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As We See It
Challenging times demand better ways
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
The most pressing issue for any business these days is the challenge to become more efficient – more efficient in the use of time thereby lifting labour output; more efficient in the use of materials thereby reducing waste, and more efficient in the use of energy of all kinds to lower unit costs.
All of these ideas are captured in one word: productivity.
How to boost your business productivity is by far the most important issue, more so now than at any time, because inherent in the concept is the measure of how competitive your business is, and therefore how sustainable it is, and how ready to cash in on the recovery when it begins.
At its simplest, and though many volumes have been written about it, increasing productivity just means finding better ways of doing things.
At EMA lately we have been writing a lot about productivity, and thinking about how we can develop better ways to help businesses’ success. Since our business at EMA depends on the success of our members’ businesses, and New Zealand business at large, we asked ourselves: What can we do to help our members become more productive? Apart from urging them to make productivity improvement a core part of their business focus?
As an aside we have been urging members to focus on productivity too, for example by publishing a practical, step by step hand book on how to introduce Lean production into your business. The author of the book, Making It Lean, is Barry Nolan, an unsung hero of Kiwi business. Barry led New Zealand’s Toyota Distribution Centre in Palmerston North to world best status for Toyota worldwide. A terrific feat!
But as well as writing and urging people, EMA wanted to contribute something of direct, practical value to help build our businesses’ performance. And we found one answer in a low cost, though proven e-commerce system, and we developed it further so it would be a great value to all traders. We have called it E-MArket.
E-MArket (www.e-market.net.nz) provides a platform for business to business trading online. It’s a new implementation of a tried and proven system developed by local IT company, Unimarket (www.unimarket.com).
For buyers there is no charge to trade on E-MArket; sellers have to be members of EMA and Export New Zealand, and incur small monthly fees, though only after making their first sale.
E-MArket is not a Trade Me. It’s not at its best designed for one off purchases. As usual you will first have to establish your business terms and conditions with other buyers/ sellers, and arrange for payment. But once these issues are signed off, we are certain many businesses will enjoy big benefits from the streamlined procurement practices delivered through the E-MArket system.
Without leaving your swivel chair, every seller can upload and update their own online catalogue for their online store. Buyers can form buying groups to get volume discounts otherwise denied them. Procurement managers can click to maintain their supply chains: finger food for 50? Diaries for dozens? How about a 1000 metres of tie wire?
