Another major customer is Dell. Dell knew that figuring out how to get its system to talk to each of those 18 different systems in its partners' back offices, one at a time, would be impractical, to say the least. Instead, Dell used WebMethods software to build links to 40 or so of its biggest customers, allowing a customer to buy, say, a truckload of new laptops online while Dell simultaneously enters the order for those laptops into the customer's procurement system. Think of it as one-click shopping for corporate buyers. Once you decide on an integration software package, your troubles aren't necessarily over.
Integration requires a big investment of time and money.
The up-front costs of an integration software system can start in the low six figures, because often a company must first install an enterprise application integration package just to get its own applications talking to each other. Meta's Bischoff says that once a company gets its systems in place and builds the first few electronic links to external partners, the cost of adding each new partner will go down. Now, rather than faxing new product-design registrations to Hitachi, distributors can zap the information electronically into Hitachi's system. To date, only one distributor is on Hitachi's system, and Mhatre says he doesn't expect a clear return on his investment until more distributors get with the program. But he says he's pleased with the results so far.