As the relationship between suppliers and customers becomes more integrated, e-business solutions have become a critical success factor for most businesses. What was once the domain of the supply chain, web-based procurement has permeated every level of the organization, and the benefits associated with e-business are just as relevant in facilities or I.T. as they are in manufacturing.
E-business is much more than e-commerce. Clearly, the ability to transact electronically is a fundamental component of it, but e-business extends beyond the transaction, integrating entire processes both between and within supplier and customer.
The drive to e-business in every corner of the enterprise comes from the need to wring efficiency and ROI out of each process, and to empower staff closest to the transaction to make business decisions that align with company standards, timelines, and budgets.
From a service provider point-of-view, e-business not only streamlines the ordering and fulfillment process for their own operations, but also provides the service provider with a means to deliver value added services, which elevates its products out of the commodity realm and enhances the ongoing relationship between seller and buyer.
Over time, the extent of that relationship becomes the basis for a barrier to entry for the service provider’s competitors, as workflow between the supplier and customer becomes increasingly and inextricably linked. In this way, e-business forms the basis for a key strategy for many service providers to compete against larger, more price-focused competitors.
KiSP’s product Ensync™ has been the engine behind Steelcase Inc.’s e-business solution since 1999, and enables its dealers to not only sell and ship furniture products, but also to add and deliver key relationship-building services that allows its customers to access information, visualize solutions, and manage assets.
SnapTracker™ and gariston™, with available e-business options, also enable dealers and service providers to extend their basic services as well as to deliver higher margins throughout their operations.
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