# What Is End-to-End? The Full Process, From Start to Finish

> **Definition**
>
> End-to-end refers to a business process that entails every stage of a project or service from beginning to end without needing an external vendor or service provider

## What Is End-to-End?

End-to-end describes the steps a company uses to take a project from concept to delivery without relying on a third party. This allows them to take responsibility for the entire process. So if the process involves selling a product, they design, produce, market, sell, and ship that product. The process cuts out the middleman and makes operations more efficient and cost-effective. It also helps companies deliver a better customer experience because they can get direct feedback and provide assistance to consumers. End-to-end is commonly used in IT, logistics, and transportation.

### Key Takeaways

*   End-to-end is the delivery of complex systems or services after developing them from beginning to end.
*   Processing can help optimize a business's performance and efficiency by eliminating the middleman.
*   End-to-end arrangements are often cost-effective and lead to operational efficiency.

![End-To-End](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/VoALrtB6QXzENf6bub55G8r2e0M=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/end-to-end.asp-final-e4a3d2098efc40589fa9f87aa64a19dc.png)

*Financial institutions, logistics companies, and healthcare providers are examples of bussinesses that benefit from end-to-end solutions. — Investopedia / Laura Porter*

## Understanding End-to-End in Information Technology

Generally, end-to-end solutions are used with vendors that offer comprehensive systems that keep pace with a business’s ever-changing infrastructure requirements, and the changing demands of the IT sector itself. End-to-end suppliers generally handle all of a system's hardware and software, including installation, implementation, and maintenance. An end-to-end solution might cover everything from the client interface to data storage.

A company that offers end-to-end video conferencing products, for example, will provide everything including the monitors and network connections. In [e-commerce](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/ecommerce.asp), end-to-end processing occurs when one company provides a service to another in which it manages the sales, order tracking, and delivery of a product.

When dealing with complex systems or services, it is often easier and more cost-effective for the customer to have only one supplier and one point of contact. Also, IT solutions that involve multiple providers for different parts of the workflow only increase the cost of managing the process so are not considered to be true end-to-end solutions.

End-to-end processes are often used to embrace operational efficiency. For example, the Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s Office of Financial Innovation and Transformation of the Federal government developed end-to-end frameworks. This framework strives to reduce unnecessary steps, automate processes, and achieve large-scale efficiencies. By transforming end-to-end services, the department has identified up to $3 billion of potential cost savings.

## Examples of End-to-End Services

In the world of [procurement](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/procurement.asp), an end-to-end process could mean analyzing each and every point in a company’s supply chain, from sourcing and ordering raw materials to the distribution of goods to end consumers. End-to-end procurement software solutions offer organizations a total overview of their supply chain, such as how long it takes for goods to be sent from suppliers and how much those goods cost.

Another example of end-to-end processing is in [logistics](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/logistics.asp), where service providers take care of inventory management, storage, and distribution. By eliminating as many layers and steps as possible, a logistics specialist can optimize distribution and minimize disruptions from road congestion, vehicle breakdowns, and the like.

In the petroleum industry, for example, transportation and logistics companies offer customers flexible and cost-effective end-to-end services, from order planning to inventory monitoring, loading, and transportation, to delivery. The latter includes supplying fuel and lubricants to service stations, aviation fuel to airports, and bitumen to the asphalt industry.

## What Does the Phrase End-to-End Mean?

End-to-end refers to a full process from start to finish. It is often used to describe a service that sees something through from the kick-off or initiation through the final product. It may be used to describe a one-time project (i.e. implementation of new software) or may be an internal process (i.e. setting up a new vendor in an accounting system from start to finish).

## What Is an End-to-End Product?

An end-to-end product is an item that manages the full development process of a new product from the start of development through final delivery to customers. The end-to-end process may incorporate multiple departments, but it refers to the full span of activities needed from start to finish to furnish the final deliverable.

## What Is a Full Project Life Cycle?

The project management lifecycle often consists of four stages: initiation, planning, execution, and close-out. An end to end process will often consist of all four stages, as the process begins with the start of a project or process and ends with the final wrap-up after product or project delivery has been made.

## How Is End-to-End Services Implemented in IT?

End-to-end services are often utilized in IT as it meshes well with the implementation and utilization of software. Often, a provider will offer support in the set-up of a product. The provider will then offer ongoing support services including troubleshooting, assistance upgrading to new versions, and daily operational support. The provider's goal is to offer assistance in every facet of the software that may be used from start to finish.

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  Bureau of the Fiscal Service. "[Digital Is Here for the Federal Government](https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fit/deee/)."