John B. Westwood

Product-market and technology strategies in banking

Banks have tended to lag behind other industries regarding globalization and customization, but there are instances where banks are actually more sophisticated in these areas. For example, First Chicago integrated its U.S. and U.K. operations through the effective use of a common Lotus Notes database [5]. Similarly, Coopers & Lybrand has successfully used IT to create a “virtual” global entity composed of its multiple national partnerships [8]. Because of their retail focus, the globalization process has affected commercial banks differently than investment banks. Retail financial services are organized predominantly on a national basis, and even those organizations that have an international presence do so on a multi-domestic basis with little integration of strategies and systems [2]. The classic example of a multi-domestic strategy is HSBC, which operated its global retail banking under national brands until 1999. The exception to the national focus in retail banking is Citigroup, a leader in personal banking for high net-worth individuals, which also has a tradition of global card and telephone-based delivery systems. Information technology is the most important single factor in changing the banking industry. Most innovations in financial services have been enabled by the creative use of IT, and the speed Product-Market and Technology

Marketing translation services internationally: exploiting IT to achieve a smart network

An organization operates within a network of relationships with economic partners. The translation services market provides rich examples of networks in practice that connect a diverse range of customers who require translation services to a global array of translators ranging from individual experts through to organized groups. This paper examines the marketing strategy of a global translation company, Thebigword. In the case of Thebigword, the network is constructed around shared information systems that encapsulate and define the nature of relationships with both business customers and thousands of individual translators worldwide. The marketing problem for Thebigword is that it must be able to sense and react to changes and requests from large business customers around the world, whether this is a change to their website, or a request for a new document translation. In the financial services market, the request for translation services may also be very time sensitive. The focus of the paper is on how Thebigword has used information systems to create a smart business network that defines marketing channels along the key dimensions of target market, business processes, IT architectures and systems, and network intelligence. A range of business examples is presented that illustrate how the marketing and information technology concepts fit together, including that of an international bank and an airline company. The case also provides technology examples of portal technology, web services and e-procurement.

Distribution planning in a turbulent environment

Abstract This paper looks at planning within the present distribution environment, paying particular attention to recent trends and developments. The idea of a depot as the traditional building block of a distribution network is questioned and the various functions of a regional depot are explored. The concept of a transit point as a simple alternative to a depot is developed and examples are given of its use in practice. Several refinements are available, particularly in the area of trailer technology, and these are discussed. The necessary support system for transit point operation is identified and finally the implications for distribution planning are considered.

An empirical excursion into the quicksand of vehicle replacement

The rapid increase of physical distribution costs relative to other categories has resulted in a renewed interest in the analysis of transport operations. One of the most common problems is that of vehicle replacement, and in this paper we present an analysis of real data. The methodology is developed paying due regard to the role of quantitative analysis in the decision-making process, and the sort of data which is readily available in most transport departments. A traditional discounted cost model is presented and this is followed by a productivity-based analysis, which is shown to be an improvement. The latter generates optimal solutions and is flexible enough to carry out considerable sensitivity analysis.

A simulation approach to the problem of yarn wastage in the carpet industry

SUMMARY In this paper, a managerial perspective is applied to the traditionally technological problem of yarn wastage in the carpet manufacturing sector. An empirical investigation is carried out to detect the errors arising in the spinning and tufting parts of the production process. A simulation package is then developed to investigate how such errors determine the overall level of waste yam remaining after production. To reduce the level of waste, several strategies involving the use of spare cones are identified. These are evaluated and compared using the simulation as a test-bed.

Stock management after catastrophe the economics of hold or destroy

Abstract The problem of stock control after a dramatic decrease in demand is considered. This paper presents cash flow models of hold or destroy which are appropriate in such a situation. Certain assumptions are made which enable a simple model to be produced which takes into account the effects of inflation and incorporates cash-flow discounting. The results from this are then compared with some common heuristics and are found to have lower costs in every case.