In the Paleolithic era of the Internet (back in 1995), Scott Reeves and Mike Kennedy decided they wanted to sell computer parts on the Web. For 18 months they attempted to forge an efficient and sensible way to sell stuff on-line.
Acer Inc., the world’s third largest manufacturer of personal computers, knew it had to make some major infrastructure changes to compete in today’s connected world. It was operating six distinct networks that couldn’t share information. What it needed was a single Web-based, real time, e-commerce network.
Initially, the e-commerce world was peopleless; there was a manufacturer and a consumer and almost no one in-between. Ironically, it is becoming clear that what is going to separate successful companies from unsuccessful ones in the evolving e-commerce world will be people. Outsourcing makes this possible.
When Claude Hartridge makes a BPO presentation to the CEOs of some of Europe’s biggest multinationals, the cost benefits are the factor that typically turns their heads. When Hartridge, BPO Business Development Leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers in London, projects an outsourcing contract can shave anywhere from 25 percent and more of their back office costs, they pay attention.
From the Editor: Outsourcing drove down costs for Hallmark, which was the original intention. At the same time, outsourcing allowed Hallmark to sustain its high quality of customer service and satisfaction. Moreover, it’s interesting to see how this relationship grew and prospered over the years. Building on these strengths, the buyer continues to add more and different services to the contract…
Tony Macina, general manager for global service delivery for IBM Global Services, says that one of the most significant developments in the world of outsourcing for 2000 is that the motivation for outsourcing is changing…
Richard Raysman, an attorney with the New York firm of Brown Raysman Millstein Felder and Steiner LLP, believes the most significant thing that will happen in 2000 regarding outsourcing is that the activity will pick up considerably. I think the Y2k issue has slowed down a lot of decisions for the last half of 1999, including outsourcing, he comments. He predicts an increase in outsourcing after February and March, once people are comfortable that their Y2k situations have been resolved…
In the twilight of 1999, it is undeniably clear that outsourcing is positioned for huge growth in the new millennium. Along with that growth will be some growing pains and dislocated joints but, in the end, their effect will be one of amplifying the inherent value of outsourcing…
More people are turning to technological outsourcing at an incredibly rapid rate, says Rick Roscitt, president and CEO of ATT Solutions. He notes companies turning to outsourcing for solutions to their financial, skilled workers, and global reach problems.
A Scottish surgeon had a vision of being able to improve the health of people in Hong Kong by supplying them with cows’ milk kept free from contamination. To that end, in 1886, he and five Hong Kong businessmen incorporated Dairy Farm and imported a herd of dairy cattle in order to lower the price of milk, thereby increasing profits for company shareholders..
This survey was conducted with senior e-commerce executives (e.g., CTO, VP of E-commerce, VP of Marketing) at randomly-selected Fortune 500 companies.
Both customers and vendors will be taking a close look at their outsourcing activities in 1999, according to Michael Palma, research analyst for Dataquest…
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