Syracuse Plastics deals with about 50 suppliers online, for everything from office supplies to raw materials. That's certainly the case at GE Capital's Fleet services business, which provides commercial fleet leasing and management services for hundreds of companies' cars and trucks. In May, GE Fleet Services made data analysis about fleets available via the Web. Reiner sees himself as a coordinator for all of these E-business efforts. He hosts monthly teleconferences and frequent gatherings with GE's 35 leaders charged with bringing the Internet to their units.
Automation frees customer-service staffers to address other issues.
That's exactly the aim of GE's companywide campaign. But the result will also alter many jobs. Most of the affected employees are being redeployed, not laid off, Parsons says. Six Sigma is more than a slogan. It's bringing GE closer to the customer.