Sicherheit und Risiko

ESPRIT St.Gallen Business Review
with seller capabilities. More than 80 percent of the
company’s business now comes through Ariba Discovery,
including contracts with 60 of the Fortune 500,
nine of the top 10 banks and 8 of the top 10 insurance
companies. That‘s the power of business networks.
Unlocking a huge growth opportunity
greater flexibility and less capital tied up in inventory
– meaning the customer will get the best product at a
fair price. Existing value chains and supplier networks
will be turned on their heads.
The Networked Enterprise will ultimately create
new growth opportunities for our stagnating economy.
In these volatile times we must create new business
models that incorporate and can leverage more
complex, global collaborative ecosystems. Innovation
comes from competition, and competition comes
from strong companies, both big and small. But companies
can’t compete alone. When companies engage
suppliers, partners, and customers in open, transparent
business network – they can find and help develop
really innovative solutions.
«The Networked
Enterprise will
ultimately create
new growth
opportunities for
our stagnating
economy.»
As the saying goes, there’s strength in numbers.
Business networks are significantly more powerful,
innovative and agile than any single entity. Real advancements
happen when Networked Enterprises
connect with each other to exchange information,
share ideas, and buy and sell goods and services without
boundaries on open marketplaces in real time.
We have barely tapped the potential of online business
networks, but as MarkMaster demonstrates,
cloud-based virtual market places like the Ariba network
can change the game for companies of all sizes,
in all industries. Small and medium sized enterprises
profit because they are suddenly able to connect with
potential suppliers and buyers around the world to lower
their costs and raise their bottom lines, while at
the same time tapping into the collective knowledge
of partners and allies to fuel innovation and improve
their competitive advantage.
The consumer will also benefit. A fully networked
business environment will mean better access to customer
profiles and preferences, resulting in a stronger
ability to deliver individualized products and services
that consumers want. Broader and more detailed
knowledge of data about health care or water and
energy consumption will lead directly to more efficient
use of scarce resources. Direct access to all of the
suppliers in a product category will lead to stronger
supply chain and supplier relationship management.
That in turn will result in more competitive pricing,
About the Author
Jim Hagemann Snabe was
appointed Co-CEO alongside
Bill McDermott in
February 2010. Jim Hagemann
Snabe focuses on
developing and executing
SAP‘s strategy, together
with Bill McDermott. The
co-CEOs strengthen relationships with customers
and partners, drive SAP‘s innovation portfolio across
all markets, and ensure operational excellence
across the company. He joined SAP in 1990 and has
been a member of the SAP Executive Board since
July 2008. Since 1990, he has held various management
roles in consulting, sales, and development.
He is a member of the board of directors of Bang
& Olufsen Holding A/S. Snabe received a master‘s
degree in operational research from the Aarhus
School of Business in Denmark. He lives with his
family in Copenhagen, Denmark.
As the world‘s leading provider of business software,
SAP is an over €64 billion company with
more than €14 billion in revenue in 2011. SAP AG
is headquartered in Walldorf, Germany, where Snabe
is based.
8
Winter 2012