MetaCapitalism: The e-Business Revolution and the Design of 21st-Century Companies and Markets

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471393355 ISBN 13: 9780471393351

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2000

The period 2000--2002 will witness the single greatest change in global economic and business conditions ever-the realignment from traditional corporate structure to Internet-leveraged styles of brand-owning, customer-focused companies. This realignment is occurring now, even as you read these words. In MetaCapitalism: The E-Business Revolution and the Design of 21st-Century Companies and Markets, Grady Means and David Schneider-two of today's most influential and innovative global strategists-gather and make sense of the many changes the e-business revolution has fostered. Case histories and examples, from major corporations like Cisco Systems and major industries like the automobile industry, reveal how market leaders today are accelerating economic growth and value creation by capitalizing on the following:

Global expansion of market access
Better leverage of capital
Significant advances in operating efficiency
Improvements in the efficiency of capital markets
Dramatic unleashing of human potential and capital

It isn't a question of if your company will transform to an e-business model-it's a question of when. By 2002, virtually every major company in every sector will, by necessity, transform from a conventional to an e-business model. MetaCapitalism sets out the strategies and impacts of this fundamental change and introduces the new concepts that will become a natural part of the business lexicon in the near future. In this new era of outsourcing and diminishing physical capital base, how will companies be valued by the markets? Can "brand-owning" companies-as opposed to manufacturers-maintain sufficient controls and systems to guarantee that their network partners are well integrated with each other and the marketplace? How will "value-added communities"-both horizontal and vertical-support brand owners in dramatically reducing costs, increasing quality, and responding rapidly to customer demand and market shifts? MetaCapitalism answers all these questions and more, backed by the trusted experience and leadership-and market-driving innovation-that have always characterized the PricewaterhouseCoopers team. This thought-provoking book presents a template for success in the rapidly developing world of business-to-business e-business-a world which tomorrow's leaders must begin to understand and master today.

From the Back Cover:

Strategies to Realign-and Win-in Today's E-Business Battlefield

Traditional global industrial powers-built on a base of tremendous physical capital and manufacturing strength-must today face a stunning reality: the fast, lean e-business world may pass them by. Today's business-to-business e-business revolution, in which companies increasingly rely on brand ownership as they outsource physical capital activities, requires a dramatically different business process model with entirely new definitions of business processes.

MetaCapitalism: The E-Business Revolution and the Design of 21st-Century Companies and Markets is the first book to outline the adaptations and innovations required to thrive in the new world of e-business. Original in thought and powerful in argument, MetaCapitalism draws on the combined expertise of two leading business strategists and the unmatched resources of PricewaterhouseCoopers to define this fundamentally changed environment and explain how managers can and must move-and move quickly-to reformulate their companies for success.

Tremendous knowledge, imagination, and insight-not to mention a small degree of faith-will be required to enter and succeed in this new world. Step inside MetaCapitalism: The E-Business Revolution and the Design of 21st-Century Companies and Markets to discover the fascinating and highly profitable rules, strategies, and practices of tomorrow's e-business-from the leaders who are writing the rulebook today.

About the Author:

GRADY E. MEANS is the Managing Partner and Global Leader for Strategic Change Consulting at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Grady resides in Washington, DC with his wife Gayle and two children. He has been a consultant to top management for thirty years. In addition, he has served in the White House and has been a lecturer at major business schools. His previous book is Wisdom of the CEO, also from Wiley. For more information, visit www.metacapitalism.com.
DAVID M. SCHNEIDER is Managing Partner and Americas Theatre Leader for Strategic Change Consulting at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Prior to joining PricewaterhouseCoopers, David was with General Electric in engineering and operations roles. He is a frequent speaker on the impact of new technologies on competitiveness and has served as an advisor to a number of Internet firms. David resides in Los Angeles with his wife Diane.