So, with the help of vangeest and Twitter Search for #vrmevent, I’m addressing questions tweeted from the virtual floor here at the VRM Event in Amsterdam. Here goes…
vangeest: @dsearls: retweet @vangeest: #vrmevent: what is the relationship between the good old B2B marketplaces like Ariba and VRM?
As an idea VRM owes something to B2B, for the simple reason that B2B relationships tend to be between equals. Thus they can be rich and complex as well. B2C tend to be simplified on the B side, mostly so maximum numbers of templated Cs can be “managed”. Iain Henderson has talked about how there are thousands of variables involved in B2B VRM, while only a handful with CRM, which is B2C.
VRM essentially turns B2C into a breed of B2B — to the degree that both terms no longer apply. VRM equips individuals to express their demand in ways that B2C never allowed, and B2B never included.
But VRM is not a site, or a marketplace. That makes it different from Ariba, eBay, or online marketplaces. VRM may happen inside of those places, but VRM is not about those places.
Most importantly, VRM is not something that companies give to customers. It’s something customers bring to companies.
zantinghbozic: #vrmevent ichoosr: vrm is socialism 2.0 – http://mobypicture.com/?pcg0qr
This reports a provocative tease by Bart Stevens of iChoosr in his opening slide. I don’t agree with the statement, but his deeper point rings true: it involves a shift in power in the marketplace, from producers to consumers. Except I wouldn’t use the word consumers. I’ll explain that later.
In the b2b comparison, VRM is analogous to ‘supply-chain management’ (SCM) software systems.
SCM systems are platforms that enable companies to buy efficiently, both directly from vendors and through intermediaries like exchanges. The best known systems are provided by SAP, Oracle, i2, Baan, etc. A write-up here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_chain_management_software. An examination of the SCM functionality is a great place to ideate powerful features for the VRM toolkit.
VRM is SCM for individuals. Or, perhaps more accurately, traditional SCM is the sub-species of VRM that is applied to organizations.
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