| From Reengineering to Reinvention:The IBM | | | | to enable IBM and its Business Partners to provide |
| journey to becoming an On Demand Business. | | | | better solutions and to be more responsive to |
| | | | | clients.IBM also has demonstrated success in |
| Introduction | | | | developing industry specific solutions that help clients |
| After a highly visible fall from the heights of | | | | solve their business and IT problems, large and small. |
| information technology leadership in the early 1990s, | | | | To provide high-value business benefits, IBM fuses |
| IBM is healthy and growing again. The new millennium | | | | services with industry and technology expertise to |
| has brought record revenue and established IBM as | | | | craft solutions that meet particular business needs and |
| the leader in servers, middleware, business | | | | help companies to achieve their objectives. Recently, |
| transformation and outsourcing services, and | | | | IBM enhanced its solutions capability, with its continuing |
| momentum continues to build. Of course, a | | | | technology investments and acquisitions of consulting |
| transformation of this magnitude doesn’t happen | | | | expertise,furthering its trusted advisor relationships with |
| overnight. It entails nothing less than a reinvention of the | | | | clients. By teaming with leading independent software |
| company, and it makes for a compelling story—a | | | | vendors (ISVs) to supply integrated solutions, providing |
| story that is still unfolding. | | | | differentiated insightsthrough research and by |
| This transformation is not an event, but a | | | | integrating its hardware, software and services, IBM |
| journey—one that is taking place in the midst of | | | | has the breadth of capabilities to support a client |
| greater turbulence and volatility than businesses have | | | | through business process and model redesign |
| faced in more than half a century. | | | | application/infrastructure design and solution |
| Although IBM’s story is in many ways unique, it | | | | implementation. |
| mirrors the aspirations and challenges faced by many | | | | The results have been significant. By working closely |
| leaders of businesses and institutions today. They are | | | | with clients and moving toward seamless and timely |
| grappling with how to manage their organizations | | | | access to arrange of insights and hands-on capabilities |
| through what feels like a very important—perhaps | | | | through its consulting services and Business Partners, |
| even historic—inflection point. | | | | IBM has been able to offer solutions that are both |
| Once every 40 to 60 years over the past three | | | | responsive and flexible to meet the needs of its clients. |
| centuries, society has witnessed a great surge of | | | | The Web site has long been recognized as a leading |
| business innovation, sparked by technological | | | | e-commerce environment. It is the focal point of |
| advances, which ushers in a revolution of an era. | | | | IBM’s sales interaction with enterprise and small |
| There have been five such surges in modern history | | | | business clients, partners ,original equipment |
| Each of them follows a predictable pattern with two | | | | manufacturer (OEM) partners and consumers. To |
| distinct periods of 20 to 30 years: The first is the | | | | maximize responsiveness, IBM combines a rich online |
| period of installation, going from initial exploration, | | | | environment with global sales center operations to |
| exuberance and speculation; to a bubble, an economic | | | | create a fully integrated Tele Web sales, service and |
| meltdown, its correction and a market adjustment. The | | | | support channel. In 2004, recorded 284.4 million net |
| second is the period of deployment, during which new | | | | Web visits and more than 15.2 million sales calls. The |
| ways of doing business are explored and | | | | site provides this capability in 83 countries and |
| implemented—and broad-based wealth and value | | | | manages online transactions in 31 currencies. In |
| are created | | | | November 2004, IBM launched a complete redesign of |
| | | | | its public Web site. The One IBM Web Experience |
| NEW SURGE: RIPPLING EFFECT | | | | provides aunified Web environment that delivers |
| As world markets entered the most recent stage of | | | | relevant information to a variety of constituents. The |
| sustained innovation, it’s fair to say that IBM | | | | team is piloting innovative technologies to continue to |
| traveled a rough road. It’s no secret: the company | | | | improve the quality of clientinteractions—from simple |
| began this journey out of necessity—and was | | | | features, like Call Me or Text Chat capabilities, to an |
| struggling to survive. Reengineering efforts at that time | | | | instant messaging feature that alerts clients when their |
| were driven by the need to simplify the enormous | | | | inside sales representatives are online. Is it working? |
| complexity—and attendant costs—that | | | | Fifty-seven percent of clients worldwide say they |
| accompanied IBM’s decentralization in the early | | | | prefer to do business via the Tele Web channel. More |
| 1990s. As did most other companies, IBM leveraged | | | | than 65 percent of all client interactions are now |
| the Internet and global connectivity tosimplify access to | | | | Web-based, leaving more than 4,000 specialists in 39 |
| information and enable simple, Web-based | | | | sales centers free to respond to more complex |
| transactions. The company took steps to integrate | | | | queries. At the other end of the client experience |
| processes both within the business and among a | | | | lifecycle, providing technical after-sales support, is My |
| group of core clients, partners and suppliers. That was | | | | Support Portal, which provides clients with a unified |
| a huge effort—and yet by late 2002 it was clear | | | | view of up-to-date technical information tailored to their |
| that the real journey had just begun. While IBM reaped | | | | individual needs. When clients log on to My Support |
| enormous efficiency gains, it had yet to challenge | | | | Portal, the system automatically pullstheir profile from a |
| long-accepted practices, processes and organizational | | | | registration database and instantly presents them with |
| structures that limited its—and most other | | | | a page of relevant information based on their last |
| companies’—options in the face of globalization, | | | | session and/or previously identified interests. Clients |
| industry consolidation and disruptive technologies. | | | | canobtain answers on their own, empowering them to |
| A MODIFICATION TO THE NEW WORLD | | | | solve problems and enhancing their productivity. By |
| The answer lay in a new computing model and in a | | | | streamlining support processes, My Support Portal |
| new business architecture. On Demand Business, and | | | | contributed to a US$757 million 2004 cost avoidance |
| IBM committed itself to becoming not simply a case | | | | associated with IBM’s technical eSupport initiatives, |
| study, but a living laboratory for On Demand Business. | | | | while increasing overall client satisfaction. Another |
| The company identified key business | | | | important dimension of IBM’s reinvention of the |
| characteristics—horizontally integrated, flexible and | | | | way it sells and serves clients is the IBM Business |
| responsive—and the IT infrastructure needed to | | | | Partner program. To improve its flexibility and |
| produce its enterprise transformation—integrated, | | | | coverage of key markets like SMB,IBM relies on |
| open, virtualized and autonomic. IBM focused on | | | | Business Partners as the primary channel for bringing |
| tackling the complex issues surrounding significant | | | | IBM technology solutions to small and midmarket clients. |
| changes to essential business processes, | | | | In return, IBM delivers support and incentives to better |
| organizational culture and IT infrastructure, and worked | | | | enable Business Partners to profit from all aspects of |
| to find new ways to access, deploy and finance | | | | the smalland medium business opportunity. IBM |
| solutions. Most importantly, IBM committed to use its | | | | Business Partners also bring value-added solutions and |
| own experience to deliver more value to its clients. | | | | services to IBM’s largest clients. In order to enable |
| | | | | Business Partners to deliver the integrated solutions its |
| Putting IBM’s journey to On Demand Business in | | | | clients need, IBM developed a seamless, extensive |
| perspective | | | | suite of collaborative tools that enables the company |
| IBM’s shift to On Demand Business is not unique. | | | | and its Business Partners to work securely across |
| The company conducts an annual worldwide tracking | | | | time and distance to coordinate tasks, discuss issues, |
| study with 6,000 organizations (30,000 interviews over | | | | track actions and make better decisions—faster. In |
| the past five years). Through this study, IBM identified | | | | addition, IBM has initiated a set of business to business |
| three major stages that an organization moves | | | | (B2B) capabilities to enable automation of sales |
| through as it transforms its operations through the use | | | | transaction processes between Business Partner and |
| of the Internet and network-based technologies. Each | | | | IBM systems. IBM may receive Business Partnerorders |
| stage has different characteristics, challenges and | | | | requests, directly pass them to the appropriate internal |
| benefits. | | | | applications to be fulfilled and return the appropriate |
| ? Access—Businesses have IT-related capabilities | | | | response information back to the Business |
| that tend to be limited to supporting single business | | | | Partner—completely touchless . |
| units with little or no integration between them. A simple | | | | A single solution architecture supports IBM’s |
| Web presence or basic e-commerce would qualify a | | | | XML-based B2B customer and Business Partner |
| business for this stage of adoption. The challenges? | | | | connections, based onE2open’s multi company |
| Fears about security. About financial risks. About the | | | | process management solution. The XML messages |
| quality of vendor support available. About meeting | | | | are implemented using the Rosetta Net open |
| demand. | | | | standards. IBM and its Business Partners can now be |
| ? Integration—Businesses have begun to break | | | | seamlessly integrated, handling transactions 24x7. Each |
| down barriers by integrating and automating business | | | | of these initiatives is designed to enable IBM and its |
| processes, models and applications, and supporting | | | | Business Partners to provide better solutions and to be |
| infrastructure across their business units, moving them | | | | more responsive to clients.IBM also has demonstrated |
| in the direction of end-to-end integration, a critical step | | | | success in developing industry specificsolutions that |
| to becoming an On Demand Business. Eventually such | | | | help clients solve their business and IT problems, large |
| businesses include their ecosystem in their integration | | | | and small. To provide high-value business benefits, IBM |
| efforts, by including their suppliers, customers and other | | | | fuses services with industry and technology expertise |
| business partners. Those processes are still relatively | | | | to craft solutions that meet particular business needs |
| static and inflexible, however, because they tend to | | | | and help companies to achieve their objectives. |
| build on and automate existing relationships. The | | | | Recently, IBM enhanced its solutions capability, with its |
| benefit? Increased speed and quality, as much of the | | | | continuing technology investments and acquisitions of |
| manual processing is eliminated. The challenges? | | | | consulting expertise, furthering its trusted advisor |
| Integration of disparate processes and systems built | | | | relationships with clients. Byteaming with leading |
| by different teams. | | | | independent software vendors (ISVs) to supply |
| ? On Demand Business—The ability to dynamically | | | | integrated solutions, providing differentiated insights |
| manage and reconfigure processes and relationships | | | | through research and by integrating its hardware, |
| begins to emerge as a company becomes an On | | | | softwareand services, IBM has the breadth of |
| Demand Business. Relationships can be formed and | | | | capabilities to support a client through business process |
| dissolved on the fly, according to business need and | | | | and model redesign, application/infrastructure design |
| external conditions. Processes and IT systems | | | | and solution implementation. The results have been |
| become increasingly modular to support | | | | significant. By working closely with clients and moving |
| reconfiguration, both internally and externally. All of this | | | | toward seamless and timely access to arrange of |
| enhances the flexibility and resilience of a business, | | | | insights and hands-on capabilities through its consulting |
| while giving it the ability to focus more tightly on its | | | | services and Business partners, IBM has been able |
| core, differentiating capabilities. For IBM, it also meant | | | | to offer solutions that are both responsive and flexible |
| moving to financial reporting that is balanced between | | | | to meet theneeds of its clients. Although far from |
| client and industry as well as products and services. | | | | done, IBM is making solid progress. Client and Business |
| The biggest challenge? Fostering a collaborative | | | | Partner satisfaction numbers continue to rise. For |
| culture and breaking | | | | example, according to a recent North American study |
| Down the business and cultural barriers between | | | | from VAR Business, IBM’s commitment to business |
| internal and external teams, and then reaching out | | | | partners took center stage in the VAR Business |
| seamlessly to embrace customers, suppliers and | | | | Annual Report Card (ARC). |
| business partners, and differentiate value. | | | | The study ranked IBM as the overall winner or tied in |
| | | | | business partner satisfaction in eight major categories |
| Reengineering: the making of a healthy business: | | | | that included software, systems, personal computing |
| | | | | and network storage. |
| In 1993, under the guidance of then IBM Chairman | | | | |
| and CEO Lou Gerstner, the company began its | | | | Information Technology Enabled Fundamental |
| turnaround from a near-death experience. And a big | | | | Transformation |
| part of that was the strategic initiative to reengineer | | | | The way IBM sells to and serves clients, the way it |
| IBM’ score processes. A loose confederation of | | | | manages its supply chain and the way the company |
| independent business units had created an unwieldy | | | | works internally have all seen profound improvements, |
| management structure, redundant operations | | | | made possible by technology. |
| and disconnected information systems. In 1993, the | | | | But far from promoting technology for technology’s |
| company experienced a US$8.1 billion loss, and the | | | | sake, IBM’s IT strategy is built around a view of |
| stock price was at a 20-year low. Although he was | | | | using technology to achieve business objectives—as |
| under pressure to break up the company, Gerstner | | | | a way to support and acceleratethe On Demand |
| decided that the sum of IBM was more valuable than | | | | Business transformation. IBM looks at IT through two |
| its parts, and he recognized that IBM had to change to | | | | different lenses—how IT can be used to run the |
| meet its clients’ needs or the company would | | | | business and how IT can be used to transform the |
| cease to be relevant. To realize this value, however, | | | | business. By making more effective use of the dollars |
| IBM’s leadership team had to tackle some very | | | | spent to operate the business, IBM frees up money to |
| tough issues. They started by focusing on a few core | | | | invest in transforming it. IBM’s spending on what |
| functions—customer relationship management | | | | might be termed “maintenance IT” has declined |
| (CRM), product development, procurement and | | | | steadily since 1999, while its spending on |
| logistics. Between 1996 and 1998, IBM reduced | | | | transformation- enabling IT has increased by 54 |
| redundant costs associated with decentralization and, | | | | percent. In addition to devoting a higher percent of its |
| as a result, achieved US$5billion in cost avoidance and | | | | IT budget to transformation and keepingflat or lowering |
| savings. Between 1999 and 2002, IBM’s priority | | | | its overall costs, IBM is satisfying a growing internal |
| shifted to integrating elements of these processes to | | | | demand for services. For example, since 2003 |
| create a more horizontal flow of work across the | | | | network usage has risen by 38 percent, client seats by |
| business. So rather than optimizing processes by | | | | six percent and audio conference volume by 16 |
| business unit or within functional domains—like | | | | percent. |
| billing—the company focused on creating processes | | | | Worldwide threats have heightened security |
| that would make working with IBM a better experience | | | | requirements and risks to IBM information. Its strategic |
| for its clients, IBM Business Partners and suppliers. | | | | direction here is clear: continue to increase security and |
| During this phase, IBM gained more than US$7 billion in | | | | enhance the resilience of its |
| new efficiencies. | | | | Operating environment. This is a problem shared by |
| | | | | all businesses. IBM knows this, because it monitors |
| Reinvention: the making of an On Demand Business | | | | network security for businesses and governments in |
| By 2002, with a solid foundation in place, Recognizing | | | | 134 countries. A 2004 IBM report shows that attacks |
| that the IT industry was splitting between | | | | on networks surged 17 percent—in one month. And |
| Commodity- like and high-value businesses, focus IBM | | | | stopping these attacks takes more than rigorous |
| on high value: innovation, creating unique value, new | | | | security policies alone. The IBM Global Services |
| technology and new business insights and models.“ | | | | account team collaborates with their client, the IBM CIO |
| Early on, we focused on reducing cost and | | | | organization, to ensure service integrity and |
| expense,” says Sanford. “We had to in order to | | | | infrastructure availability, in part by automating and |
| survive. But today, our focushas shifted from | | | | monitoring processes and using network security |
| reengineering to reinventing ourselves. We continue to | | | | analysis software to detect and close security |
| deliver cost and expense improvements, but now | | | | vulnerabilities on more than 1,800 Internet servers and |
| we’re tackling a more complex | | | | 17,000 internal network servers in real time. IBM is |
| agenda—focusing on growthand innovation as | | | | migrating to a comprehensive identity-management |
| powerful ways to manage and measure our | | | | solution and a single sign-on access authorization |
| progress.” | | | | solution for employees to access a wide range of |
| To realize this agenda, IBM has shifted its focus to | | | | internal business. |
| integrated, unique client solutions supported by business | | | | Fundamental to IBM’s own On Demand Business |
| and technology innovation; identified business | | | | strategy is a deep and abiding commitment to open |
| processes that would require radical transformation; | | | | industry standards. Its internal deployment of open |
| and analyzed technologies and business practices that | | | | industry standards-based technologiesnot only reflects |
| would foster improvement to business performance. | | | | its principles, but also provides proof of the value that |
| Based on insights from clients and a wide range of | | | | standards bring. As of year-end 2004, there were |
| internal and external experts, the company identified | | | | more than 2,900 servers running on the Linux® |
| and nurtured more than 20 emerging business | | | | platform within IBM’s corporate infrastructure, up |
| opportunities that had the potential to become | | | | from nearly 1,300 in 2002. With Linux technology, IBM |
| multibillion dollar businesses in three to five years. Of | | | | has more flexibility, better system performance, lower |
| these, life sciences, digital media, business | | | | costs and a secure operating environment for many |
| transformation outsourcing and pervasive computing | | | | mission-critical applications on its infrastructure, spanning |
| have already become over US$1 billion businesses for | | | | customer order support, chip manufacturing, |
| IBM, and the rest are growing by an average of 40 | | | | sponsorship Web events and antivirus and anti spam |
| percent, year over year. The acquisition of | | | | solutions. Integrationis made easier, and new capabilities |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting was aligned with | | | | are deployed faster.IBM also has moved more than |
| a US$1 billion investment, through IBM Research, to | | | | 100,000 users to Voice over IP (VoIP) |
| deepen On Demand Business insights for clients, and it | | | | telecommunications. |
| served to launch new business capabilities | | | | |
| | | | | Better Use Of IT Resources |
| Transforming the way business is done | | | | |
| IBM’s first priority was to improve the way it sells | | | | For IBM, performance improvements initially require |
| to and serves clients. Second was the company’s | | | | moving workloads to fewer, higher performing servers |
| supply chain. Third was the way work gets done inside | | | | and storage devices. IBM is continuing to consolidate |
| IBM. Improvements within each of these areas | | | | and thereforesimplify its server and storage |
| were—and still are—fueled by operational | | | | infrastructure, especially in its deployment of IBM |
| innovation and advances in technology that not only | | | | Lotus® Workplace™ Messaging™ (IBM Lotus |
| can be leveraged by IBM, but also delivered to clients. | | | | Sametime®) and IBM Lotus Notes® software, the |
| Reinventing the way IBM sells to and serves clients | | | | backbone of its employee communications and |
| and partners First and foremost, IBM listened to the | | | | collaboration environment. Since 2000, the company |
| needs of its clients and Business Partners. They said it | | | | has reduced the number of IBM Lotus Domino® mail |
| was difficult to do business with IBM. For example, | | | | servers from 1,200 to 240. Not only has this |
| clients said that they wanted to be able to find | | | | consolidation reduced its costs, it has also resulted in |
| information quickly and easily so they could make | | | | higher availability and performance. By year-end 2004, |
| informed purchasing decisions and get the appropriate | | | | more than 320,000 Lotus Notes users were on |
| support from IBM with a minimal investment of time. | | | | clustered servers— ensuring systems are available |
| Business Partners told the company that it needed to | | | | when employees need them. In fact, availability for |
| be more | | | | Notes users on clustered servers averaged 99.97 |
| Efficient in processing their orders—so they could, in | | | | percent in 2004. IBM also is consolidating storage and |
| turn, better serve their clients. The resulting objective | | | | processing power to enable efficient sharing and rapid |
| was very straightforward: fast, easy access to | | | | scaling, and has already consolidated 31 separate |
| IBM’s products and business expertise. This makes | | | | internal networks to a single internal network. But |
| it simple for clients and partners to engage with IBM in | | | | consolidation is only one piece of the utilization equation. |
| every way, from finding product and pricing information | | | | Virtualization is another. Virtualization improves the |
| to IBM’s contracts, terms and conditions, to | | | | utilization of human resources, IT and information |
| ordering, reconciliation of invoices and ongoing support, | | | | assets by allowing IBM to pool resources, accessing |
| to providing and supporting solutions that meet | | | | and managing them by effect and need, rather than |
| clients’ needs. IBM has a number of major initiatives | | | | by physical location. IBM is leveraging the virtualization |
| under way in this arena, including: | | | | capabilities built into IBM servers and storage systems, |
| ? Using to transform the way client interactions are | | | | and its expertise in managing those capabilities, to |
| managed | | | | dramatically increase the flexibility and utilization of its |
| ? Working with partners to drive On Demand Business | | | | infrastructure, reduce costs and improve availability and |
| solutions and to increase IBM’s presence in the | | | | scalability. IBM is moving toward eliminating |
| small and medium business (SMB) marketplace | | | | application-specific dedicated servers and storage. |
| ? Streamlining the process of development, sales | | | | Instead, applications will acquireresources on demand |
| support, proposal and delivery. | | | | from a virtualized infrastructure pool. |
| IBM committed itself to becoming a living laboratory | | | | |
| for On Demand Business— horizontally integrated, | | | | SIGNIFICANT CHANGES |
| flexible and responsive—and focused on tackling the | | | | |
| complex issues surrounding significant changes to | | | | More than 65 percent of all client interactions are now |
| essential business processes, organizational culture and | | | | Web-based, leaving more than 4,000 |
| IT infrastructure. | | | | Specialists in 39 sales centers free to respond to more |
| In November 2004, IBM launched a complete | | | | complex queries. |
| redesign of its public Web site. The One IBM Web | | | | On Demand Workplace boosts employee |
| Experience provides a unified Web environment that | | | | satisfaction and cost savings |
| delivers relevant information to a variety of | | | | • 81% of IBM employees access the On Demand |
| constituents. The team is piloting innovative | | | | Workplace daily. |
| technologies to continue to improve the quality of client | | | | • 50% of IBM’s employee training is delivered |
| interactions—from simple features, like Call Me or | | | | through On Demand Workplace. |
| Text Chatcapabilities, to an instant messaging feature | | | | • 9 out of 10 employees enroll for health benefits |
| that alerts clients when their inside sales | | | | via On Demand Workplace. |
| representatives are online. Is it working? Fifty-seven | | | | • An estimated 30 minutes per employee are |
| percent of clients worldwide say they prefer to do | | | | saved each month as a result of the ability to |
| business via the TeleWeb channel. More than 65 | | | | quickly locate and engage colleagues who have the |
| percent of all client interactions are now Web-based, | | | | needed expertise |
| leaving more than 4,000 specialists in 39 sales centers | | | | • Since 2003, IBM has realized more than US$680 |
| free to respond to more complex queries. At the other | | | | million in savings as a result of Web-enabling |
| end of the client experience lifecycle, providing | | | | processes to the On Demand Workplace. |
| technical after-sales support, is My Support Portal, | | | | - In late 2004, the first global, role-based port let on the |
| which provides clients with a unified view of up-to-date | | | | On Demand Workplace was launched. |
| technical information tailored to their individual needs. | | | | - The new port let, called Learning@IBM, provides |
| When clients log on to My Support Portal, the system | | | | employees with personalized learning |
| automatically pulls their profile from a registration | | | | recommendations based on the roles and interests |
| database and instantly presents them with a page of | | | | they specify in their On Demand Workplace profile |
| relevant information based on their last session and/or | | | | - Using IBM’s Blue Pages, employees have |
| previously identified interests. Clients can obtain | | | | searchable access to a vast array of information |
| answers on their own, empowering them to solve | | | | about their colleagues—everything from skills and |
| problems and enhancing their productivity. By | | | | expertise to interests to client relationships. |
| streamlining support processes, My Support Portal | | | | |
| contributed to a US$757 million 2004 cost avoidance | | | | |
| associated with IBM’s technical e Support initiatives, | | | | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES |
| while increasing overall client satisfaction. Another | | | | |
| important dimension of IBM’s reinvention of the | | | | The environmentally safe disposal of computing assets |
| way it sells and serves clients is the IBM Business | | | | has become a very real issue in today’s world. |
| Partner program. | | | | Servers, desktops, laptops, printers—every day, |
| To improve its flexibility and coverage of key markets | | | | thousands of reusable assets hit |
| like SMB, IBM relies on Business Partners as the | | | | Solectron’s docks around the world. And the clock |
| primary channel for bringing IBM technology solutions to | | | | is ticking. For many of these recovered assets, |
| small and midmarketclients. In return, IBM delivers | | | | there’s already demand—another organization |
| support and incentives to better enable Business | | | | that is willing to buy them, extending their |
| Partners toprofit from all aspects of the small and | | | | Useful life dramatically. Asset recovery is one of |
| medium business opportunity. IBM Business | | | | Solectron’s core businesses, and it’s a critical |
| Partnersalso bring value-added solutions and services | | | | service that IBM is committed to providing to its clients. |
| to IBM’s largest clients. In order to enable Business | | | | IBM Global Asset Recovery Services has worked |
| Partners to deliver the integrated solutions its clients | | | | with companies like Solectron to deliver the IT |
| need, IBM developed a seamless,extensive suite of | | | | industry’s first seamless, worldwide, end-to-end |
| collaborative tools that enables the company and its | | | | solution encompassing the acquisition, remanufacturing |
| Business Partners to work securely across time and | | | | and final disposition of used equipment. |
| distance to coordinate tasks, discuss issues, track | | | | ENDING NOTE |
| actions and make better decisions—faster. In addition, | | | | The ability to offer fresh insights and to prove that |
| IBM has initiated a set of business to business (B2B) | | | | the impact of change will far outweigh the |
| capabilities to enable automation of sales transaction | | | | investment—these are two big reasons this journey |
| processes between Business Partner and IBM | | | | is so important to IBM. IBM is passionateabout tackling |
| systems. IBM may receive Business Partner orders | | | | the tough business, cultural and IT issues critical to |
| requests, directly pass them to the appropriate internal | | | | business success in the 21st century. The company is |
| applications to be fulfilled and return the appropriate | | | | using its hands-on expertise and insights to shape its |
| responseinformation back to the Business | | | | products, |
| Partner—completely touch less. A single solution | | | | Offerings and solutions. IBM is committed to sharing |
| architecture supports IBM’s XML-based B2B | | | | what it has learned, so that others can benefit from its |
| customer and Business Partner connections, based on | | | | experience. And it is devoted to collaborating across |
| E2open’s multi company process management | | | | its extended ecosystemto develop new insights, |
| solution. The XML messages are implemented using | | | | disciplines and methodologies that deliver outstanding |
| the Rosetta Net open standards. IBM and its Business | | | | business value to its clients. |
| Partners can now be seamlesslyintegrated, handling | | | | |
| transactions 24x7. Each of these initiatives is designed | | | | The journey continues……………….. |