As eCommerce Becomes Commonplace, Chemical Firms Will Focus Their Net Activity On Adaptive Development, According To Forrester Research.Business/Technology Editors CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 2001 As eCommerce becomes commonplace, smart chemical firms will refocus Verb 1. refocus - focus once again; The physicist refocused the light beam" focus - cause to converge on or toward a central point; "Focus the light on this image" 2. their Net activity on product development. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a new Report from Forrester Research Forrester Research is an independent technology and market research company that provides its clients with advice about technology's impact on business and consumers. Corporate facts
FORR Freedom of the Road Riders (Motorcyclists) FORR Flight Operations Readiness Review ), leading chemical firms will implement a process Forrester calls "adaptive development" -- using the Net to craft formulations and services tailored to meet customers' specific application needs. Since chemical makers operate in a highly competitive environment, leading firms are looking to the Net for simple cost cuts and efficiency gains. These plans are pushing firms to move sales to the Web and build online customer support tools. However, as slower-moving firms erode early performance advantages, leaders will look for new ways to use technology to stay ahead. "Moving basic commerce functions online makes sense for chemical firms -- it will improve operating performance and help firms outpace out·pace tr.v. out·paced, out·pac·ing, out·pac·es To surpass or outdo (another), as in speed, growth, or performance. outpace Verb [-pacing, their offline competitors," according to Steven J. Kafka, senior analyst at Forrester. "But during the next 12 months, these eCommerce activities will become standard practice among chemical manufactures. As early eCommerce advantages fade, the leading firms will revamp re·vamp tr.v. re·vamped, re·vamp·ing, re·vamps 1. To patch up or restore; renovate. 2. To revise or reconstruct (a manuscript, for example). 3. To vamp (a shoe) anew. n. the way they bring new products to market and embrace adaptive development." As firms focus their eBusiness efforts on new products, they will uncover new ways to satisfy customers. This wave of discovery will give rise to adaptive development. In this fresh environment, chemical firms will focus on solving customers' problems rather than creating new products. Instead of requiring customers to select products from simple catalogs, chemical makers will reformulate Verb 1. reformulate - formulate or develop again, of an improved theory or hypothesis redevelop formulate, explicate, develop - elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses; "Could you develop the ideas in your thesis" their core products to meet each customer's specific needs. Today, sales reps spend countless hours identifying products that match customers' nebulous requirements. To cut time and resources out of this process, chemical firms will offer online design tools that facilitate product selection. And when off-the-shelf formulations don't do the trick, customers will be able to work with the manufacturer's technical design staff through streamlined development portals. Chemical firms will also use the Net to collaborate with highly specialized partners. When customer demands require an entirely new product, developing the basic science can take an enormous amount of time. Rather than building every new technology from scratch, manufacturers will contract with design firms for their coating expertise or plug in to intellectual property exchanges to find an existing patent to license. For the Report "Custom Chemicals Materialize," Forrester spoke with 50 eCommerce executives at large chemicals and plastics companies. While our interviewees expect just 3% of their sales to flow over the Net this year, they see an oncoming on·com·ing adj. Coming nearer; approaching: an oncoming storm. n. An approach; an advance. wave of online buyers pushing eCommerce revenues up to 35% of total sales in 2002. Forrester Research is a leading independent Internet research This article is about using the Internet for research; for the field of research about the Internet, see Internet studies. Internet research is the practice of using the Internet, especially the World Wide Web, for research. firm, analyzing technology change and its impact on business, consumers, and society. Forrester's "Whole View" of the Internet economy The Internet Economy refers to conducting business through markets whose infrastructure is based on the Internet and World-Wide Web. An Internet economy differs from a traditional economy in a number of ways, including: communication, market segmentation, distribution costs, and price. enables clients to weave together Internet commerce initiatives with eBusiness technology to satisfy customers' changing needs. Clients receive continuous research and analysis through Forrester eResearch(TM) Reports, an array of advisory services advisory services advisory services provided to the public, in their capacity as owners and managers of animals, are an important part of veterinary science. They may be provided by government bureaux, by commercial companies who deal in pharmaceuticals or animals or animal , assessment tools, and topical events. Established in 1983, Forrester is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. Forrester's European Research Center is located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, its UK Research Centre is located in London, and its Research Center Deutschland is located in Frankfurt, Germany. Additional information about Forrester Research can be found at www.forrester.com. (c)2001, Forrester Research, Inc. Forrester and Forrester eResearch are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. |
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