All About B2B » Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com Strength in Information. All Things B2B e-Commerce Fri, 18 May 2012 13:03:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 We Need a Social Graph for the Supply Chain http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/05/we-need-a-social-graph-for-the-supply-chain.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/05/we-need-a-social-graph-for-the-supply-chain.html#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 13:02:20 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=7422 Everyone is talking about Facebook this week.  How is that different than every other week you might wonder?  This week, of course, will be host to the long anticipated Facebook IPO.  The average person thinks of Facebook as simply a medium to keep in touch with friends and family, but the company is much more [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/05/we-need-a-social-graph-for-the-supply-chain.html/feed 0 Single Points of Failure in the Supply Chain http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/05/single-points-of-failure-in-the-supply-chain.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/05/single-points-of-failure-in-the-supply-chain.html#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 00:22:03 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=7415 Throughout 2012 and most of 2011 the hottest topic in the supply chain has been risk management – and with good cause.  In March 2011 when the terrible tsunami hit the East Coast of Japan, many of the world’s supply chains were crippled in the following months.  Few people realized the extent to which the [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/05/single-points-of-failure-in-the-supply-chain.html/feed 0 Joint Venture of SA2-1SYNC brings More Consolidation to the Data Pool Market http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/05/joint-venture-of-sa2-1sync-brings-more-consolidation-to-the-data-pool-market.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/05/joint-venture-of-sa2-1sync-brings-more-consolidation-to-the-data-pool-market.html#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 15:09:22 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=7392 On Tuesday, GS1 US and GS1 Germany announced that it was creating a joint venture between their data pool subsidiaries - 1SYNC and SA2.  SA2 and 1SYNC operate the two largest data pools in the world.  The combined entity will host more than 7 million items synchronized between 15,000 businesses.  This new joint venture is [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/05/joint-venture-of-sa2-1sync-brings-more-consolidation-to-the-data-pool-market.html/feed 0 My New Book on B2B e-Commerce http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/03/my-new-book-on-b2b-e-commerce.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/03/my-new-book-on-b2b-e-commerce.html#comments Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:39:31 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=7001 My new book on B2B e-commerce, Herding Geese – The Story of the Information Supply Chain, is now available on Amazon.com.  Wait…did I just say a book about B2B e-Commerce?  You might be thinking – who in their right mind is going to devote a few hours to read a 300-page book on B2B?  So [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/03/my-new-book-on-b2b-e-commerce.html/feed 5 EU Pressures SWIFT to Expel Iranian Banks Proving that the BIC is Mightier than the Sword http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/03/eu-pressures-swift-to-expel-iranian-banks-proving-that-the-bic-is-mightier-than-the-sword.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/03/eu-pressures-swift-to-expel-iranian-banks-proving-that-the-bic-is-mightier-than-the-sword.html#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:00:47 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=7023 Last Thursday, SWIFT announced that it had been instructed by the European Union to disconnect all of the sanctioned Iranian banks from its global financial network.  SWIFT’s CEO, Lázaro Campos, stated that “Disconnecting banks is an extraordinary and unprecedented step for SWIFT. It is a direct result of international and multilateral action to intensify financial [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/03/eu-pressures-swift-to-expel-iranian-banks-proving-that-the-bic-is-mightier-than-the-sword.html/feed 0 The Lost Decade of B2B e-Commerce http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/03/the-lost-decade-of-b2b-e-commerce.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/03/the-lost-decade-of-b2b-e-commerce.html#comments Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:49:44 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=6977 As we look back on the pattern of investment activity in B2B e-commerce between 2000 and 2010, I think we can safely declare that there was a Lost Decade. During these 10 years there were numerous attempts to revolutionize various industries with new B2B technologies. However, most of these initiatives met with only modest levels [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/03/the-lost-decade-of-b2b-e-commerce.html/feed 0 34 of the Top 50 US Companies Have Made Strategic Investments in B2B Integration http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/02/34-of-the-top-50-us-companies-have-made-strategic-investments-in-b2b-integration.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/02/34-of-the-top-50-us-companies-have-made-strategic-investments-in-b2b-integration.html#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:17:21 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=6771 For several years now there has been an ongoing debate in the industry about how strategic information technology is to businesses.  Some, such as Nicolas Carr, have argued that IT is now ubiquitous and no longer offers strategic advantages to businesses.  Working for an IT vendor, I have an inherent bias towards arguing that IT [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/02/34-of-the-top-50-us-companies-have-made-strategic-investments-in-b2b-integration.html/feed 2 SWIFT Faces Tough Predicament as EU and US Pressure to Suspend Iranian Banks Rises http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/02/swift-faces-tough-predicament-as-eu-and-us-pressure-to-suspend-iranian-banks-rises.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/02/swift-faces-tough-predicament-as-eu-and-us-pressure-to-suspend-iranian-banks-rises.html#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:32:37 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=6779 B2B Integration Networks are making the front pages of the newspaper again today as SWIFT faces growing pressure to block Iranian banks from using its network.  An article from the Associate Press this morning provides a full background on the story stating “The United States and Europe are considering unprecedented punishment against Iran that could [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/02/swift-faces-tough-predicament-as-eu-and-us-pressure-to-suspend-iranian-banks-rises.html/feed 2 Trading Partner On-Boarding – The Project that Never Ends http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/01/trading-partner-on-boarding-the-project-that-never-ends.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/01/trading-partner-on-boarding-the-project-that-never-ends.html#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:23:14 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=6702 In 1882, Spaniards in Barcelona began construction on the large Roman Catholic Church commonly known as the Sagrada Familia.  The church was designed by the architect Antoni Gaudi who took responsibility for the project in 1883. However, the construction project outlived its designer carrying on into the 20th century.  In the 1900s, financing challenges and [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2012/01/trading-partner-on-boarding-the-project-that-never-ends.html/feed 2 The 11 Most Popular EDInomics Posts of 2011 http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/12/the-11-most-popular-edinomics-posts-of-2011.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/12/the-11-most-popular-edinomics-posts-of-2011.html#comments Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:09:38 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=6518 With the end of the year coming soon, I thought I would provide a recap of the top EDInomics posts from 2011.  The ranking is based upon information gathered from Google Analytics about end-user visits to new posts published in 2011.  11. Corporate Social Responsibility for the End-to-End Supply Chain - Increasingly the general public [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/12/the-11-most-popular-edinomics-posts-of-2011.html/feed 0 The 11 Best B2B e-Commerce Stories of 2011 http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/12/the-11-best-b2b-e-commerce-stories-of-2011.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/12/the-11-best-b2b-e-commerce-stories-of-2011.html#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:27:44 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=6508 This morning, IBM announced that it would expand its Smarter Commerce initiative with the acquisition of leading spend management vendor Emptoris.  IBM-Emptoris will likely be the last major event in what has been another busy year for B2B e-commerce.  Not only have there been several mergers, IPOs and leveraged buyouts, considerable progress was made in [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/12/the-11-best-b2b-e-commerce-stories-of-2011.html/feed 0 Control Towers for the High Tech Supply Chain http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/12/control-towers-for-the-high-tech-supply-chain.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/12/control-towers-for-the-high-tech-supply-chain.html#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:00:33 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=6970 Orchestrating today’s highly outsourced, globally distributed high tech supply chains can be extremely complex.  The activities of ODMs, contract manufacturers, 3PLs, distributors and aftermarket service providers must all be synchronized to ensure the right product is in the right place at the right time.  In today’s high tech industry, companies are actually not competing with [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/12/control-towers-for-the-high-tech-supply-chain.html/feed 0 Cyber Monday – How EDI increasingly powers Online Shopping http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/cyber-monday-how-edi-increasingly-powers-online-shopping.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/cyber-monday-how-edi-increasingly-powers-online-shopping.html#comments Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:53:16 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=6198 Cyber Monday is here!  Although Monday is the official kickoff of the online holiday shopping season it certainly did not stop many consumers from getting a head start on web purchases this past weekend.  Last year Forrester Research found that almost 49% of all consumers said that they shopped less in stores on Thanksgiving weekend, [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/cyber-monday-how-edi-increasingly-powers-online-shopping.html/feed 0 Black Friday – Who Will Die This Year? http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/black-friday-who-will-die-this-year.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/black-friday-who-will-die-this-year.html#comments Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:57:09 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=6163 Tomorrow is the biggest shopping day of the year in the US – Black Friday.  However, a more appropriate description of the day might be “Dark Friday” or “Red Friday” given the wave of violence that has emerged in recent years.  In fact, the first references to “Black Friday” were not very positive.  In 1966 [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/black-friday-who-will-die-this-year.html/feed 1 Bobby Patrick – A True B2B Hero http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/bobby-patrick-a-true-b2b-hero.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/bobby-patrick-a-true-b2b-hero.html#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:13:32 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=6010 Yes, unfortunately, the rumors you may have heard are true.  Bobby Patrick, GXS’ Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer has decided to leave the company.  Bobby will be pursuing an executive role at a Big Data startup called Basho Technologies.  Bobby’s departure is a loss not only for GXS, but for the integration industry.  [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/bobby-patrick-a-true-b2b-hero.html/feed 17 B2B Integration Needs More Heroes http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/b2b-integration-needs-more-heroes.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/b2b-integration-needs-more-heroes.html#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:25:21 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=5928 Earlier this week GXS announced the 2011 B2B Heroes. These 20 individuals distinguished themselves by leading initiatives to build out the information supply chain.  Some supported ERP platform rollouts. Others consolidated systems post merger. Most of the heroes led programs to on-board small businesses in pursuit of a paperless supply chain.  The goal of the [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/b2b-integration-needs-more-heroes.html/feed 0 Recognizing the Heroes in the B2B Integration Sector http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/recognizing-the-heroes-in-the-b2b-integration-sector.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/recognizing-the-heroes-in-the-b2b-integration-sector.html#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:34:50 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=5915 In previous years we at GXS have held awards programs for companies which have demonstrated innovation or leadership in the B2B integration sector.  This year we decided to take a different approach by recognizing not the companies, but the specific individuals within the companies responsible for the success of the B2B programs.  Unfortunately, the heroic [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/11/recognizing-the-heroes-in-the-b2b-integration-sector.html/feed 0 The World Series and the Supply Chain http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/the-world-series-and-the-supply-chain.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/the-world-series-and-the-supply-chain.html#comments Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:16:15 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=5862 Last night’s World Series game between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals has to be one of the greatest games of all time. Both in the ninth and the tenth innings the Cardinals rallied after being down to their last strike. Although the series has yet to be decided with one game remaining, [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/the-world-series-and-the-supply-chain.html/feed 0 Alibaba should Acquire Ariba, Not Yahoo http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/alibaba-should-acquire-ariba-not-yahoo.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/alibaba-should-acquire-ariba-not-yahoo.html#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:37:33 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=5848 For several weeks now rumors have been circulating that Jack Ma and his Alibaba Group would acquire Yahoo. The merger of the companies makes sense as the two are already closely linked. In 2005 Yahoo sold its Chinese operations to Alibaba. In exchange Yahoo received a 40% ownership stake in Alibaba Group. However, I think [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/alibaba-should-acquire-ariba-not-yahoo.html/feed 0 Steve Jobs on Pre-Order http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/steve-jobs-on-pre-order.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/steve-jobs-on-pre-order.html#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:39:36 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=5777 Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs goes on sale Monday, October 24th.  But the book is already #1 on Amazon.com’s best seller list even in advance of the sale.  The high pre-order sales are not surprising given the worldwide tribute to his accomplishments that has followed in the weeks after his death.  The buzz around [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/steve-jobs-on-pre-order.html/feed 0 B2B Integration will play a critical role in the Second Economy http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/b2b-integration-will-play-a-critical-role-in-the-second-economy.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/b2b-integration-will-play-a-critical-role-in-the-second-economy.html#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:23:31 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=5729 Earlier this month W. Brian Arthur published an excellent article in the McKinsey Quarterly about “The Second Economy.”  By the Second Economy, Arthur is referring to how business processes that once took place among human beings are now being executed electronically.  Arther predicts that “In about two decades the digital economy will reach the same size [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/b2b-integration-will-play-a-critical-role-in-the-second-economy.html/feed 0 EDI, XML and the Metric System http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/edi-xml-and-the-metric-system.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/edi-xml-and-the-metric-system.html#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:12:41 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=5645 When people learn that I work in the B2B e-commerce sector one of the questions they always ask me is “Why are companies still using EDI?”  Most outsiders to the industry cannot understand why corporations continue to use an outdated standard developed in the 1960s.  The companies using EDI are by no means technology laggards.  [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/10/edi-xml-and-the-metric-system.html/feed 0 All the Technology Giants are Investing in B2B Integration http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/09/all-the-technology-giants-are-investing-in-b2b-integration.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/09/all-the-technology-giants-are-investing-in-b2b-integration.html#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:41:20 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=5537 SAP announced this morning that it plans to fully acquire Crossgate.  This is good news for the B2B integration sector as it acknowledges I trend that I have been discussing on the EDInomics blog for several years now.  B2B integration is becoming increasingly strategic to large corporations.  As more and more specialization and outsourcing occur [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/09/all-the-technology-giants-are-investing-in-b2b-integration.html/feed 1 Walmart’s Women-Friendly Plan Underscores the Importance of Supplier Information Management http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/09/walmarts-women-friendly-plan-underscores-the-importance-of-supplier-information-management.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/09/walmarts-women-friendly-plan-underscores-the-importance-of-supplier-information-management.html#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2011 02:20:28 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=5527 Last week Walmart announced plans to double the value of goods purchased from women-owned businesses by the year 2016.  Today, the company spends $2.5 billion per year with women-owned businesses.  Over the next five years Walmart will source a total of $20 billion in products and services from this category of suppliers.  In addition, Walmart [...]

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]]> http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/09/walmarts-women-friendly-plan-underscores-the-importance-of-supplier-information-management.html/feed 0 Before AS2 – When VANs were King http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/09/before-as2-when-vans-were-king.html http://www.gxsblogs.com/keifers/2011/09/before-as2-when-vans-were-king.html#comments Fri, 16 Sep 2011 02:18:47 +0000 Steve Keifer http://www.gxsblogs.com/?p=5523 In my last post I discussed the ninth anniversary of Walmart’s decision to switch to AS2.  The introduction of AS2 and Internet-based EDI technologies had a significant impact on the EDI VAN market.  Many people forget, but in the late 1980s and early 1990s the EDI VAN market was a big business backed by some [...]

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