Doing business via the Internet

It's not so much a matter of whether a company should use the Internet to conduct business, but how. This article looks at how two companies-one an aerospace parts maker, the other a provider of e-sourcing solutions-exploit the Internet.

While Arabella Bijlani and her seven-person team were exploring ideas for how the Internet could be used to improve their company's business practices, they quickly realized what they did not want it to be used for: simply automating existing business practices. With a $10 million development budget, the team knew it would have to think bigger. In less than two years, the team has realized its vision of a multipurpose portal (not all features are in operation yet).

Called Aerovantix, its launch was announced at this summer's Paris Air Show. The company billed it as the “first fully functional, all-encompassing aerospace portal.” The goal of Aerovantix, TRW CEO Dave Cote said at the air show, is “accelerating the velocity of business and adding service value to our customers.”