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  3. People are now buying everything over the Web--not just books and CDs. Online consumers are forking over cash to buy food, zoomi

People are now buying everything over the Web--not just books and CDs. Online consumers are forking over cash to buy food, zoomi

admin2013-06-12  84
问题    People are now buying everything over the Web--not just books and CDs. Online consumers are forking over cash to buy food, zooming out to sites for cars, and seeking and paying for expert advice in areas from law to medicine to questions about their pet’s ear infection. Instantly, you can build tremendous demand for your products and services if you catch the e-business wave.
   Many of you may be asking, "What does this mean to my company? Why should I even pay attention to this Internet hype?" It has everything to do with survival. That’s right- survival. This is a fundamental change in global business, and there will be a point in the not-too-distant. future where. it will be impossible to catch up, or even stay in the game!
   In the past, companies that achieved excellence also snatched up market share and competitive advantage. Companies who fell short of this standard received lower market share but could still survive. That was when the world of business was more forgiving.
   Times have changed. On October 15,1995, the "Knowledge Age" arrived and ushered the Information Age out the door with the market capitalization of Microsoft surpassing that of IBM. Today, leveraging knowledge, relationships, and information around a well-defined business model distinguishes great companies from average ones. The great ones take advantage of their core competencies and outsource non-core competencies in order to achieve an agile business model that can respond quickly to e-business opportunities.
   Let’s look at the four cornerstones in e-business that should be a part of your business model.
   Controls through the ERP dashboard. An integrated technology architecture allows you to distribute real-time information instantly across the enterprise.  This fundamental foundation, known as the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, must become the "dashboard" that provides controls and status information to allow forward decision making. For example, discovery of an inventory problem a month after it occurs may enable use of this information to correct a problem. But a month is like dog years in e business! You need information to act on when the problem occurs, and that’s why an integrated technology architecture must be in place to succeed in cyber commerce. A word of caution here: it takes years to realistically achieve this integrated infrastructure.Waiting for the newest wave of hardware or software can be the kiss of death. Relying on old legacy financial systems is like driving down the highway by looking in the rear-view mirror v. s. looking at the dashboard to understand performance NOW.
   Get rid of waste. Once the fundamental infrastructure is in place, the concept of the "extended enterprise" comes into play. It’s not just about integrated "lowest-cost" manufacturing and streamlined distribution processes, although both are key components. It involves taking waste out of the entire value chain through effectively implementing technology, along with building strong alliances and partnerships. Take General Electric (GE), who has informed its suppliers that it will conduct its entire procurement process on the Internet via electronic procurement communities. So if a company wants to do business with GE, it needs to do it GE’s way-online.
   Know the customers. Best-practice companies today have a deep understanding of their customer base and their levels of satisfaction with their products and services. E-business will have a dramatic impact on those companies who continue to market their products and services via the costly face-to-face direct selling model.  Companies who foster online communities and communications with their customers will enjoy customer loyalty and market share.
   Information is power. Finally, none of the other three cornerstones is very meaningful without accurate profit information. The streamlining process is impossible without clear and accurate information about the company’s activities and costs. Knowing which customers to nurture and which ones require more effort--even a modification of product and service delivery models is critical to understanding customer profitability. Making up profit deficiencies "in volume" from one customer set subsidizing another is an oxymoron in a world of custom products and services. In a world where each customer can specify exactly what he wants, volume product dissolves into lot sizes of one. If you think you have profit margin squeeze today, imagine how much tighter things can become when your customers can compare shops online! Knowledge of true costs is imperative.
Which of the following statements can NOT be inferred from the passage?
选项 A、Once the fundamental infrastructure is in place, a company can operate ERP system effectively.
B、A company that starts doing e-business may in turn influence the way in which its partners do business.
C、Marketing through e-business is less cost-consuming for a company.
D、E-business is more likely to help a company cater to individual’s needs.
答案A
解析 本题四个选项分别对应文章中电子商务的四大基石。第七段最后一句中的例子表明，使用电子商务的公司如通甩电气(GE)会影响其生意伙伴的工作方式，即其生意伙伴也不得不使用电子商务。因此B属实。第八段第二句提到传统的销售模式开销大(costly)，而电子商务能大大减少开销。因此C也属实。最后一段第三句说明电子商务能让企业更了解客户的需求。这与D中cater to individual’s needs的意思相符，因此D也属实。A不正确，因为企业资源计划系统本身就是电子商务的基础设施 (infrastructure)。
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