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

The European E-Business Report 2005
Similarly as in the case of e-procurement, companies that use specific ICT solutions were then asked
two follow-up questions: which business processes they actually support with the systems in place,
and what type of solutions they use.
As can be expected, companies that have special ICT solutions in place tend to use them for a broad
range of sales-related processes. The main purpose is obviously to publish offers and then to receive
and process orders from customers electronically (about 65-70%, see Exhibit 1.4-4). In contrast, less
than 30% of all firms with such ICT solutions also enable customers to pay online. This indicates that
ICT systems are also used for a broad range of marketing related processes, possibly including a
facility to place orders, but not necessarily online payment.
Integration with billing and invoicing processes is more common (56% of companies with specific ICT
systems). This means that, in most sectors, about 5% of firms (accounting for about 10% of
employment) used ICT to invoice customers electronically, and also about 5% to bill invoices from
suppliers electronically in early 2005. In both cases, activity clearly increases by firm size.
About two thirds of those firms that have such solutions in place use standard ('off-the-shelf') software
packages, for instance ready-made e-shop systems (see Exhibit 1.4-5). Also, about two in three
companies have implemented customised, company specific ICT solutions, either in addition to or
instead of standard software (multiple answers possible). Other solutions, such as systems provided
by Application Services Providers (ASPs), have a lower diffusion, but are still used by about 20% of
companies (out of those using specific systems).
Exhibit 1.4-4: Marketing or sales processes supported
by special software solutions
0 20 40 60 80 100
Publishing offers to customers
Finding and answering RFQs or RFPs
65
67
Launching auctions on marketplaces
Participating in reverse auctions
14
16
Receiving orders
69
Billing and invoicing
56
Enabling customers to pay online
28
Analysing sales data
62
Exhibit 1.4-5: Types of ICT solutions used for marketing or sales
0 20 40 60 80 100
RfQ = Request for
Quotation
RfP = Request for
Proposal
ASP = Application Service
Provider.
Standard software packages
Customised software
Services provided by ASPs
ICT solutions provided by customers
Functionalities via e-marketplaces
16
20
23
64
67
Base (100%): Firms using
special ICT solutions for
e-procurement.
Weighted by employment.
Source: e-Business
W@tch (2005)
35