How much e-biz does your biz really need?

Many foundries are rushing to move their business onto the Internet in the hope of cutting costs, improving productivity and expanding their customer base. In their haste, they may be ignoring a basic concept: when you introduce new technology, take time to think about what your business needs really

A company's business needs are defined by:

* Its core business processes: Which one or two processes are most important to the continued success of its business?

Its structure: Centralized or dispersed?

* What it sells to whom: Custom-ordered cast parts to aerospace companies or wheels to automakers?

* Its relationships with customers and suppliers: How much information does it have to share and how quickly?

When we talk about the Internet, we often treat it as if it is a single thing: what we see when we surf the Net through the World Wide Web via our browsers. The Internet, however, is a multifaceted communications tool that can be used for many different purposes.