There is no question that the impact of the Internet on business into the new millennium will be profound and nowhere more so than in global trade. The Web has opened up an enormous array of information and new global procurement options in the business to business world - both for the large as well as the small to medium size buyers.
Features of the new Web environment include choice (buyers can now literally scour the world for alternate suppliers), substantial cost savings afforded by buying direct and bypassing intermediaries, and speed. The retailer in Chicago can now locate and buy shoes directly from the factory in Central India. Likewise sellers have the chance to place goods directly into markets never imagined previously with the hope of seeking to broaden their customer base and improve margins.
The principal challenge in this new environment is building trust. Buyers and sellers are new to each other and hence buyers have very reasonable concerns about supplier history / reliability and also the quality of goods being purchased. Non-quality risk now has to be managed at source - not absorbed in the chain.
We believe that SGS is the company that will offer the key TRUST elements to businesses doing on-line transactions and are committed to bring SGS to the same leadership position on the internet as it enjoys in off-line trade today.
In this regard, we present our vision and value proposition to the eMarket :
SGS e-Vision
SGS aspires to be the preferred Internet provider of services that build TRUST between buyers and suppliers, connecting the "physical" to the "virtual".
SGS Value Proposition
SGS provides assurance to on-line trade transactions by offering new "Safe Internet Trade Environment" ("SITE") services under the "SGSonSITE" brand. These services offer different value propositions to the three main participants in on-line transactions:
Buyers:
Reduction of risk of transaction failure by offering decision tools to select suppliers based on prior transaction history and/or assessment of QA/QC procedures.
Suppliers:
Possibility of promoting the company's reliability or the quality of the products by leveraging the SGS brand and services.
Hubs:
Increase the attractiveness of the platform by increasing trust and enabling seamless one-stop transaction capability.
I'm extremely grateful for the cooperation and involvement of our partners during the piloting and development phase:
MeetChina.com
Tradepac.com
i2i.com\ Sparkice.com.cn
FasTurn.com
vLinX.com
PaperExchange.com
These partners are showing great vision in taking leadership in global B2B eCommerce.
Sincerely,
Tony Czura
Chief Executive Officer