B2B Solution Issues - Term Paper Example

Through additional value-added services provided to the customers, the companies are better able to serve them while gathering data about their purchase behavior. Through e-service-based relationship management systems, the B2B clients in particular can be well managed as dedicated customer relationships can be formed using this technology. Using e-commerce infrastructure based on hardware, software functionality of performing commercial transactions through the e-service frameworks can be employed, which enables real-time delivery of services to the customers (Kim et al., 2003).

Companies in the market are employing different forms of e-services to target their B2B customers. They may be composed of either one component or several components. Some of the most used components that are used by companies in their B2B e-service CRM solutions include service discovery components, those dealing with negotiation and brokering as well as billing. The most commonly employed component however is the electronic billing and payment system which is one part of the CRM solutions available in the market. Through this billing system companies can ensure that their customers can pay for services availed through the Internet only, in a secure environment (Kim et al., 2003). Using these B2B customers can be provided highly customized bills with personalized payment plans, which they can pay for through the online B2B payment system using credit cards, debit cards, and wire transfers. Companies like IBM have successfully sold out such systems for the company as well as commercial use.

Specifically in the telecommunication sector, the use of B2B CRM systems can be significantly useful. Through CRM systems the value chains and the customers can be integrated with business allowing the companies in the telecom sector to offer better offerings of product bundling, and employ affinity selling techniques (Bena et al., 2001). Moreover, the B2B integration-oriented CRM solutions can also help companies in the sector to build on their current long-standing relationships with customers while establishing new and profitable ones with the aid of technology as well.

Companies like IBM, Accenture, and Seibel are rolling out off-the-shelf as well as customized CRM solutions for B2C and B2B management for companies (Swift, 2001). Etisalat is also involved in providing such technological services, and in the past the company has worked with the UAE Health Ministry to make a customized B2B and B2C CRM solution with which the health ministry has been able to reap the benefits of modernizing systems, reducing times spent on processing applications by patients (customers) and improving the efficiency of the business processes by 80 percent (Microsoft Business Impact Success Stories, 2012). A study of the application of B2B CRM systems in Romania highlighted the use of CRM by companies in the region to identify areas of customer dissatisfaction which is important to manage for in B2B relationships (Gurau, 2007).

Etisalat operates in multiple markets, and in each of these markets, the company has different competitors. Some of the main and significant competitors of the company include Vodafone and Mobinil. Vodafone operates in the UAE through a partnership agreement with Du (Gara, 2009). A careful analysis of their websites and corporate communication platforms reveals that both Du and Mobinil (Mobinil Corporate Website, 2013) in the UAE market operate online billing and payment services. Through these services, they offer their B2B and B2C customers to pay their bills through electronic exchange-based online payment systems (Du Corporate Website, 2013). Vodafone in international markets like Egypt and UK also hosts B2B CRM and payment solutions where it caters to providing billing and payment service to its B2B and B2C customers separately (Vodafone Corporate Website, 2013). By employing such online CRM solutions, Vodafone has been able to reduce the amount of bad debts and lagging accounts receivables, while the pending accounts are recovered more quickly (Ordanni, 2003).

The changes in the competitive environment for operations along with the changing dynamics, perceptions, and expectations of the customers require the business to be more proactive and forward-thinking. Using online CRM solutions having electronic invoicing, billing and payment options for B2B customers can enable businesses to better serve their customers while increasing their respective efficiency levels in the organizations (Swift, 2001). Aside from this they can improve their business processes, get better deals in terms of negotiation and lowered prices, while the management of account receivables and bad debts can be made more profitable.