Getting Rich on E-Markets?

Although total e-marketplace revenues in the U.S. will approach an estimated
$9 billion in the next four to five years, individual e-marketplace operators
are expected to show solid but not astonishing returns, says a new industry
study.


In fact, the research from The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) says that in
five year’s time, e-marketplaces serving America’s largest industries should
be expected to generate $350 million to $450 million in annual revenues,
while e-marketplaces in most other industries will generate revenues of much
less than $100 million.


Only a small number of top performers will be able to exceed these revenue
projections, the study concludes.


“While our projections show that e-marketplaces will grow rapidly, most of the
value created by business-to-business e-commerce will be captured by the
buyers and sellers that participate in these e-marketplaces,” said BCG Vice
President Andy Blackburn.


“The benefits these players generate from
participating in e-marketplaces
will be greater than any return on an equity investment in an e-marketplace
business.”


In a new report entitled “The B2B Opportunity: Creating Advantage Through
E-Marketplaces,” BCG predicts that, by 2004, business-to-business e-commerce
will generate productivity gains equivalent to 1 to 2 percent of sales; by
2010, this figure could grow to 6 percent, or roughly $1 trillion.


But despite the beneficial impact on the U.S. economy, the market “will only
support one to three major e-marketplaces within any given industry segment,”
the report said.


“Today, there are more than 700 e-marketplaces currently in operation. Most
of them face an up-hill battle to survive,” said BCG Vice President Jim
Andrew.


“Ultimately, the U.S. B2B market will be characterized by a handful
of e-marketplace giants that serve the
overall needs of an industry; and scores of niche players serving a special
segment within an industry or providing a specialized function across many
industries.”


BCG predicts that for most e-marketplaces, transaction fees will drop below
50 basis points over the next two years, and other revenue streams such as
financial services and logistics will not offset falling transaction revenues.


Collaborative services, such as supply-chain forecasting and planning tools,
are difficult and expensive to fully implement and will not be widely adopted
for at least four to five years. These services are, however, critical to
long-term sustainability as they could account for up to half of total
revenues for e-marketplaces.


The report outlines five success factors for e-marketplaces to create the
critical mass or
liquidity required of a viable business:

  • Leave room for companies to differentiate themselves
  • Stay cost-effective and focused on execution
  • Clearly communicate to buyers and sellers the value that the e-marketplace
    creates

  • Extend the offering to medium and small companies and
  • Be flexible about changing the business model


The findings of the report are based on a three-month survey of nearly 500
executives at major buyers, sellers and e-marketplaces, as well as in-depth
interviews with more than 30 companies active in B2B e-commerce.

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