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E-Commerce How Far Has E-Procurement Come in the Maritime Community? As dot-com firms that lacked a solid foundation disappeared from the land- scape, the strongest are left standing amid the rubble. It is worth noting that at the height of the 'dot-com' boom and phenomenal statistics from various research groups, Gartner Group predict- ed that 75 percent of e-business projects would fail because of a lack of under- standing of technology and poor busi- ness planning. Of the companies predominately built on smaller amounts of capital from within the industry such as Oslo, Nor- way-based MarineProvider — from day MACHINE & FABRICATOR S*,. Specializing in Deck Equipment • CAPSTANS • MOORING WINCHES • WINDLASS'S • POOL® ANCHORS • LIFEBOAT SYSTEMS • RESCUE BOAT SYSTEMS • DAVITS AND WINCHES USCG/ABS/SOLAS APPROVED Ph: (386) 428-3215 Fax: (386) 423-9480 202 N. Flagler Ave./ P.O. Box 358 Edgewater, Florida 32132 E-Mail: edgemach@aol.com Website: www.emfdavits.com Circle 219 on Reader Service Card or visit www.maritimereporterinfo.com aondl COo BJdL incorporating Hepworth Marine . INTERNATIONAL Hepworth Rail INTERNATIONAL Dudleys Screenwipers Hepworth Steel Stockholders subsidiary Window Wiper Technologies Inc. Manufacturers of Window Wiper Systems Established 1868 .E. standard product* Full design facility* Technical back-up* M.O.D. approved supplier* Installation service available* Window Wiper Technologies Inc. 800 Flanders Road, Mystic, Connecticut CT06355 USA Tel: 001 860 536 6274 Fax: 001 860 536 9218 Email: hepworthwwt@msn.com Website: www.b-hepworth.com NG ON TOUGHE! JR JOB. CHAIN PATTERN ANCHOR PATTERN MARQUIP marine towing shackles can handle it. SWL 32-185 TONS Q Maxium load capacities and safety Q High-strength alloy steel construction 0 Easy installation Towing plates, too, plus many more products from one of the largest inven- tories of marine equipment in the USA. ( CUSTOMER SERVICE 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEElT) 1-800-851-3429 WASHINGTON CHAIN AND SUPPLY, INC. P.O. Box 3645 • 2901 Utah Avenue South • Seattle, Washington 96124 FAX (206) 621-9634 • E-mail: mfoOwactiain.com VISIT OUR WEB S.TE FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.wachain.com Circle 271 on Reader Service Card or visit www.maritimereporterinfo.com SYNTHO-GLASS® WATER ACTIVATED Pipe Repair Tape SYNTHO-GLASS® is a fiberglass 1. cloth pre-impregnated with a 2. water activated resin that 3. hardens in only 30 minutes!!! 4. NO measuring or mixing!! Bonds to almost any surface 6 different types of kits Available in lengths from 5 to 50 feet. APPLICATIONS • Emergency repair • Corrosion protection • Underwater repairs • Reinforcement of corroded or damaged pipes Steam & leaking Hydraulic line repairs Repair pipes from V2 to 36 inches Irregularly shaped repair Neptune Research, Inc. Tel: 800-328-0090 Fax: 561-683-8366 Web: www.NeptuneResearch.com Tony Giambrone (at left), of Maersk Line with MarineProvider's CEO, Collin Lewis, worked together to establish a user-friendly electronic procurement solution. one there was a vested interest in not only the day-day operations of the com- pany via its investors, but there was a mission that MarineProvider had — which was to assist companies already within the maritime community. Slow and Steady Wins the Race MarineProvider has emerged as a leading supplier of e-Procurement solu- tions in the marine industry, and now has more 40 percent of buyers that have signed up to use an e-Procurement sys- tem as clients, including Maersk Line, Ltd.; Golar LNG; Sun Cruises; and China Navigation. Collin Lewis, CEO of MarineProvider is confident that this is just the beginning of the company's already-established client base. "It's clear that we (MarineProvider) are moving through the early adopter phase and that significant activity is tak- ing place in the e-procurement sector, we've seen the concerns our clients have regarding e-Procurement evolve, and crucially one area that has changed is the understanding that e-Procurement can be an intricate part of maritime busi- ness strategies not in the future but now." The impact MarineProvider is seeing varies from a complete transformation of existing procurement business to just a peripheral effect on current operations. However, the bottom line is that there is now strong recognition that there will be e-procurement in the marine industry. While some organizations are overcom- ing the barriers to e-business transfor- mation, many companies still perceive significant risks and uncertainties, and there was a slowing of the predicted implementation of e-business in general. Many companies adopted a "wait and see" attitude before investing heavily in 44 Circle 231 on Reader Service Card or visit www.maritimereporterinfo.com Circle 253 on Reader Service Card or visit www.maritimereporterinfo.com Maritime Reporter & Engineering News
