THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS - IFEAT

Illustrative example of a total industry networkF+2$&9())&4#%K/.L&$/)(;/4&5./:#&MN&-2))2/4&/9&1/$%$&/(%&/9&%+#&O.#$+&O.(2%&,45&P#0#%,-)#&$(66)C&1+,24&24&Q($%.,)2,&!"#$%&'#$()%$***&+,$&-./(0+%&,-/(%&,&1()%(.,)&$+23&,45&,&6),7/.8&9/.&/40/240&244/:,;/4/?.2))@&A52%/.&B(66)C&>+,24&B%.,%#0C&DEF@&G1%&HIIJ&This resulted in the development of a dynamic network architecture that supports many customers,suppliers and competitors to simultaneously share a common platform at many levels andfunctionality; and mass customise the common components to suit their individual business models,structures, capabilities, capacities and availabilities. Best Results ultimately provided enterprises withthe capability to seamlessly integrate any or all of their collaborative upstream and downstreampartner processes. Imagine how an enterprise might revolutionise its business model, product design,category management, merchandising, sales-operations-inventory-planning and execution to createnew net $ value, eliminate physical waste and permanently sequester carbon. All of this achieved withless data on fewer servers, using less energy, emitting less carbon, in smaller footprints.WHAT ACTIVITIES GIVE A COMPANY A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE?As I have mentioned earlier, companies spend too much time and money on activities that do not givethem a competitive advantage to the detriment of their reason for being in the business in the firstplace.If you look at the chart below, I have attempted to break down a typical organisation into itscomponent parts and then made a decision as to what I see as competitive, non competitive and inbetween (could go either way) activities. Now I know that each company will take a different view butI don’t think I am too far off from identifying the “value depleting” activities. These are the ones thatare a given and need to be done such as Accounting and Payables, or else are necessary points of entry177