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