E-BUSINESS - GM Proves E-Business Matters
By paying for initiatives without crippling company finances, GM is taking a smart approach to e-business. The company takes acceptable risk, runs pilots, learns and pulls the plug when necessary. Critics say GM is too ponderous to act quickly, but regardless of the fate of AutoCentric or eGM itself, GM has entirely defied those critics with its e-business efforts.
In the end, though, e-business won’t amount to more than a small hill of beans if GM can’t significantly raise its share of the market. E-business can’t do that?at least not directly.
No matter how impressive GM’s approach is to e-business, market share ultimately remains in the hands of the design group. Until GM puts compelling vehicles on the market, all the digitization in the world won’t turn consumers’ heads. However, e-business links and process reengineering are steadily chipping away at the time required to get those new designs from the drawing board to the showroom. So Szygenda’s organization?with all the pain and sweat and the occasional missteps that come with the territory for e-business?is making GM’s core business activities faster, cheaper and more effective.
That’s what IT is supposed to do.
