Value for the time
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Getting things done right everytime
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Right levels of service
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Entertaining and engaging experiences
Often, the answer is to integrate previously
separate processes in fulfilling orders

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Integrated Solutions, Not Piecemeal
Products
Products
One-stop life-needs providers
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Wal-Mart
One-stop lifestyle providers
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The Gap
One-stop life-path providers
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Toys-R-Us
Long term drivers and demand for
integrated solutions are clear

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Integrated Solutions, Not Piecemeal Products
Integrated Solutions, Not Piecemeal Products
Past -- Product-based
competition
Product
functionality
Price
Service
•
Comprehensive range of