Tapnet Business Plan Essay Research Paper TAPNETCOMBusiness — страница 5

that expects 10% to 15% annual energy savings viaWeb-enabled information gathering. A side benefit is the improved allocation of energy costs among individual process lines. Another Metcalf example is a major tier-one automotive supplier that is using the Internet to automatically collect and log all utility data-including water, air, gas, electricity, and steam-in a single integrated database. Data is collected in 15-minute intervals and automatically uploaded to a centralized data warehouse where it is manipulated and analyzed by the local utility as a value-added service. Among the reports the manufacturer now receives from the utility are statistical energy-usage reports, totalized flow analysis, costs by energy source, aggregation of multiple meters, and a monthly report on

total energy costs per facility. eManufacturing calls relentless attention to connectivity challenges and it should come as no surprise that automation vendors translate this into opportunity. Two vendors, GE Industrial Systems and Cisco Systems Inc., were inspired by their respective factory-automation and Internet-networking prowess to form GE Cisco Industrial Networks. Their rationale was neatly captured in the June announcement by Lloyd G. Trotter, president and CEO, GE Industrial Systems: “While companies have connected their office systems, partners, and customers, the factory floor-the heart of manufacturing -is disconnected from the rest of the enterprise.” GE Cisco’s operating presumption is that “all the proprietary protocols that are out there will ultimately

one day be gone and be replaced with Ethernet-based, open standards architecture based on TapNet that will enable everything to talk to everything else.” 2.3.1.4 Culture change Success in Web enabling the factory also hinges on the work culture’s familiarity with e-business, adds Metcalf. A company that isn’t using the Web for purchasing, for example, is unlikely to embrace the idea of e-enabling its plants. Manufacturers should start small and build the success that will bring support. GE Cisco thinks the greatest culture challenge will be in closing the cultural chasm between IT and the production floor. Don’t downplay this challenge, advises Norrington. “They don’t speak the same language, they’ve got different budget dollars, and they have different agendas.”

Metcalf suggests building the strategy on IT’s need to demonstrate that what they do supports the corporation’s business objectives. Security is the issue highlighted by ARC’s Hill: “Many plant managers and engineers believe the plant floor must be kept ultra secure. The thought of an e-business implementation bringing instructions from outside the plant via the Internet can seem very foreign.” 2.3.1.5 eManufacturing Summary The challenges of e-enabling manufacturing also are changing automation vendors. One example is Rockwell Automation, Milwaukee. “Ten years ago we would have been categorized as a product company, but today the products happen more as a result of solving a business problem,” says Joe Kann, vice president, global business development. “By

accelerating control and information integration projects, our manufacturing customers are requiring more and more consulting services,” says Randy Freeman, vice president, global marketing. “With the emergence of e-business we’re having to relate technology and products to enterprise-wide strategies. We’re in boardrooms explaining how we can solve business problems as much as we find ourselves sitting in the plant manager’s office just talking about manufacturing.” 2.3.2 CRM Today the availability of econometric, demographic, lifestyle and psychographic data, decision support systems, the Internet, and other customer access techniques are helping marketing and senior management make customer care a reality rather than just a vision. Companies no longer want to treat

their customer base as a homogeneous collection of revenue generating units; they want to get up close and personal with each of them individually. Providing exceptional customer service through effective CRM is essential to business success. Quality CRM systems ensure rapid responses to all customer inquiries and are designed to boost sales and demonstrate your active concern for customer satisfaction. CRM is a comprehensive sales and marketing approach to building long-term customer relationships and improving business performance. The best CRM systems include:  Comprehensive account management functions  Contact profile, history and n-tiered relationships  Automated quotes and correspondence  Forecast, order and contract generation  Instant access to historical