The European e-Business Report The European e ... - empirica

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The European E-Business Report 2005 and has only been introduced in some pilot projects so far. Nevertheless, the early pilots as well as the ongoing preparatory work illustrate very well the challenges and opportunities of such complex IT and e-business systems in the pharmaceutical industry. Combating counterfeiting activities currently appears to be a main driver for the deployment of RFID/Auto-ID solutions in this sector. The importance of the pharmaceutical industry as a forerunner in this field is accentuated by the large range of suitable applications, the favourable ratio of tag prices to product values and by the enforced pedigree requirements of some regulation authorities. However, a widespread deployment of this technology within this sector brings many challenges with it. If worldwide cross-industry solutions are to be the goal, the establishment of accepted standards is crucial. In addition, the establishment of RFID/Auto-ID networks requires the solution of business issues – such as who gets access to which information – and the consideration of privacy issues. Therefore, in the short term, the deployment of small specialised projects may be more likely than a full roll-out of a unique RFID/Auto-ID concept along the entire supply chains of several industries. Case studies and business examples The sector reports on the pharmaceutical industry (July / September 2005) contain short case studies and examples of e-business activity in companies from the sector. These 'activity views' support the analysis of findings from both the survey and desk research, and provide further insight in current e- business trends and developments. Exhibit 2.4-3 summarises the 'activity views' which are featured in more detail in the two reports. Exhibit 2.4-3: E-Business Activity Views featured in the sector studies E-Business Activity Views Country Topics Case Study: Marmosa – trying to win new customers via website and B2B portals Case Study: Pharma-mall – an integration platform initiated by pharmaceutical companies Case Study: Pharmaplace – a collective sourcing platform initiated by medium-sized pharmaceutical companies Business example: Diagdirect: a B2B internet trading network for invitro diagnosis Case Study: Deployment of a new CRM system at EGIS Poland Spain Insights into problems of SMEs when using e- business tools to support marketing and sales activities Germany Germany N/A Poland Example of integration platforms that are initiated, financed and supervised by producers of pharmaceuticals themselves. Insights into e-business related problems faced by medium-sized companies in this sector Example of user-driven trading platforms, aggregating online supplier catalogues to support laboratories’ ordering process Discussion of strategies, challenges and success factors for planning, implementing and introducing a CRM system Business example: E-business activities supporting marketing and sales at UCB Pharma Poland Business example: Sales force optimisation by a mobile solution at Queisser Pharma Business example: Authenticating pharmaceuticals at the point of dispensing – an RFID/barcode pilot by Aegate Poland Germany UK E-business strategy and first experiences by a pharmaceutical company trying to improve the performance of sales and marketing activities Example of pharmaceutical manufacturer deploying mobile solutions to streamline the work of its sales force. Example of practicable RFID-based solutions, which increase the safety of the patients, are feasible today and suited to SMEs in the sector 99
The European E-Business Report 2005 2.4.4 Anticipated implications of e-business for the industry The second sector report (of September 2005) assessed the implications of ICT and e-business adoption on the structure of the pharmaceutical industry. It applied the 'five-forces-model' developed by Michael E. Porter (1980) as a framework to do so. This chapter summarises the main findings. New entrants The pharma industry tends to be more characterized by consolidation than by new entrants. In fact, entry barriers in the core pharmaceutical industry are high. Dealing with the risks of pharmaceutical research, with heterogeneous needs of target groups and with regulatory issues requires large financial resources and significant technological expertise. ICT and e-business are likely to accelerate the consolidation process, often in favour of large enterprises in this sector. Large companies usually have more resources than SMEs to invest in the ICT equipment necessary for increasing the R&D efficiency, automating the production of pharmaceuticals or managing a company sales force. The barriers to entry are lower in pharma-related sub-sectors like pharma retailing. In these market segments e-business tools may accelerate the establishment of new players. In fact, the internet as distribution channel – jointly with lower legal barriers for distributing pharmaceuticals – has facilitated the establishment of online pharmacies as new players. Also niche players may benefit, as simple e- business tools such as company websites or supplier directories on the internet make it possible to reach a large enough audience to support a niche business. Substitution of products An increasingly important alternative to the conventional production of pharmaceuticals are biotechnological methods. In fact, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) found that “in 2003, no less than 25 of the FDA’s (US Food and Drug Administration) 32 new product approvals originated from biotech companies”. 64 As biotechnological methods make the production of treatments for specific patient groups possible, this trend may lead to significant changes in the pharmaceutical market. Whereas suppliers of pharmaceuticals compete on mass markets today, the delivery of patient-specific biopharmaceutical treatments will allow more differentiation in the future. ICT and e-business technologies are of significant importance in this field. Firstly, a powerful ICT infrastructure as well as e-business applications supporting R&D activities are an essential basis for the development of biopharmaceutical treatments. Secondly, ICT and e-business applications are needed to support the supply of patient specific treatments. The delivery of biopharmaceutical treatments from the manufacturer to specific patients, for example, requires a high degree of transparency in the supply chain and may thus drive the use of RFID-based solutions for tracking and tracing products. Negotiation power of suppliers Basic substances and materials as direct inputs for the production of pharmaceuticals mainly come from chemical companies. Their negotiation power, however, is often limited due to the strong competitive pressure in this sector 65 – at least for commodity ingredients. The same argument holds true for the relationship to suppliers of indirect goods such as packaging material or laboratory equipment. E-business tools like online auctions may help pharma companies to exploit their relatively strong position. In fact, there are some examples of pharmaceutical manufacturers that could improve their purchasing conditions through the use of online auctions. Merck, for example, claims to have realised savings of up to 25-35% in negotiating framework contracts by using the sourcing service provider’s 64 65 PWC (2004): “Pharmaceutical Sector - Annual Report 2003”, Corporate Finance Insights – Analysis & Opinions on Merger & Acquisition activity, PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2004 (www.pwc.com/pharmainsights). See e.g. e-Business W@tch / European Commission (2004). Electronic Business in the Chemical Industry, September 2004. Available at www.ebusiness-watch.org 100
Page 1 and 2:
The European e-Business Report 2005
Page 3 and 4:
The e-Business W@tch The European C
Page 5 and 6:
The European E-Business Report 2005
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Page 17 and 18:
16 The European E-Business Report 2
Page 19 and 20:
The European e-Business W@tch Secti
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Types of ICT solutions used and pro
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70: The European E-Business Report 2005
Page 105 and 106: 84 The European E-Business Report 2
Page 115 and 116: 94 The European E-Business Report 2
Page 119: The European E-Business Report 2005
Page 125 and 126: 104 The European E-Business Report
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
164 The European E-Business Report
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
Page 195 and 196:
Exhibit 3.2-1: Greek information so
Page 197 and 198:
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
The E-Business Scoreboard - a two-l
Page 237:
Contact information e-Business W@tc
show all

The European e-Business Report The European e ... - empirica

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?