Stivison--E-commerce Has Arrived

Each year, this column has attempted to predict the hottest business or technology trend for the next 12 months. I have absolutely no doubt the trend that will have the most dramatic effect on how we do business in 2000 is the impact of business-to-business electronic commerce.

The Fundamental Effect
Previous years' columns have focused on technology innovations like PostScript, CTP and ink-jet output, and their impact on the manufacturing process. By contrast, this year's trend affects our fundamental business franchise. It spans the entire breadth of our business relationships, from how we deal with our suppliers to how we deal with our customers.