By
john[email protected] on April 15, 2010 8:31 AM
By
John Burke
Group Vice President Oracle Applications Business Unit
I recently completed a business tour in Mexico, and was surprised by both
the economic vibrancy of
the country and
the thought leadership expressed by many of
the customers I met.
An example of
the economic vibrancy of
the country: across
the street from my hotel was
the local Bentley dealership, Coach Store, Yves Saint Laurent and of course a Starbucks. I only made it to Starbucks. Both
the Coach Store and YSL had a line of folks waiting to get in...
As for thought leadership, there were several illustrations only on
the first day. I had
the opportunity to meet with a branch of
the Mexican Federal Government. Their questions were not about clerical task automation, far from it! We discussed citizen on-line access to fees and services - for example looking up
the duty on an international goods shipment, or tracking that my taxes have been received, or
the status of my request for a certain service. Eligibility, policies and status. Having an integrated rules or policy automation system that would allow businesses and citizens to access accurate information and ensure
the proper collection of fees and payment for 3rd party provided services.
Then in
the afternoon, I met with
the owner of a roofing company (note: most roofs in Mexico are flat and made of cement). This CEO started discussing how he wanted to transform his business from a cement products company to a service company and market 5-10-15 year service contracts which would guarantee
the structural integrity of
the roof and of course that
the roof would remain waterproof. Although his products were guaranteed, they required an annual inspection and most home owners never schedule that inspection until it is too late and water damage has occurred. These emergency calls reduce his margin and reduce customer satisfaction. This lead to a discussion of business models in general and why long term differentiation can only come from service, not just for
the music or news industries, but also for roofing companies!
I completely agreed with
the transformational concepts described in both meetings and quickly understood why there is a Bentley dealership near my hotel.
