Textile Industry Lessons from EBIP in Mexico National Institute of Geography, Statistics and Informatics Natalia Volkow Case Study • Textile industry whole value chain – – – – Fiber, thread, material, confection and distribution Family industry – Spanish, Jews and Arabs immigrants Enormous difference in firms sizes and conditions Four chambers – own agenda (3 include e-commerce) • Developing WWW pages and promoting email use – Three geographic areas – political differences – Industry based on negotiations – Stronger firms export-oriented (vertically integrated) E-commerce • Things happening – not with the “aura announced” • Automation levels – companies size and role of family younger generations • Leader companies – e-commerce CEO agenda – E- business strategy – Not being left behind – bet no benefits yet • IT manager determinant in e-commerce strategy • Export oriented – ERP in place – ERP tailored to fit own practices – Company restructured to fit ERP processes – Differences in conditions to address e-commerce challenges E-commerce • New phase of the industry process of transformation – NAFTA – Modernization of industry processes – Specialization of industry • Integration of the value chain – Severely impacted by indigenous conditions of the industry – Market structure – determinant of e-commerce development Portals - marketplaces – – – – – – – Traditionally very little intermediation They appear as easily as they disappear Used as long as they offer free services Seen as another source of information Function competing with industrial chambers Big players – own marketplace New business – Broker – catching demand (URL names) - global market – poor response of local enterprises Innovation • New business - broker • New mean of marketing (B2C) • Empower salesman force – advisors – Difficult cultural change ---------------------------------– New business profit from logistic infrastructure new business line Policy issues • Promotion of e-commerce – Electronic - only flows of information – Address “real world” issues – Problems of traditional trade • • • • • Quality, delivery conditions, volume, transport Security impacts costs Financial resources Not general use of ICT Cultural change Telecommunications • Not reliable • Pricing still high for SMEs – Market response – Holistic view to SME – integrated solution • • • • Finance HW & SW Consultant services Communication service including email systems interface • Communications among companies (forecast) – Big companies ERP2ERP – Big to middle size companies ERP2co.systems – Big to small & micro ERP2packet solution Telecommunications • Prevalence of EDI – Relation with big retail stores (ordering) – Payments • Internet – – – – Catalog – advertising New electronic relation with suppliers SMEs Collaboration needed Negotiated standards as best practices avoid cost of EDI experience – Standardize product specification in the different phases of the value chain Legal issues • E-commerce law – electronic transaction has legal validity • Operational issues being developed – Electronic invoice – Electronic archive management norm – Electronic signature law • Mexican Electronic Commerce Committee (In parallel companies being prepared) Other factors • Specific conditions of the industry – Main deals negotiated not prone to automation – Automation benefits fiscal authorities – E-commerce opportunity with procurement (connect company systems) – Matter of generation being young trained in ICT skills – Strengthen trade relation – shared benefits- seeing in two phases • Electronic flows of information • Connection of ITC and planning systems – Better services more than cost reduction – Opportunities of other sources of procurement as bets, not commit whole production (trial and error) Cultural change • Adopt new ways of operation – In ICT as new way of doing business – In-house operations – E-government • Trust – New means to conduct business – Trade relation among companies • National • International • ICT reliability and security • Market – global profit opportunities Future research • Measuring e-commerce – Common understanding statisticians and industry – Comparability • Impact of e-commerce – – – – Type of relations (stability - reliability) Globalization of the trade relations Identify general trends quantitative surveys Understand indigenous conditions to address them in the promotion of e-commerce