A portrait of a transformation

A portrait of a transformation

Bridging to the Network Company
Transformasi Pos Indonesia Menuju Perusahaan Kelas Dunia
(Transformation of Pos Indonesia in Becoming a World Class
Company)
Written by Hermawan Kartajaya and Yuswohady Taufik
Published by PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 1999
xii and 364 pages

It is fascinating to observe the transformation of Pos
Indonesia in executing its business model and realizing its
vision over the past five years.

The emergence of alternative products, ranging from e-mail to
ATMs, high competition among giants like FedEx and DHL and the
trend toward liberalizing the global postal market through the
General Agreements on Trade in Services made the company's future
precarious. Pos Indonesia has responded to these fundamental
changes well through undertaking strategic steps of redefining
its business and market.

Second, the extent of the company's metamorphosis has been
significant, fundamental and highly accelerated. In the process
of this state-owned company's transformation, one can witness how
it has become "enlightened" and freed itself from the trap of
relying on the status quo which has existed for centuries.

Third, with such significant and fundamental changes, Pos
Indonesia has been able to accomplish creative downsizing and
corporate renewal. The economic crises, which have practically
paralyzed most corporations in Indonesia, yielded no impact upon
the performance of this state-owned firm. By reorienting the
mind-set of managing its affairs, revitalizing business,
restructuring its organization and also creating new innovations
-- Wasantara.Net, customized service, hybrid mail, even venturing
into e-commerce -- Pos Indonesia has been able to maintain its
growth momentum, and was sustainable amid a profound crisis.

The authors have cleverly uncovered how Pos Indonesia realized
its vision to become a world-class corporation by relying on the
competitiveness of its core competence, which lies in its
strength of networking.

The large scope and space network are the basis for Pos
Indonesia's core competence, which will be the foundation of
future businesses starting from hybrid service, e-commerce, full
logistic services and extending to reaching its ambition of
becoming the method for a national payment system for the public
throughout Indonesia.

The book provides several compelling analyses of Pos
Indonesia's transformation. The analysis is wide-ranging and it
is a must-read for business leaders who are conducting changes or
plan them in the future.

The author is a correspondent for The Edge Magazine, Malaysia.

Hermawan Kartajaya is the leading service officer of Markplus
Strategy Consulting, a strategic marketing consultant. As a
consultant, he has directed many renowned companies in Indonesia,
including Indofood, United Tractor and Semen Gresik. In each
consultation, Hermawan uses a model which he has developed since
the late 1980s, Marketing Plus 2000, which was developed further
in The Marketing Sustainable Enterprise.

Hermawan is president of the Indonesia Marketing Association
(1999-2000) and Asia Pacific Marketing Federation (1998-2000),
and vice chairman of the World Marketing Association. Among his
best-selling books are Marketing Plus 2000: Siasat Memenangkan
Persaingan Global (Marketing Plus 2000: Strategies to Win Global
Competition), which is now in its fifth edition, and 36 Kasus
Pemasaran Asli Indonesia seri I dan II (36 Marketing Cases of
Indonesia Vol. I and II). Hermawan is now finishing a book
written with his marketing mentor Philip Kotler, titled
Relaunching Asian Economies and Companies into Sustainable
Prosperity. It is due to be published by the end of 1999.

Yuswohady is a research associate at MarkPlus Strategy
Consulting. He is an experienced researcher; his latest book and
scientific writing is Kiat Memenangkan Persaingan di Era Krisis
(1998) (Tricks to Win Competition Amid Crisis).

He is currently researching ASEAN Business Outlook, a
comprehensive analysis of the changes in the business landscape
in ASEAN countries after the crisis. He is also the editor of
MarkPlus Quarterly, an English-language marketing journal.

Taufik is the associate consultant at MarkPlus Strategy
Consulting and also the managing publication executive of
MarkPlus Publications. In the field of writing, he specializes in
marketing journalism, and he has authored, translated and edited
several best-selling books. -- Jaka Eka Cahyono