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2494303276010447557751148958564707英文翻译，翻译出来就采纳，在线等_百度知道
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求下边语言的英文，（它身长数百米，偶尔浮出水面。在不少船只受到这怪物攻击而沉没之后，美国政府派出护卫舰“林肯号”前去跟踪追捕。法国生物学家阿龙纳斯应邀参加，这个巴黎自然历史博物馆的教授，曾经撰文探讨过这海洋怪物，认为是一头巨大的独角鲸。 “林肯号”在大海里游弋了三个星期，却一无所获。一天晚上，教授正在甲板上欣赏夜景，猛然发现漆黑的水面突然闪现红光，接着冒出一个庞然大物。教授奔回船舱报告了舰长，护卫舰随即向怪物驶去。临近时加拿大捕鲸叉手尼德·兰猛力投出锋利的鲸叉，只听得“当”的一声，仿佛撞击在钢板上，毫无作用。护卫舰便开炮射击，可是炸弹均被怪物的尾部弹出，溅起一片浪花。怪物似乎被激怒了，从头上喷出两股水柱，向护卫舰右舷猛力袭来，随着轰隆一声巨响，教授、他的仆人康塞尔和鲸叉手三人被抛入水中。教授很快就失去了知觉。教授醒来时，发现自己躺在一个铁屋子里，身边坐着康塞尔和尼德·兰。他大惑不解。两位陌生人进来向他们致意，可是教授试用了几种语言，他们都听不懂。正在为难之时，他们的主人出现了。他身材高大，目光炯炯，用法语作了自我介绍。他叫尼摩，自称与整个人类断绝了关系。他说虽然他们已成了他的俘虏，但仍享有自由。只是为了保密，他不会释放他们，而且要求他们唯命是从。 教授虽然对失去自由感到难过，但是他还是被神秘的潜艇和海底的奥秘所吸引。在尼摩的邀请下，他们三人参观了他亲自设计建造的“鹦鹉螺号”。尽管它的部件是拼凑起来的，可船体坚固，结构合理，承受得起海水的冲击和高压。艇内有漂亮的客厅，舒适的卧舱，图书阅览室和娱乐场。潜艇的电力和氧气都是从海水里提取，能在海底停留很长时间。食物也是取自海洋，有些美味的鱼教授从未品尝过。布是由海洋纤维织成，烟叶来自海草。尼摩还让他们参观了猎取海洋动物的枪支和便于在海底行走的装备。 “鹦鹉螺号”在太平洋里潜行。教授透过玻璃窗，一路观赏着光怪陆离的海底景象和五光十色的深海生物。途经克利斯波岛时，尼摩派人送来纸条，邀请他们三人到海底森林打猎。于是他们穿上潜水服，背上氧气瓶，手持特别猎枪，穿过换压舱，走在海底平原上。尼摩举枪射中一只大海獭，然后又杀了两条海豚似的动物，满载而归。潜艇到达加里曼丹附近时，食品告缺。教授他们三人决定上岸寻找蔬菜和野味。起初，他们运气不错，打死了几头野猪，采摘了不少水果。正当他们在沙滩上架起篝火准备烤肉时，突然受到土著人的袭击。他们慌忙逃进小艇，驶向停泊在海中的潜艇。可是土著人乘上木筏，紧迫不舍。即使教授他们爬上潜艇，下了底舱，土著人仍然围着潜艇，不肯散去。第二天一早，潜艇开舱换气时，土著人果真纷纷爬上船来。可是他们的手一碰到栏杆，就惊叫着退缩了回去，原来金属栏杆全部通了电。 潜艇驶入印度洋，在斯里兰卡附近，尼摩邀请教授他们到海底参观采珠场。这里盛产珍珠，最大的价值可达二百万美元。教授兴趣盎然地观看印度人在海底采珠。突然，一条巨鲨张着血盆大口向印度人袭去，尼摩当即手执短刀，挺身上前与鲨鱼展开搏斗，尼德·兰举叉相助，正中鲨鱼心脏。尼摩随即把采珠人托出水面，还从自己口袋里取出几颗珍珠送他。教授从心底敬佩尼摩舍己救人的精神，并由此知道尼摩事实上没有断绝与人类的交往。 “鹦鹉螺号”从红海进入地中海花了不足20分钟。它是通过尼摩发现的海底通道潜行的，那时还没有苏伊士运河。 一路上，教授发现了不少惊人的事情。船至康地岛时，尼摩从柜子里取出许多黄金，派人乘小艇送出去。后来当潜艇驶入大西洋，停泊在维多湾海底时，尼摩又派他的船员潜水从海底沉船里搬上来。）
提问者采纳
it is up to hundreds meters, occasionally surfaced. Aftermany ships are the monster attack and sinking, the United States government sent the frigate &Lincoln& to track down.The French biologist Aaron Jonas was invited to participate in, the Paris Museum of natural history professor, once wrote about this sea monster, that is a huge narwhal.&Lincoln& in the sea swimming缉阀光合叱骨癸摊含揩 for three weeks, but have gained nothing. One night, the professor is the deck to enjoy the night scene, suddenly found that dark watersuddenly flashed red light, then emits a huge monster.Professor ran to the cabin report the captain, the frigatesailed immediately to the monster. Near Canada harpoonhand Nead Lan violently throws sharp whale fork, only to hear &when& sound, as if the impact on the plate, there is no role. The frigate then opened fire, but the bomb was the monster tail pop-up, splashing a spray. The monsterappears to be outraged, from spray two jets of water, to hit the frigate starboard power, with a bang bang, Professor,his servant Consel and the whale fork hand three people were thrown into the water. The professor was soon lost consciousness.The professor wakes up, he found himself lying in an ironhouse, sitting beside Consel and Ned lan. He be not a little bewildered. Two strangers came out to greet them, but the professor tried several languages, they don't understand.Being embarrassed when, they master appeared. He was tall, with one's eyes flashed like lightning., the Frenchintroduced himself. His name is Nemo, who with the entire human broke off relations. He said that although they hadbeen his captive, but still enjoy freedom. Just for the sake of security, he won't release them, and asking them to do sb.'s bidding.Professor though losing freedom to feel sad, but he wasattracted by the mystery mystery submarine and submarine. At the invitation of Nemo, they three people visited him personally designed and built the &nautilus&. In spite of its components is pieced together, can the firm,reasonable structure, bear the impact and pressure. The lifeboat a nice living room, a comfortable cabin, library reading room and entertainment field. Submarine power and oxygen are extracted from the sea, can stay in deep water for a long time. The food is taken from the sea,Professor fish some delicious never tasted. Cloth is made of marine woven fabric, tobacco from seaweed. Nima also let they visited the marine animal hunting guns and easy towalk on the ocean floor equipment.&Nautilus& in the Pacific stealth. The professor through the window, all the way to watch a lustrous and dazzlingundersea scene and resplendent with variegated colorationof deep-sea creatures. By way of Crespo Island, Nemo sentthe note, they invited three people to the submarinehunting in the forest. So they put on a diving suit, carryingoxygen bottles, holding special shotgun, through theexchange of ballast, walking on the sea plain. Nima gunshot a large sea otters, and then I killed two dolphins likeanimal, return fully loaded.The submarine to reach the vicinity of Kalimantan, foodmiss. They decided to go ashore to find Professor threevegetables and game. At first, they were lucky, killing several wild boar, picking a lot of fruit. Just as they were on the beach over a campfire to barbecue, suddenly fromNative American attacks. They hurried to escape into the boat, moored in the sea submarine. But the natives on the raft, pressing reluctant. Even professor they climb on thesubmarine, the bottoms, indigenous people still aroundsubmarine, refused to disperse. The very next day early in the morning, the submarine cabin opening ventilation,indigenous people really have climbed aboard. But theytouched the railing, he screamed back home, the originalmetal railings all electric.The submarine sailed into India ocean, in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, Nemo invited them to visit Professor sea pearl field.Here rich Pearl, the maximum value of up to $two million.Professor of intense interest to watch the Indians in the seapearl. Suddenly, a giant shark open one's bloody mouth toIndian attack, Nemo immediately hand dagger, to come forward to fight with sharks, Ned LAN fork help, medianshark heart. Nemo and the Pearl up out of the water, alsotook out a few pearls to send him out of his own pocket.From the bottom of my heart admire Professor Nemo risk one's life for another spirit, and thus know no contact with human NIMA actually cut off.&Nautilus& from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea tookless than 20 minutes. It is now found Nemo submarine channels through the Suez canal, was also not.Along the way, he found some amazing things. The vessel to the continent island, Nemo took out a lot of gold from the cupboard, sent by boat to send out. Later, when the submarine sailed into the Atlantic, anchored in the VictoriaGulf, Nemo sent his crew moved up from the seabed wreckdiving.望采纳，谢谢。
算了，采纳你吧，不过你是不是用的百度翻译
使用有道翻译的，嘻嘻。
确实是翻译机翻的，嘻嘻。
鼓励一下你，采纳你吧，同意请回答
那就谢谢啦。
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谢谢，以后加油哦~
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(it is hundreds of meters in length and occasionally to the surface. In a lot of this monster attacks on ships and, after the sinking of the U.S. government frigate, &Lincoln& to track down. French biologist Aaron natrium, were invited to attend the Paris museum of natural history professor, have been written about this sea monster, considered to be a huge narwhal.
&Lincoln& swimming in the sea for three weeks, but found nothing. One night, the professor is deck at night, suddenly found that dark water suddenly flashing red light, and then come up to a monster. Professor ran back to the cabin report captain, frigates and immediately to the monster. Ap...
这……是翻译的上文吗？是不是有点少
可惜太迟了，我已经采纳别人了
It is height of several hundred meters, and occasionally surfaced. In many vessels sunk by this monster attacks, the U.S. government sent the frigate &Abraham Lincoln& go tracking hunt. French biologist Aaron Salinas was invited to participate, a professor at the Paris Museum of Natural History, was the author studied this sea monster, that is a huge narwhal.
&Abraham Lincoln& cruising in the sea for three weeks, but found nothing. One evening, enjoy the night on the deck, Professor, suddenly found the dark surface of the water suddenly flashed red, then emerge a monster. Professor ran back to the cabin reported captain, frigate sailed immediately t...
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Multichannel customer management: The benefits and challenges
Abstract (Document Summary)
This paper defines multichannel customer management and investigates the opportunities and problems created by multichannel customer management. It explains why multichannel customer management has become an issue for serious discussion. Its aim is to help companies determine their strategies and tactics in this area. It does not provide a complete recipe for multichannel management, but rather explores the main decisions companies need to take as they add customer management channels. It identifies the importance of understanding customer needs and defining the experience customers want from each channel and overall. It probes issues related to technology, organization, measurement, and economics. A checklist of questions is provided to help companies examining this area.
Copyright Henry Stewart Conferences and Publications Ltd. Sep 2002 [Headnote]
Abstract This paper defines multichannel customer management and investigates the opportunities and problems created by multichannel customer management. It explains why multichannel customer management has become an issue for serious discussion. Its aim is to help companies determine their strategies and tactics in this area. It does not provide a complete recipe for multichannel management, but rather explores the main decisions companies need to take as they add customer management channels. It identifies the importance of understanding customer needs and defining the experience customes wants from each channel and overall. It probes issues related to technology, organisation, measurement and economics. A checklist of questions to help companies examining this area is provided at the end of the paper. &
INTRODUCTION - CHANGING TIMES, CHANGING CHANNELS
It all used to be so simple - separate channel managers, separate segments targeted by separate channels, products aligned by channel, customers asked to deal with specific channels, measures of effectiveness purely on business transacted per channel. Things have, however, changed. Many companies are in a transition in channel management, typically covering the following: they are moving away from channels dedicated to restricted tasks and not communicating with each other, but are not certain how far to move towards channels which all work with the same data and to the same objectives
- they have seen some of the disadvantages of having different and possibly incompatible technology platforms for each channel, but are not certain of the benefits of moving to a single platform
- they have been through the process of setting s as separate web channels
- separate web channels often had their own objectives, management, staff and systems, usually experienced escalating costs, provided a customer experience which was very different from that of other channels, and in some cases created brand damage and increased customer chum.
Companies are moving towards the world of multichannel integration. It is the purpose of this paper to investigate the meaning of multichannel customer management, and its benefits and challenges. For example, Forrester reports that 63 per cent of retailers and travel suppliers expect to use three or more channels by 2003.1 Furthermore, 37 per cent of European consumers are currently using the Internet channel to research products, with 85 per cent of this group buying offline the product they identified online.
The purpose of this paper is to define multichannel customer management and to investigate the opportunities and problems created by multichannel customer management, and to help companies determine their strategies and tactics in this area. It does not provide a complete recipe for multichannel management, as the authors do not believe this can be done in just one paper. A checklist of questions to help companies examining this area is provided at the end of this paper.
DEFINITION OF MULTICHANNEL CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT
In this paper, a broad definition of the term 'multichannel customer management' is used, as follows: multichannel customer management is the use of more than one channel or medium to manage customers in a way that is consistent and coordinated across all the channels or media used. Note that the definition does not say 'the same way', as different channels ma be best used for different tasks. For example, in a complex, technical, business-to-business environment, a sales person may be best for explaining the product, meeting objections and dealing with queries, and setting up initial contacts, while the Web or call centre might be used for reordering or checkin progress with delivery. Also, it may be that channels are used in a differentiated manner, eg if a person wants to buy tickets for last-minute cancellations by other customers (anything from flights t( equipment orders), they are referred to an auction website as other channels cannot support this kind of interaction cost-effectively.
Note too that for the purposes of this paper both distribution channels (through which products or services reach customers from suppliers, including transfer of title) and communication channels (through which customers and suppliers communicate with each other before, during and after distribution channels do their work), are included.
A multichannel strategy is one that provides numerous customer touch-points - the points at which products and services are purchased or serviced - across several distribution channels, such as:
- direct channels, eg telephone, Internet, mobile telephone (voice, SMS and eventually WAP) and interactive television (iTV)
- counter and kiosk service in branch networks or retail outlets
- partnerships and alliances
- sales force
- service force.
In some cases, these may be supported by broadcast media, in which the customer is not necessarily identified eg television, radio, press and some Web applications.
WHY IS MULTICHANNEL CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT NOW?
There are two main reasons for the importance of multichannel customer management:
-- developments in new channel technology: increasing reliability and speed of storage and telecommunications technology, convergence of voice, video and data customer requirements and expectations: some (not all) customers expect technology and processes to be used to manage them more consistently across channels.
Although it is now easier to ensure that every channel dealing directly with a given customer has the latest data on the state of interaction between supplier and customer, and follows related, connected processes, this is not costless or without technical problems. In particular, it should be noted that the companies for whom it is suggested that multichannel customer management will yield the most benefits are those for whom achieving it is most problematic. They have the largest customer bases, the most complex lines and the longest history of systems development, with many business-critical systems that support the process of customer management being quite old. This applies, for example, to many companies in financial services, logistics and manufacturing companies.
THE BENEFITS
The benefits of multichannel customer management, however, are numerous. These include benefits that work through customers, ones that work for customers and ones that work through efficiency, as follows. The benefits that work through customers are:
- the identification and capture of opportunities for increasing value per customer
-- increased convenience and an improved experience, reducing customer chum rates and increasing their motivation to buy more from the supplier
--the ability to leverage an established brand creating positive impacts on brand perception and mitigating the risk of brand damage, increasing the incentive for customers to stay and buy more.
The efficiency benefits are:
- increased efficiency through the sharing of processes, technology and information
- increased organisational flexibility
- increased efficiency in dealing with business partners, so they can reduce their costs
- increased efficiency in exploiting customer data to identify customer needs, possibly indicating new paths for growth.
The benefits for customers are:
- increased choice in the way they can interact
- the ability to switch easily between the various channels, when it suits them and wherever they want to, depending on their preference and the type of interaction, whether it be the exploration or purchase of a product or service.
For the supplier, channel integration helps the sharing of customer data across channels to create a more complete customer profile which will help to maximise cross-selling opportunities.
THE CHALLENGES
Multichannel integration does not come without its challenges. Problems experienced by companies include:
- heavy investments in unconvincing multichannel strategies and technologies that result in a poor return on investment (ROI)
- problems in bringing together and standardising data about customers oz resulting from interactions with there
- problems unifying different systems which may have very different data models
- difficulties in reducing or abolishing organisational boundaries.
For example, a survey of 50 retailers in the USA revealed that 48 per cent had learned nothing about their cross-channel customers and the biggest problem they faced was their inability to recognise known customers across all touch-points.3 Research to identify how far financial institutions have moved towards integrating customer touch-points was conducted by Forrester. They interviewed 50 information technology (IT) executives at banks, brokerages and insurance firms and found that for 52 per cent of the interviewees, channel integration projects were only just commencing, and for 54 per cent less than half of their products are integrated across channels.
Examples of organisations which have already gone some way towards integrating their channels include Allstate, Gateway and E*Trade. All these organisations have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in building and integrating field, phone and Internet sales and service.
SEVEN FACTORS DRIVING CHANGE
Seven factors are causing companies to focus on multichannel management, as follows:
- customer demand
- channel costs
- strategic competitive advantage and differentiation
- allowing customers to manage relationships
- convergence of channel roles
- increased variety in customers' channel use patterns
- regulatory pressure.
Customer demand
Customers' desire for convenience has partly fuelled the increasing requirement for multichannel integration. Increased customer expectations translate to a demand for 24/7 high-speed access and choice in how they interact with a company. Customers often have strong preferences for using a specific channel for particular kinds of interaction, for example, they may use the in-store channel to commit to a buying decision, while using the more convenient online channel for exploring options - Forrester research identified that 46 per cent of online buyers research online to purchase offline, while 27 per cent research offline to buy online and 17 per cent do both.' The focus should not be on providing all things in all channels but on providing the expected level of service for the target user group of that channel.
Channel costs
Maintaining channels (including marketing, advertising and managing the channels themselves) can typically account for around 40 per cent of a company's costs. Channels tend to be managed and maintained in silos with multiple infrastructures, management teams, technology and, possibly, different marketing strategies. The potential sharing and reuse of people, process and technology that can be achieved through an integrated channel strategy can, however, help improve an organisation's channel cost structure. Furthermore, the mapping of high-value customer usage and preferences can help identify channel areas of over-investment and channels which are not providing their optimum ROI and consequently identify channels that require some form of disinvestment and asset reallocation.
Strategic competitive advantage and differentiation
Products can be copied within days (H&M, the fashion retailer, can copy a design from the catwalk and get it on the High Street within 72 hours). Pricing can be undercut within minutes. Apart from branding, multichannel management is one of the few customer-facing differentiators that can deliver true sustainable competitive advantage.
Allowing customers to manage relationships
Badly executed customer relationship management (CPM) (as, sadly, many CRM implementations are) can result in the organisation trying to control customers almost against their will through specific channels at specific times in the buying cycle. Customers can end up being made to feel like cattle being herded. Customer satisfaction and sales plummet. The term `customer-managed relationships' (CMR) recognises the possibility of the customer being in control and the idea that it is the supplier's job to nurture and service the relationship.
Convergence of channel roles
Traditionally, channels were usually silos with most, if not all, of the functions required in the customer-buying cycle being fulfilled through one channel. Now in many companies, several channels are used during each customer-buying cycle and need to be designed, maintained and measured appropriately.
Increased variety in customers' channel use patterns
Those who synchronise their distribution channels will preserve or gain market share. Research has shown that multichannel shoppers in the financial services and retail sectors represent an increasingly large proportion of the attractive buying population. Furthermore, in the retail banking sector, multichannel customers are 25 to 50 per cent more profitable than those using one channel while retail shoppers who use multichannel purchasing spend two to four times more than those who purchase through a single channel. These findings are reinforced by the Boston Consulting Group whose research revealed that European retailers who have an off-line presence and manage an integrated Internet channel enjoy a disproportionate market-share and on-line satisfied customers spend 71 per cent more and transact 21 times more
Providing the target hig-vaule multichannel customer segment with increased convenience through intergrated channel management therefore not only encourages customer lock-on and brand loyalty, but results in imporved customer lifetime value.
Regulatory pressure
In some sectors (eg financial services, public sector) government has a strong interest in the cost-effectiveness and quality of channel use, particularly where high channel costs lead to customers apparently getting poor value or even to customers being excluded or disenfranchised.
DETERMINING CHANNEL FUNCTIONALITY
Careful thought needs to be paid to the use of each channel in multichannel programmes - 'one channel fits all' is not the case anymore. Car buyers no longer just visit their local dealer, and television buyers no longer just go down to their local electrical store. Research shows that many customers use multiple channels through some channels are used to research while others are used to purchase or service.
If a company decides to adopt a multichannel strategy, it must consider whether all its channels should offer the same range of products and services, and whether all channels should support all functionality areas. If necessary, one channel can perform all three functions, online retailers or bricks and mortar retail outlets for example.
It is essential to define the role of the various channels and how they interact. This helps identify and clarify the target customer usage and preferences. Gateway Computers is a good example of a company that defined distinct channel roles and tailored each to the needs of their targeted segments to meet customer preferences and optimise their multichannel revenues.8
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MUST BE THE START POINT
Customer experience should be the starting point for defining required channel functionality. Here are some suggestions as to how to build on it.
Experiment with scenario planning
It is vital to understand customers' channel preferences and usage. Customers not only want to buy, but may also need information and advisory tools. So, scenario planning can be used to understand which channels customers want to use for each part of the interaction process. Customer scenario planning is a powerful tool. It helps at all stages, from articulating the vision, determining processes and selecting technology. Thus, for expensive products customers may prefer to pre-shop online and then visit the store to look at the product and buy. For example, Charles Schwab, the financial services company, not only provides online, phone and in-person trading but also actionable information and advice through their online Learning Centre investment courses, online Portfolio Consultation and offline interactions.9
Consistency
Suppliers should plan for consistency of their brand, customer information and the customer experience across different channels. Scenario planning is also useful here. Channel synchronisation may be used to deliver a consistent customer experience. Consumers can become frustrated when suppliers' online channels only sell a selection of their offline products or services or altogether different products or services. Many suppliers, however, offer either the same or fewer product categories online as in other channels, and 58 per cent say that their sites offer a narrower assortment within those categories.10 There may, however, be very sound commercial reasons for this, eg delivery costs and the risk of customers making poor choices leading to high returns ratios. To improve consistency in the product/services offering, suppliers should stage online product roll-outs, first focusing on depth in their core product/services categories, then add breadth through new complementary products and finally, once the depth and breadth of products online reach critical mass, suppliers should introduce not-so-obvious categories and services both on and offline. Alternatively, the on and offline channels should be clearly positioned as different.
Consistency in customer service and promotions
Services and promotions can be integrated across channels. Companies can use various strategies to achieve this: merging mailing lists to target e-mail and catalog launching cross-channel loyalty programmes to increas rewarding customers for whichever channel they complete thei and using bricks and mortar stores to provide local services to improve customer convenience for online shoppers. Examples of the latter include accepting returns in-store from online shoppers and offering in-store pick-up to get online shoppers to favour them.11 Where companies fail to integrate services and promotions across channels this will shift the balance of business elsewhere as customers' expectations are not met.
In making the transition from single channel to multichannel, companies face the challenge of pricing issues, ie can they charge different prices to their customers for the same product online and offline? Many believe that different prices for the same product from the same comp customers expect to be charged the same price whether purchasing online or offline, whether or not it is more cost effective for a supplier to sell online. The argument of suppliers is that a universal pricing strategy is not realistic, as offline customers must inevitably pay a premium for the added satisfaction of the in-store shopping experience.12
Research has been conducted into pricing efficiency between online branches of multichannel retailers and their Internet pure-play counterparts, to establish whether online pricing efficiency will weaken due to the presence of multichannel retailers. Research findings in the DVD market revealed that online branches of multichannel DVD retailers sold at considerably higher prices, over 14 per cent higher, than their online only rivals.13 These findings have been corroborated by Morton, Zettelmeyer and Risso whose study comparing prices of cars sold in online and conventional channels identified that, on average, online consumers paid 2 per cent less than offline consumers.14 Therefore, in developing their channel strategy, companies must give consideration to the very real consumer pricing expectations - consumers expect prices to be competitive, whichever website they purchase from, regardless of whether the site is a pure Internet operation or an online channel as part of a wider multichannel operation.
OVERCOMING TECHNOLOGY COMPLEXITY
Technology is not the be all and end all, but it is key. Implementation of IT packages for multichannel integration projects can not only mitigate risk but can also enforce best practice. Forrester asked 50 financial services organisations what technologies they used for channel integration. Most said that they relied on off-the-shelf tools from 36 different vendors and consultants, with IBM's technology leading with 32 per cent of this vote.15 An example of this is cahoots 'At cahoot, we want to put our customers in control. That's something IBM does for us... When a customer pays a bill via the website ... it happens automatically. We don't have armies of clerks behind the scenes re-keying data in the main banking engines. 16
The aim is to implement an integration solution that will reduce the need to build custom interfaces and speed up application integration and deployment. Organisations need to employ technologies that connect customer-facing systems by uniting application and integration servers, as well as embedding process tools to codify and manage business processes. 17
Technology is key to implementing an integrated channel strategy, but channel innovators may find packages are not sufficiently mature to meet their needs.8 The 'one application fits all' approach may not be the best strategy. An organisation may have to use a mix of available tools to address particular needs, using best of breed by channel and using efficient systems integration to work with channels that have established systems.
Technology can hinder a channel integration programme. No technologies are capable of everything. It is essential to involve the technical team early on, and pay careful attention to the parameters of selected technology, to avoid costly redesign of processes. The technology must not, however, be allowed to totally dictate the customer experience.
ORGANISATIONAL ISSUES
Multichannel integration requires a new organisational model - one that adapts people, processes and technology to meet this coordinated approach to channel management. Redefining the organisation, and processes and technology that support it, to meet the multichannel challenge, requires strong support from the chief executive and the senior management team. They need a clear vision of how channel integration will generate business value for the organisation and where the main changes need to be in the organisation. Decisions will need to be taken on the size of team and skills to ensure the necessary resources and flexibility. Employees must have the right skills to understand increasingly sophisticated customers, analyse customer preferences and create value from these customer relationships, while organisations must train their employees to develop the right skills. Organisational processes must be redefined to overcome organisational barriers, reduce operational costs, increase efficiency and improve the cross-channel customer's experience.
Hugh Wilson suggests that organisational structures can be a barrier to multichannel integration when a company is product or function-focused rather than customer-focused. He also acknowledges the need for an organisation to consider whether to `spin out' a business by establishing a separate company to exploit a new channel. Wilson concludes that although spin-outs may be suitable where a single channel strategy is appropriate to one or more customer segments, a hybrid organisational strategy would be more appropriate, based on a multichannel integration strategy to meet the different channel needs of the company's target customer groups.19
While developing a new organisational model for multichannel integration, organisations should consider cross-channel opportunities generated through channel cooperation: 'Retailer-manufacturer relationships based on shared data, technology, and investments ... to create coordinated efforts that leverage discrete assets to better focus on the customer'.20 Thus, research showed that online cooperation of retailers with their manufacturers can enhance sales through referrals. Fifty per cent of retailers and manufacturers surveyed by Forrester said that their online sales increased by collaborating, for some by as much as 25 per cent. While online cooperation between retailers and manufacturers allows channel-hopping Internet customers a fuller product selection, it also minimises channel conflict between retailers and manufacturers. Both the manufacturer and the retailer benefit as they give each other the opportunity to increase online and offline sales by providing each other with customer referrals. 'Manufacturers will close $50 billion in online sales ... but influence $235 billion in other sales. The power of manufacturers online lies in their ability to affect retailers' sales, both online and offline. Consumers will take what they've learned while visiting manufacturer sites and spend almost $90 billion online and $147 billion in brick-and-mortar stores and catalogs'.&
MEASUREMENT
An organisation is unlikely to get it right first time, so it is vital to measure, monitor and review channel integration programmes. Financial measures are important but they are a blunt instrument in a multichannel world where not all channels are used to fulfil or 'close the deal'. Instead a balanced scorecard approach is needed, in which a mixture of relevant strategic and operational measures are applied. This includes customer-focused measures, innovation and learning measures and process measures, all of which drive the financial and value measures. Profit rather than sales targeting, should be used (sales targeting focuses on promoting volume at the expense of profits and the quality of the customer base, while profit targeting focuses on contribution rather than volume and provides a basis for prioritising multichannel offers).
Consideration should be given to how to measure employees. For example, are Web and call-centre staff going to cooperate or compete if they are given independent targets? Employees should be measured on customer profitability (present or ideally estimated future), as opposed to rewards being tied to a particular channel, as this can lead to focus on maximising returns from that channel. A bricks and mortar employee is unlikely to divert customers to a low-cost Web channel if this reduces his or her bonus.22 Consequently, single channel metrics should be replaced with cross-channel metrics. This may include crediting one channel for purchases through another channel or rewarding different customer service representatives for their shared involvement in resolving a customer inquiry.23
THE ECONOMICS OF MULTICHANNEL INTEGRATION
Managing channels separately may not only damage customer relationships but also increase costs unnecessarily. The cost of running separate order-tracking and customer service operations, operating multiple warehouses and fulfilment systems, employing buyers and merchandisers with overlapping skills and building multiple brands is high.24 Given the potential of significant operational cost savings, the economic argument for consolidating infrastructures, management functions and technology through multichannel integration is strong. Efficiency savings will directly affect the bottom line. Integration can improve service levels but also lower cost to serve. Such cost savings may, however, require high initial investment: Forrester research into 50 financial services organisations, to determine the cost of channel synchronisation, revealed that 58 per cent of these firms believed that implementation of such an integration strategy would cost at least US $1m per year with 16 per cent spending more than US$20m per year.25 So, failure to plan properly may result in no cost benefit or may, at worst, actually significantly increase costs. For example, a move to self-service over the Internet may increase call-centre load and reduce profits temporarily. Consideration must be given to the costs of integrating new e-channels with 'legacy processes and systems, new fulfilment processes, origination and management of the online catalogue and supporting text and pictures and customer-service staff.26
So, companies need to ensure suitable ROI from their multichannel investments. Scenario analysis should be combined with testing and piloting where possible to develop a business case to ensure an adequate return on investment. Ultimately, channels must be used selectively, according to their strengths and customer preferences. A balance must be struck between growth, effectiveness, cost control, centralisation and channel autonomy.27
RECOMMENDATIONS
The main recommendations are that companies:
- look at what they have, they might be pleasantly surprised (rarely, if ever, can firms start with a blank sheet of paper so they must build, adapt and add to what they have)
- build a roadmap for change, not an unachievable vision: search for quick wins and prepare to be pragmatic multichannel integration projects, by their very nature, are enterprise-wide and very hard to get right
- start with rapid ROI and build: process redesign and a channel function review are good places to start to deliver significant ROI within a short time.
Hugh Wilson suggests a five-stage roadmap for formulating a multichannel strategy:
1 analyse th use market mapping and intermediation analysis
2 define channel chains to describe how channels combine to serve customers th consider both current and potential combinations and fit with customer lifecycle
3 compa use the channel curve to test whether a channel innovation will win market acceptance
4 se by considering strategic options and the channel mix using the classic channel choice portfolio matrices for prioritising
5 deter consider organisational structure, HR and reward systems, and project management and IT.28
Alternatively, Flint and Spieler detail a four-stage process which should be followed to create a successful multichannel enterprise:
1 create a customised multichannel strategy
2 determine the relative positioning and priority for the channels
3 organise for multichannel operation reconcile the need for central control over branding and service standards with the need for local autonomy in managing individual channels
4 adopt best practices for integrating the new with the old.29
A starting point could be to transform yesterday's cost-intensive call centre into today's multichannel Customer Interaction Centre (CIC). The CIC is the first line of communication with customers and its 'hublike' quality means that all customer touch-points and departments connect to it. The solution can include call recording on a sampling basis, searchable tagging to route intelligence about customers to where it is needed most, and the ability to monitor any call at any time from any location. Another advantage is the ability to build and maintain a data-rich, 360-degree profile of each customer such that even if a customer leaves and then returns the company is able to view and maintain a complete record of the relationship.30
Although many channel integration projects are in their infancy, with an expectation that such strategies are a long-term play, failure to act swiftly may mean that companies are left behind by the competition and exposed to the risks of inconsistent customer expectations and channel disconnect, which in turn may affect revenue and efficiency. Consumers are becoming ever more multichannel in behaviour - using specific channels at various stages of the interaction process. Consequently, companies must understand their customers' expectations, in particular their customers' interaction preferences and patterns of behaviour across different channels, particularly for those segments which are critical for the company's future. They must improve channel performance for these segments rather than trying to be all things to all customers.
Companies will find it hard to implement a fully synchronised multichannel strategy. They therefore need to undertake staged roll-outs of their multichannel strategy, while ensuring that any multichannel investments are prioritised and backed by a sound business case. Ultimately, the organisation needs to balance the goals of growth and reduced costs, and centralisation and channel autonomy.
- what is meant by integrated channels?
- what would they look like from the point of view of supplier, partner and customer?
-how should how the company manages its channels vary between transactional products (where customers are in regular contact) and life-cycle products (where customers might make a decision infrequently)? What about the middle ground?
- what could be the benefits and costs of integration - for supplier, partner and customer? What are the risks of not doing it well?
- where is the business on the evolutionary path? Who is doing it well in the industry and what results are they getting? Are they focusing their attention on particular combinations of channels, particular products, particular market segments?
- what channels does the business use? Are some more important than others, and if so, why? Are any strategically more important than others?
- how many of the firm's channels are integrated, partially or completely, and across different episodes in the customer buying cycle?
- does the firm have a multichannel strategy? Has it tried to implement one before? How far did it get? If it failed, why was it?
- if a competitor introduced a brilliant new product, would they need to use an integrated channel approach, or would they use a variety of business partners to achieve communication and distribution?
- has the firm experimented with x-channel scenarios?
- is the firm using channel functions fully?
- do the firm's existing products work across multiple channels?
- has the firm experimented with x-channel scenarios?
- do the company's existing products work across multiple channels? Could they?
Understanding customer behaviour and needs
- who are the firm's best customers? Firms should use strong data mining tools to identify the 20 per cent of customers who use those multitouch-points and generate high value for the company and whose preferences will satisfy 80 per cent of the customer base
- what channels do each of the firm's customer segments use? Is there a clear pattern? Why do they do it?
- does the firm fully understand its customers' needs and preferences?
- how confident is the firm of its segmentation?
- does the firm's segmentation reflect failure to achieve multichannel integration?
- does the company precisely understand its target multichannel customers' preferences?
Channel costs
- does the firm know how much each of its channels costs - overall and for different kinds of transaction, for different type of customer?
- how cost effective are the firm's channels? Do they meet regulatory requirements in terms of cost effectiveness and quality?
- is the firm using its channels economically?
Implementation
- how can customer information be better used to improve the cross-channel customer experience?
- what is the relative importance in achieving channel integration of technology versus people and processes?
- how important is data integration, and is it possible?
- is the firm optimally organised for multichannel operation?
People and organisation
- are the firm's staff paid on performance only in the channel they work in (multichannel unfriendly targets)?
- does the firm have cross-organisational support for cross-channel scorecards and compensation?
- how can the firm allow for flexibility that might be needed immediately (for expected situations) or in the future (eg mergers and acquisitions)?
- is the firm's organisational structure optimising the benefits of channel cooperation?
Measurement
what would a balanced multichannel scorecard look like in the firm's organisation? How would it work?
--how should customer-facing staff work with it? What about managers with accountability for different products or channels? How do the firm's processes support use of such a scorecard?
- how is the firm measuring multichannel effectiveness?
- how accurate is the firm's multichannel performance data analysis?
- do the firm's channel measures support the corporate strategy?
Business case and roadmap
- what is the case for change?
- does the firm have a business case for its multichannel programme?
- what evidence does the firm possess to prove its business case, and what evidence does it need?
- what is the firm's multichannel vision?
- what is the firm's roadmap?
- what are the risks?
- how long will it take?
- can it be phased?
- how is the firm going to achieve quick wins?
- if multichannel turns out to be infeasible or too expensive for all or part of the business, what are the options - back to product or production-centricity, finding distribution partners?
[Reference]
References &
[Reference]
1 Forrester Report (2001) `Implementing customer heuristics', April. &
2 Boston Consulting Group (2001) `The multichannel consumer', July. &
3 Forrester Report (2001) `Turning Web traffic into store sales', August. &
4 Yates, S., Shevlin, R., Watson, T. and Sweeney, J. (2001) `Integrating financial channels', Forrester Report, August. &
5 Forrester Data Overview (2001) `Retail & media data overview'. &
6 Yulinsky, C. (2002) `Multichannel marketing Making &bricks and clicks& stick', McKinsey Marketing Practice, August. &
7 Boston Consulting Group (2001) op. cit. 8 Yulinsky (2002) op. cit. &
[Reference]
10 Williams, S., Delhagen, K., Levin, K. and Ardito, C. L. (1999) `Synchronize channels or bust', Forrester Report, April. &
11 Aid. 12 Ibid. &
[Reference]
13 Tang, F-E and Xing, X. (2001) `Will the growth of multichannel retailing diminish the pricing efficiency of the web?', Journal of Retailing, May. &
14 Morton, F S., Zettelmeyer, F and Risso, J. S. (2000) `Internet car retailing', mimeo, Yale University, New Haven, CT. &
15 Yates et al. (2001) op. cit. &
16 Tim Sawyer, Director of Business Development and Marketing, cahoot in `IBM multichannel &
[Reference]
challenge - The drive towards channel integation'. &
[Reference]
17 Yates et al. (2001) op. cit. &
18 Wilson, H. (2002) `Multichannel integration in a digital world: A strategic approach', Cranfield School of Management. &
19 Ibid. &
[Reference]
20 Forrester Brief (2000) `Retail ebusiness networks emerge', 7th September. &
21 Zrike, S. K., Allen, L., Hamel, K., Sommer, J. and Flemming, G. (2001) `Channel cooperation pays off, Forrester Report, May. &
22 Wilson (2002) op. cit. &
23 Sonderegger, P, Delhagen, K. and Dorsey, M. &
[Reference]
(2001) `Cross-channel scenario design', Forrester Report, September. &
24 Flint, D. and Spieler, G. (2001) `Multichannel retailing: Bringing the new into the old', Gartner, 5th July. &
[Reference]
25 Yates et al (2001) op. cit. &
26 Flint, D. (2001) `Questioning your multichannel strategy', Gartner, 28th June. &
27 Flint and Spieler (2001) op. cit. 28 Wilson (2002) op. cit. &
29 Flint and Spieler (2001) op. cit. &
30 Dougherty, L. and Peck, V (2002) `The customer interaction center: Strategies for driving profits', Genesys, Peppers & Rogers Group. &
[Author Affiliation]
Received: 27th June, 2002 &
Merlin Stone &
[Author Affiliation]
is IBM Professor of Relationship Marketing at Bristol Business School, Business Research Leader with IBM's business Innovation Services, and a director of QCi Ltd, Swallow Information Systems Ltd, The Database Group Ltd and ViewsCast Ltd. His consulting experience covers many sectors. He is the author of many articles and over 20 books on marketing and customer service, 'Up close & personal - CRM @ work', Customer relationship marketing', 'Sucessful customer relationship marketing', 'CRM in financial services' and 'The management scorecard'. He is a founder member of the Institute of Direct Marketing, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and on the editorial advisory boards of many journals. He has a first class honours degree and doctorate in economics. &
Matt Hobbs &
[Author Affiliation]
is a principal consultant of the IBM Multi Channel Services Practice. With over a decade of experience in designing and implementing multichannel programmes for a variety of blue-chip clients he has contributed to many articles, books, seminars and conferences on the topic of multichannel customer management. Before joining IBM he was marketing director of the marketing strategy boutique Magenta Partnership, marketing manager of Demon Internet and managing director of his own consultancy. Matt is an active member of The Marketing Society, The Chartered Institute of Marketing and sits on the Marketing Council's e-commerce advisory board. &
Mahnaz Khaleeli &
[Author Affiliation]
is a managing consultant in the IBM Global Services' Insurance team. She has worked on engagements in strategy, knowledge management, e-business and business processes. Before joining IBM, she completed an MBA at Imperial College, University of London. Before this, she worked for five years at Lloyd's of London, where she led a variety of projects reviewing the operational and regulatory effectiveness of Lloyd's entities. While working for Lloyd's Mahnaz undertook the Chartered Institute of Marketing and Chartered Insurance Institute professional exams. &
[Author Affiliation]
Professor Merlin Stone Executive Consultant, Finance Sector, Business Innovation Services, IBM United Kingdom Ltd, 76 Upper Ground, South Bank, Mailpoint GSE 1, London SEt 9PZ, UK. &
[Author Affiliation]
Tel: +44 (0)20 ; &
Fax: +44 (0)20 ; &
merlin_stone@ &}