BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE:   Business Week ebiz
DATA MINE Oct. 28, 1999 It's Blocking and Tackling Time With the holiday shopping season looming, e-tailers may soon discover that taking online orders is just the beginning. Increasingly, online merchants will have to focus on the logistics of getting products to customers in a timely fashion, accepting returns, and managing inventory. A survey of 40 e-commerce marketing execs at companies such as J.C. Penney and Federal Express found that e-tailers still have big challenges ahead in day-to-day operations. What will your biggest logistical challenges be in 2001? Distributing globally 38% Lowering shipping costs 35% Managing individual shipments 30% Accepting online returns 30% Decreasing order-to-customer-receipt cycles 25% Tracking orders 25% Projecting demand forecasts 15% Other 28% DATA: Forrester Research Inc. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP					MORE NUGGETS The Mother Lode Collected nuggets from Data Mine