Globalisation is accelerating the IT world, something Wesley de Jong, Bechtle International Account Director, feels every day. From the headquarters in Neckarsulm, Germany, as part of the 50-strong Bechtle International Business Unit team, he realises complex IT solutions for customers, partners, and manufacturers in 14 European countries. The changes he’s currently seeing in international business, the new opportunities the future will bring, and how Bechtle supports its customers—Wesley de Jong reveals all this and more in our interview.
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We see a few hot topics nowadays in the market. I wouldn’t say they are customer challenges per se, but rather opportunities coming from the professionalisation and development of our customers and our potential customers. Four topics that we see: 1. Globalisation and economies of scale; 2. Chain integration and process optimisation; 3. Finance; and 4. Transparency and sustainability.
With all these opportunities, the way international IT procurement is done will change in the next three to five years. We live in a fast-changing economy, we will have new mindsets, new cultures coming into the companies; customers using their complete buying power across Europe, across the globe, moving away from possession towards the benefits of a pay-per-use model. In addition to that, complete chain integration with suppliers will increase a risk as well because customers are consolidating their supplier base, and therefore transparency and sustainability will be on every agenda as well.
To support our customers we offer them a local contact to help them drive local business and cover the important cultural aspects. And how we actually do that is by understanding our customers and advising them every day.
Bechtle’s been a stable and sustainable company for many, many years. With our know-how, our expertise and our buying power, we have all the building blocks to support our customers with their opportunities. We can offer our customers centralised agreements with a solid governance structure to secure all the benefits coming from globalisation and economies of scale.
In addition, culture is a really important factor in our customer’s route to success. And in an international environment we have many cultures involved. To support our customers we offer them a local contact to help them drive local business and cover the important cultural aspects. And how we actually do that is by understanding our customers and advising them every day.
First of all, we offer our customers a platform on which they can buy all their IT hardware, software and services. We can offer this platform as a stand-alone solution, but we are also able to integrate it into the ERP or procure-to-pay processes the customer already has in place.
Second, we are the single source of IT for our customers, whether we’re discussing a solution for the tail spend, the modern workplace, network, data centre, printing, security, or business applications.
And third of all, global coverage. With our offices in 14 European countries, we can offer our customers global coverage with different routes to their markets.
Why should I choose Bechtle as a partner?
Bechtle has been around for many years and we will be here for many years to follow. With all the great people I’ve worked with in this company, I’ve experienced one great thing: they all live to make the business and the life of our customers easier every day.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS UNIT (IBU).
Bechtle has been expanding its global market presence for 23 years. Its IBU brings together activities in many countries, thus offering international customers a single point of contact plus a comprehensive IT portfolio of hardware, software, services, and solutions.
The portfolio has four central pillars:
- Bechtle E-commerce branches in 14 European countries
- Exports via the Bechtle warehouse at the Neckarsulm headquarters in Germany
- A globally available IT procurement portal
- A global partner network in more than 50 countries
Contact person.
Wesley de Jong
International Business Unit
Bechtle E-Commerce Holding AG
wesley.dejong@bechtle.com
Links.
- International Business Solutions
- Article: Embracing the Global Challenge
- Article: Local Service, Global Expertise – the Bechtle Global IT Alliance
- Article: Networking across borders. Bechtle’s International Business Unit
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Published on Jun 13, 2019.