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Book Presentation

The eProcess Edge by Peter Keen and Mark McDonald

Book Abstract

MAIN IDEA

For an online business to succeed, it must address three critical issues:

1. How the relationship with the customer will be established and then strengthened – so as to generate repeat business.
2. How internal capabilities and competencies are sourced and applied in serving the customer.
3. How the power of the broader value network available to the organization is harnessed.

Business processes embody how these issues are addressed. In essence, processes define how the work gets done and how the relationship with the customer will work. An eProcess is simply the eCommerce equivalent of a normal business process. The difference between the two lies in the fact traditional processes concentrate on inputs-processes-outputs whereas eProcesses are more rule-based since an entire value network is being accessed.

eProcess is primarily a matter of prioritizing and then sourcing electronic processes, using a combination of:

1. Software which converts what used to be done by people into an interaction at your Web site.
2. Electronic links to partners, allowing you to out-task functions or in-source new capabilities.
3. People and software tools that allow you to handle service exceptions very well.

In short, long-term profitability requires eProcess excellence.

About the Author

PETER KEEN is founder and chairman of Keen Innovations, an information technology consultancy firm. Mr. Keen has also served on the faculties of Harvard, MIT and Stanford universities. He is the author of a number of books and articles, including The Process Edge: Creating Value Where It Counts and his Web site is located at http://www.peterkeen.com.

MARK McDONALD is an associate partner and director of Andersen Consulting’s Center for Process Excellence. He is a widely published author of articles on Internet business development and an experienced public speaker. Mr. McDonald has been with Andersen Consulting for more than 11 years.

Important Note About This Ebook

This is a summary and not a critique or a review of the book. It does not offer judgment or opinion on the content of the book. This summary may not be organized chapter-wise but is an overview of the main ideas, viewpoints and arguments from the book as a whole. This means that the organization of this summary is not a representation of the book.

Summary of The eProcess Edge (Peter Keen and Mark McDonald)

1. Relationship Building The core business challenge is to build and enhance relationships – with customers and value network partners.

Main Idea

The ultimate success of any eCommerce business will be determined primarily by its ability to create and strengthen relationships with customers and its partners in the value network. In short, for eCommerce companies, there is a direct link between building successful relationships and long-term profitability.

Supporting Ideas

Building relationships is eCommerce’s core business activity. Yet, building successful online relationships is difficult. It takes much more than marketing, more than simply generating transactions.

Instead, successful relationships have varying degrees of:

1. Touch – the degree of interaction between the parties.

   

2. Texture – the richness of the information exchanged.

   

In value networks, relationships come in four basic varieties: