David Henderson, a UK-based partner at PwC involved in IT strategy, says companies need consultants who can take projects from conception to full execution. Full service providers have definitely got an advantage in being able to work with clients from the 'blue sky' to the implementation stage. To realise their e-business ambitions, companies need a robust and flexible IT architecture and software that can integrate their systems so that vital data is available when and where it is needed. The advent of electronic exchanges, or e-marketplaces, has also caused companies to rethink their operations. Through these, they can link up purchasing and other operations to save costs and widen the scope of their operations.
Exchanges can also link up with each other.
This is a good example of how technology is breaking down the boundaries between companies. But here, too, hype has overtaken reality. Several exchanges have collapsed even as the e-marketplace trend is barely under way, while others are struggling to develop a profitable business model. Yet exchanges will clearly form an essential part of most companies' e-business strategy. Keeping employees' skills constantly updated will be vital as e-business permeates corporations.