外文翻譯-電子商務(wù)戰(zhàn)略挑戰(zhàn)

1、精選資料The Strategic Challenges of Electronic CommerceIntroduction11th Century Europe saw the emergence of credit-based banking systems and financial instruments such as bills of exchange. These concepts remain with us, in their modified form, to this day (Chown, 1994). They underpin all modern forms o

2、f commerce. The arrival of information technology (computers and telecommunications) has raised the prospect of radical change to this traditional model.The rise of the Internet (electronic commerce), since the advent of the World Wide Web, has provided an easy to use communication channel for busin

3、esses to contact current and potential customers. The emergence of the Internet as a general communication channel has also given rise to the possibility of widespread electronic commerce. Even though there is still much debate relating to electronic payment for commercial activities, this is clearl

4、y an area of growth.It is difficult to say how large the Internet is. Hoffman & Novak (1996) quote a number of surveys (OReilly, FIND/SVP, Times Mirror and CommerceNet) which suggest that there are at least 10 million Internet users in the United States alone. The number of computers (hosts) connect

5、ed to the Internet topped 9.47 million (Network Wizards, 1996) as of January 1996. Note that a single host supports anywhere from a single user to, in some cases, thousands of users.As of March 21, 1996, 24,347 firms were listed in Open Markets (1996) directory of Commercial Services on the Net, and

6、 there were 54,800 entries in the Companies directory of the Yahoo Guide to WWW (Yahoo, 1996), with the total number of Web sites doubling approximately every two months. Jim Clarke, the chairman of Netscape, estimated the Internet has 40 million users in 1995 with growth at 8% per month (Clarke, 19

7、95).The Internet is only one aspect of technology. Businesses require information and supporting systems (processes) to handle the data - over time these systems have become computerised (IT). Modern information technology can both support the processes and help capture useful information for the en

8、terprise. These technologies include:Organizational support systems, such as workflow and groupware - making businesses more efficient.Customer contact databases - helping capture information about customers and facilitate new methods of marketing.Electronic payment systems for goods and services -

9、these are emerging, although the majority of payments are still based on relatively expensive traditional cheque clearance.Collectively and in dividually, these areas will con tribute to major cha nges in the way a compa ny con ducts its bus in ess. Enix have coined the termWorkware to describe the

10、comb in ati on of these tech no logies.BankingPayment SystemsOrganisationElectronic x support CommerceWorKwareMarketingCustom er infmattonFigure 1 - The emerge nee of Electr onic Commerce will be un derp inned by three key comp onentsHowever, there is still widespread misunderstanding on the value o

11、f orga ni sati onal support tech no logy. A rece nt survey of 437 large en terprises by research compa ny Xeph on (1996) in dicated that an ast oni shi ng proporti on (44%) had no immediate inten ti on of in troduci ng moder n in formati on han dli ng systems (Groupware was defi ned by Xeph on as Lo

12、tus Notes, Microsoft Excha nge and Novell GroupWise). Of these, 65% said they were un sure what these tech no logies could deliver. From these statistics, it is clear many orga ni satio ns are still sceptical about the ben efits of tech no logy.The efficie nt collect ion, utilisati on, han dli ng, s

13、torage and dissem in ati on of in formatio n is a vital comp onent of corporate success in the moder n business world. However, the gathering and use of information must take into account issues of privacy and security. A recent feature in theFinancial Times (1996) no ted that in orderrilvetin the 1

14、990s,financial services organisations are as much in the business of managing and manipulating information as managing and making money. Furthermore, the interest shown in topics such as TQM and BPR has demonstrated the importance of processes as a fundamental building block.Inevitably a few savvy o

15、rganizations in each sector will utilise all three components to change their market or develop new markets. Those who do not adapt quickly to the new ways of working are likely to be disadvantaged as their strategies become redundant. All businesses should investigate the implications of these tech

16、nologies for them and the markets within which they operate.MarketingChampy, Buday and Nohria (1996) argue that the rise of electronic commerce and the changing consumer processes brought about through electronic communities are likely to lead to a new wave of reengineering, mergers and acquisitions

17、. Moreover, organizations may expand into new business areas, taking on roles unforeseen prior to the rise of the Web. For example: a magazine publisher, Cond Naste, has moved into the travelbusiness; Bill Gates is now an electronic real estate agent; and a recruitment advertising agency, Bernard Ho

18、des, has now become an electronic recruitment company.The emergence of electronic commerce will significantly impact what we currently call marketing . Clearly, the appearance of electroniccommunities (Armstrong and Hagel, 1996) implies that marketing professionals must expand their horizons as the

19、advent of this technology will threaten existing channels of business. Those involved in marketing need to understand the full range of products and services required by the electronic community. They must learn to take advantage of the technology that allows customers to move seamlessly from inform

20、ation gathering to completion of a transaction, interacting with the various providers of products and services as necessary. A number of interesting questions are implied:What kind of information is available for collection? Is it appropriate to gather this information and for what should it be use

21、d?Are information systems equipped to capture customer information and transactions, making it available for later analysis?When dealing with electronic communities, do marketing professionals comprehend the differences? One needs to engage the customer as part of the transaction rather than blindly

22、 mailing targets.This idea of community has been at the heart of the Internet since its origins as a defence and academic computer network although most communities are still not particularly oriented toward commerce. However, the World Wide Web has changed and broadened the nature of the Internet a

23、nd the way in which commercial transactions are conducted.The CEO of Kodak is alleged to have remarked that he couldn t tell if theKodak Website was a money maker. But he knew it was important because it was the most personal way of selling since door to door salesmen, only now the customers were kn

24、ocking on Kodak s door.Armstrong and Hagel propose four types of non-exclusive electronic communities, those: interested in transactions; sharing common interests;indulging in fantasy games; and with a shared life experience. Thebusiness opportunity is for those who support and interact with theseco

25、mmunities, building customer loyalty on an ongoing basis. By satisfying the requirements of relational marketing and transactions, companies may gain important insights into their customers nature and needs. Forexample, a baby products company could entice customers to order itemsfrom an associated

26、on-line catalogue by providing bulletin boards for new parents.The desire to establish long-term customer relationships with increasingly sophisticated demands has led companies to seek new ways of acquiring, managing and utilising customer information (Peters and Fletcher, 1995).Furthermore, advanc

27、es in information technology have fundamentally altered the channels through which companies and customers maintain their relationships. The capacity to obtain and apply customer information within processes has become a key strategic issue. This often places the company in the position of requiring

28、 sensitive personal information from customers.Gummesson (1987, 1994, 1995) views marketing as a set of relationships, networks and interactions and lists 30Rs (relationships) in contrast to McCarthy s (1981) 4Ps (Product, Price, Place & Promotion). Gummesson highlights the fact that the electronic

29、relationship is not discussed in the marketing literature even though it is practised widely by many businesses. He links relationship marketing to the imaginary (similar to a virtual or network) organisation. He argues that by increasingly applying IT, more relationships are established. They creat

30、e a new type of bond to customers and between employees.The electronic relationship extends beyond the bounds of the organisation into the market as seen in the example of airline, hotel and car rental reservation systems. The communities established have a re-enforcing effect. These insights force

31、us to re-examine traditional theories of economics, systems, organisations, marketing, competition and transaction cost analysis. As the boundaries between firms and markets dissolve, a characteristic of relationship marketing and network organisations, a new image of interaction and business is nee

32、ded.The importance of information exchange in relationship marketing (particularly using an electronic channel) requires a clear understanding and recognition of the potential problems. Privacy is also an issue - what is private changes from one person to another as well as between different culture

33、s. Those who use the Internet are likely to be better educated and less willing to give information, unless they trust the recipient. Companies need to realise that the only reason they hold information on a customer is because they have a relationship with that customer - something which is not tra

34、nsferable. Those using electronic channels to reach customers are likely to target better educated and more affluent customers. They need, therefore, to ensure that their customer information systems are appropriate.An understanding of the trust building process is also required. Firms need to make

35、a feature of their trustworthiness (a unique selling point!). Trust is best developed through processes. Processes tend to be customer facing - within each customer interaction trust is built-up or eroded. Companies must be absolutely clear about the value and intended use of information. Collecting

36、 information because it is technically possible (and one day might be useful) is likely to weaken trust development.Hoffman and Novak (1996) assert that the Web heralds an evolution in marketing concepts. In order for marketing efforts to succeed in this new medium, a new business paradigm is requir

37、ed in which the marketing function is reconstructed to facilitate electronic commerce in the emerging electronic society underlying the Web.The many or any communication model of the Web (in fact many instances of many-to-one) turns traditional principles of mass media advertising inside out (a one-

38、to-many model) (Hoffman and Novak, 1994). The application of advertising approaches which assume a passive, captive consumer are redundant on the Web.Surprisingly, as it is currently evolving, there is little activity aimed at including the consumer in the development of emerging media (Dennis & Pea

39、se, 1994). In order to adopt a market orientation, firms must understand their customers and engage in consumer research. Potential customers are most effectively engaged through new conversational marketing approaches.Anecdotal evidence suggests there are two types of customers - convenience shoppe

40、rs and explorers (those st-rsemetartconsumers who are happy to surf the Web looking for the best deal or most appropriate product combination). Furthermore, the sheer size of the Web (trillions of documents and growing exponentially) means finding relevant information is becoming more and more diffi

41、cult - despite the best efforts of search engines such as Yahoo. Our research suggests that the large proportion of Web users would rather rely on an intermediary (community operator) to sift and select information on their behalf. Web sites not endorsed will require knowledge of the address (URL) a

42、nd are unlikely to be accessed when similar information, products or services are readily available inside the community.Contributing to the rise of intermediaries are associated issues of privacy, trust and security (Schell, 1996). Whilst there is much discussion on the issues of Internet privacy a

43、nd security, in the context of normal business activities, many millions of people trust others with their personal financial information. Examples include ordering over the telephone, passing a credit card to an unknown waiter, even signing direct debit mandates. If an error occurs in these types o

44、f transactions we trust the service provider to correct the error. So why is it that we expect the Internet to support a level of trust and security which we do not observe in everyday life?There is no reason why similar trust relationships cannot be established in electronically mediated discussion

45、s. If anything, it becomes easier for an individual (or group of individuals) to seek retribution on those that break the rules within an electronic community. Evidence of this can be found in the tendency to attack those that try to advertise on academic discussion groups (mail bombs) and community

46、 policing against pornographers in the Netherlands.Marketeers must reconstruct their advertising models for the interactive, consumer controlled medium. The traditional customer loyalty ladder (Suspect, Prospect, Customer, Client, Partner, Advocate) is still applicable, but now operates in a differe

47、nt fashion. The first three stages are often instantaneous in electronic commerce. The transition from customer to advocate relies on loyalty earned through trust. The instantaneous nature of the Internet makes this more difficult.Communicating Across The Value ChainIt should be recognized that proc

48、esses are not confined within one organization - they cross the value chain as demonstrated by the following example. Steinfield, et al (1995) describe a large, multinational, electrical appliance and consumer electronics manufacturer that used France Telecom s Tel net system to support EDI-like con

49、nections to approximately 10,000 separate retailers and independent service engineers throughout France (accessed through Minitel terminals). The ubiquitous Telnet service and the commercial applications which emerged to exploit it, provide insights into the development of commerce on a world-wide I

50、nternet.The after-sales service subsidiary of this manufacturer provided replacement parts and training to its widely dispersed customer base. The Telnet system permitted electronic transactions, even with the smallest trading partners. Through the use of on-line ordering, coupled with courier servi

51、ce for rapid delivery, the firm was able to eliminate regional parts warehouses and reduce the average repair time from two weeks to two days. In the past, service engineers waited until they had a sufficient need for parts before driving to a regional warehouse. Once the system was implemented, the

52、y used the Telnet based just-in-time stocking practice for replacement parts.Moving to a centralised warehouse reduced the need for replicated inventories and extra personnel around the country, creating substantial savings. Moreover, service engineers were further bound-in following the introductio

53、n of a revenue producing, expert system-based, training application. Technicians connected to the expert system which asked a series of questions designed to diagnose the fault and indicate the repairs needed.This just-in-time training service meant that technicians no longer required expensive and

54、lengthy in-person training - a difficult task given the short life cycle of new electronics products. Service engineers were charged a fee for connecting to the service, but it clearly helped them to provide a faster service to the end customer whilst also further enforcing their dependence on the s

55、upplying firm. The expert system also accumulated data on repair problems and provided valuable feedback to the design and manufacturing divisions of the company. A primary motivation for this service was to dissuade service engineers from obtaining parts and services from other suppliers. The ubiqu

56、ity of Minitel merely created the environment within which the supplier could manage relationships with a very large set of buyers, without opening their service to other suppliers.電子商務(wù)戰(zhàn)略挑戰(zhàn)11 世紀(jì)歐洲出現(xiàn)了信貸和銀行系統(tǒng)等金融工具，如外匯支出。 這是我們的觀念的改變，當(dāng)時，它們是現(xiàn)代商業(yè)形式。信息技術(shù)的到來（電腦與通訊 ）和發(fā)展前景徹底改變這種傳統(tǒng)商業(yè)模式。網(wǎng)絡(luò)（電子商務(wù) ）自誕生以來，提供了一個方便的溝

57、通渠道 ,使企業(yè)與現(xiàn)有和潛在 的客戶更方便?；ヂ?lián)網(wǎng)的出現(xiàn)也引起了普遍的溝通渠道的變化，以電子商務(wù)巨大的 潛力。 盡管仍有許多辯論懷疑這種商業(yè)模式的支付安全性，這顯然是一個經(jīng)濟(jì)增 長的熱點。很難說互聯(lián)網(wǎng)是多么大的網(wǎng)絡(luò) . 霍夫曼&諾瓦克（1996） 引用了一些調(diào)查 （地下 發(fā)現(xiàn)/SVP時代鏡和Commerce Net）發(fā)現(xiàn)在美國至少有10萬互聯(lián)網(wǎng)用戶。電腦數(shù) 量（主機(jī)）連接因特網(wǎng)花費達(dá) 9.47 億美元（網(wǎng)絡(luò)奇才公司 ,1996 年）,1996 年 1 月. 看 到任何一個單一主辦支持用戶都有成千上萬的使用者。截至 1996 年 3 月 21 日，在公開市場的上市公司 24347（1996） 目

58、錄里”網(wǎng)上 商業(yè)服務(wù)” 共有 54800 份,在公司指導(dǎo)目錄里雅虎網(wǎng)站 （Yahoo,1996 年）網(wǎng)站的訪 問人數(shù)大約每兩個月翻一番 .克拉克董事長 Jim 估計在 1995 年有 4000 萬因特網(wǎng) 用戶每月增長 8% （克拉克,1 995 年）。互聯(lián)網(wǎng)技術(shù)只是一個方面。 企業(yè)需要的信息系統(tǒng)和處理數(shù)據(jù)的應(yīng)用軟件一段 時間內(nèi)成為新興的信息技術(shù)?，F(xiàn)代信息技術(shù)幫助企業(yè)掌握并處理有用信息。這些技 術(shù)包括：組織支持系統(tǒng) , 譬如工作流和群件 - 使企業(yè)更加高效率。顧客聯(lián)絡(luò)數(shù)據(jù)庫 - 幫助捕獲關(guān)于顧客的信息并促進(jìn)行銷新方法電子支付系統(tǒng) -這種方式剛剛涌現(xiàn) ,多數(shù)付款仍然應(yīng)用比較昂貴的傳統(tǒng)現(xiàn)金結(jié) 算。集

59、體和個人,這些地區(qū)將發(fā)生重大變化,一個公司的方式進(jìn)行經(jīng)營，WorkWareE nix已經(jīng)創(chuàng)立了一個新名詞來形容這些技術(shù)的結(jié)合。在一定程度上，這個領(lǐng)域的變化將引起一個公司經(jīng)營方式巨大的的改變，Enix打造術(shù)語 Workware 來描述這些技術(shù)的結(jié)合。但是，有普遍誤解對于組織支持技術(shù)的價值。由 Xephon的研究公司（1996） 調(diào)查437家大企業(yè)，一個令人驚訝的比例（44%）沒有介紹現(xiàn)代信息處理系統(tǒng)的直 接意圖（由Xepho n 定義作為Lotus Notes 的群件，微軟交換和 Novell GroupWise）。其中，65%認(rèn)為他們是缺乏信心的對于這些技術(shù)能否應(yīng)用。從這些統(tǒng)計來看，許多組織懷

60、疑這種技術(shù)的好處。銀行組織支付系統(tǒng)處理支持營銷客戶信息圖1 -電子商務(wù)的出現(xiàn)之后，會由三個主要要素加固它的根基有效地收集、 利用、 處理、儲存和傳播信息的是現(xiàn)代企業(yè)經(jīng)營成功一個重要因素。然而，收集和使用信息必須考慮隱私和安全問題最近出現(xiàn)在金融時報（1996）上“在1990年實 現(xiàn)金融服務(wù)機(jī)構(gòu)為企業(yè)管理和操縱信息和操作賺錢一樣?！贝送?，有興趣的課題,如TQM和委托過程的重要性，也顯示了根本性的基礎(chǔ).利益被顯示該課題像TQM 和 BPR處理根本構(gòu)件一樣重要。一些有預(yù)見的組織必將設(shè)立的頂部門開發(fā)利用這三個要素市場改變老市場開 拓新市場。 那些未能很快地適應(yīng)新的市場規(guī)則企業(yè)其戰(zhàn)略規(guī)劃將是多余的， 各企