an opportunity to invest your money in the development of an established enterprise. This gives a start-up company a huge opportunity to experiment, whether it be a network model or real acquisitions.

Another reason is that the Internet clearly places control of the market in the hands of the buyer, not the seller, since the role of the latter's geographic location becomes insignificant in comparison with the price and choice of goods. Businesses that previously took advantage of the local sales advantage in areas where information about other brands was very limited and travel to acquire them was difficult or impossible are now in big trouble.

I'm often asked to talk about how Dell was among the first to use the Internet, and what lessons we've learned can be used by other companies.

For the most part, we moved gradually, by trial and error. And, as I describe later in the book, this is one of the great things about the Internet: it makes it possible to get immediate response from consumers, which means it becomes easier and cheaper to experiment and try.

Our direct business model naturally gave us an advantage in the transition to e-commerce: because we have always maintained a direct relationship with consumers, we did not have to overcome the resentment of dealers and distributors in order to establish direct contact with customers via the Internet.

However, the lessons we have learned - what I call the "rules of the networked revolution" - apply, in my opinion, to any company in any industry.

Firstly, the speed, or rather the reduction of time and distance, "before", that is, at the stage of supplying components and raw materials, and "after" - when bringing the goods to the end consumer - will give your company an unconditional competitive advantage. By using the Internet, you will reduce the costs of establishing links both between the manufacturer and suppliers, and between the manufacturer and consumers. And this will allow you to bring products to market faster than ever before.

Secondly, efficiency and execution will play at least the same role as the goods and services themselves. Outsource operations that are not vital to your firm, freeing up money to invest in developments that are of greatest interest to buyers. How easy it is for your customers to buy and receive your products and services, and the savings you can generate for them through effective use of the Internet, goes a long way in making your brand stand out, just like the products you sell. and services.

And this brings us to the third and most important lesson learned: in order to build loyalty and actually establish long-lasting relationships with consumers, it is necessary to make their online shopping experience more enjoyable than any other available to them in non-virtual the world. Companies whose attractiveness to the consumer has never been associated with a pleasant shopping experience (such as discount stores or auto parts stores) are at particular risk from online stores that offer the buyer not only a rich selection of cheap goods, but also convenience, and personal service. Don't be afraid to experiment with Internet services, develop trial projects to find out what customers especially appreciate when they are presented with completely new opportunities for obtaining information.

For Dell, the foundation of each of these principles has already been built into the direct selling method. These are the lessons I have tried to describe in this book, and they continue to bear fruit.

To Russian readers

The word Dell has become virtually synonymous with direct selling. This mechanism is superbly tuned and functions like clockwork in many countries. However, for its high-quality and effective work, a number of conditions are necessary, including appropriate legislation, economic preconditions, demand structure, geographical distribution and well-established communications. When comparing these conditions in Russia with those in the US, where the direct selling model is most effective, there are far more differences than similarities. Since the importance of the Russian market for the company was quite high, it had to compromise. IN As a result, the option chosen was the one that maximized Dell's benefits.

Although the basic principles of the direct selling model remain the same, some changes were made during its implementation in Russia in accordance with the requirements of the Russian market. The strength of this approach was the identification of promising sales niches, where relationships were established with leading partners, thanks to which there was a better understanding of the principles of doing business in Russia and meeting customer requirements.

In a little over a year since the company's representative office was opened in Moscow in January 2003 and a new model began to operate, Dell's sales volume has quadrupled, the brand has become recognizable and in demand. Dell confidently conquers the Russian computer market. A year ago, many smiled at Dell's intention to become the number one manufacturer in the Russian market as well. Today it is becoming a reality.

Michael Dell

INступление

“I always liked getting rid of unnecessary steps”

When I was in third grade, I sent in an application for a high school diploma.

I read the ad on the back page of the magazine: "Get your diploma with just one easy test," it said. No, I had nothing against the school, I liked to study. And in our family, getting a good education has always been of great importance.

But at that age I was distinguished by impatience and curiosity. If there was a way to get something faster and easier, why not give it a try? And to replace nine years of schooling with "one simple test" seemed to me quite a worthwhile undertaking.

Then one early evening, a woman from the testing company showed up at our doorstep in Houston. The door was opened by my mother, and the woman politely asked to see Mr. Michael Dell. IN первый момент мама опешила, но, поговорив с незнакомкой, быстро поняла, в чем тут дело.

"He's taking a bath now," she said, "but if you want, I can call him." And to the great surprise of the woman, soon I appeared at the door, an eight-year-old boy dressed in a red terry bathrobe.

Both my parents and the woman from the company thought that I sent in the application for testing just as a joke. But I was completely serious.

From an early age I was attracted by the idea of ​​getting rid of unnecessary steps. So it's not surprising that I created a company based on the elimination of intermediaries. Dell sells computers directly to consumers and communicates directly with vendors. INнутри компании указания передаются тоже напрямую – без лишних и неэффективных «передаточных звеньев». We call this the "direct business model," which has led us, in Dell Computer Corporation's catchphrase, "an arrow to the top."

IN 1998 году мы стали вторым по объему производителем и продавцом компьютерной техники в the world. Our growth rate was five times the industry average. Our shares are up more than 200%, the biggest gains among the top 500 companies on the Standard & Poor's list and the top 100 companies on the NASDAQ.[1]

We were often told: “What you are going to do is completely impossible.”

Our success is (at least in part) the result of not just the ability, but the desire to look at things a little differently. From my point of view, opportunity is nothing more than instinct plus total immersion in an industry, subject or field of knowledge. And Dell's existence is proof that you can learn to see opportunities where others think they don't exist and take advantage of them. You don't have to be a genius, a visionary, or even a college graduate to think out of the box. It is enough to have ground for reflection and the ability to dream.

This book is neither my memoir nor the complete history of the Dell Computer Corporation. Rather, I hope that it will be your guide to learning how to compete, no matter what industry your company is in or what role you play in it. It so happens that we have been successful in the computer industry, but the ability to see and use the opportunities that open up can be needed anywhere, you just need curiosity and commitment. And as a result of the emergence of Dell (it actually began in a dorm room at the University of Texas), the path of my development as an entrepreneur and, later, a leader is inextricably linked to the development of the company.

In the pages of this book, we will look at what we have come to call our "competitive strategy": speed time to market, superior service, a passionate commitment to consistently producing exceptionally high quality, bespoke computer systems that provide customers with the best performance and latest technology solutions, and the use of the Internet. IN первой части я описываю то, каким образом появились и закрепились эти стратегии, порожденные нашими успехами и неудачами, по мере того, как компания росла, изменялась и снова росла. INо второй части книги вы увидите, как мы усовершенствовали эти стратегии до настоящего момента, как в результате объединения технологии и информации, получаемой в результате наших прямых контактов со служащими, потребителями и поставщиками, Dell получила свое основное, главное преимущество: превратилась в интегрированную, всеохватывающую structure.

Part I

1 The origin of the direct model

INпервые мне довелось ощутить все преимущества (и выгоду) ведения дел напрямую еще в двенадцатилетнем возрасте. The father of my best friend from Houston was a keen philatelist, and my friend and I naturally wanted to start collecting stamps too. Stamps needed money, and to earn that I took a job as a water boy at a Chinese restaurant two blocks from my house. Out of curiosity, I started reading