Minitel -- the resistible rise of French Videotex
Ewan Sutherland
Groupe Brun Passot
Acknowledgements to Michel Bernasconi (Ceram, France) who first presented
this material at an EIASM Workshop in September 1990.
Papeteries Brun/Passot
The stationery trade in France in 1991 was worth 25 billion Francs,
an average of FFr 2,2000 per employee. Of this 67% is sold to companies
and government, the rest to individuals.
The industry was very fragmented. The leader, Bruneau, had only a
5% market share, while Brun Passot had only 1.8%.
Suppliers were not seen as adding value to their products, which were
basicallly the same as those of competitors. The products
themselves were consumed and they could not be differentiated using
technologies.
Groupe Brun Passot
Brun Passot delivers over 12,000 product lines to over 15,000 locations
in France. Daily it handles 10,000 invoice lines.
Customers included:
- Renault
- Thomson-CSF
- Peugot
- Pechiney
- Digital
- Total
- Michelin
- Crédit Agricole
- Dassault
- Lafarge
- Spie Batignoles
- SNCF
- Esso
- Shell
- Rhone Poulenc
- Framatome
- Atochem
- Sanofi
- ICI
Figure Growth of electronic business
Informatising the business
For clients, administration and stock costs are from 18 to 45 percent of
total stationery budget. Stock can represent as much as four to ten
months of use.
Under the new scheme, Brun Passot would manage a company's total
stationery operation, in terms of:
The aim was to provide just-in-time, on-line ordering of stationery.
Thus Brun Passot could talk in terms of total budget and not of individual
products and prices. Consequently, it managed an annual contract with a
director, rather than a purchasing manager. It now sells software
products and services.
The salesforce is evaluate on the saving made for clients. Sales staff
were specifically recruited from the computer industry.
Telecommunications support
Year | Technology |
| |
1983 | Minitel |
1985 | PC Siclad |
1987 | Internetwork communications |
1990 | EDI |
1990 | Numéris (ISDN) |
PC Siclad is Minitel software for a PC.
Conclusions
The strategy was different from rivals and perceived as such by clients.
It presented high switching costs for clients.
Competences in IT were developed and retained in Groupe Brun Passot.
The company has shown a willingness to accept new technologies.
A champion supported the changes in business and IT strategies.
[ Introduction |
Invention |
Marketing |
French telecommunications |
France Télécom |
French videotex |
Messagerie Conviviale |
Unnatural market |
Cour des Comptes |
Quickening pace of technology and politics |
Conclusion |
Bibliography |
Chronology |
Web links ]
Copyright © Ewan Sutherland, 1995.