E-commerce certification is a new and unfamiliar field

E-commerce certification is a new and unfamiliar field, for Alibaba is a huge challenge

Sun Jin

Alibaba has been hit by the company's share price as a result of more than 2000 "Chinese supplier" clients suspected of fraud over the past two years, and the storm inside Alibaba is also having a far-reaching impact.

Its in-house panel found that the incident had no significant impact on Alibaba's revenue, but needed to send a strong message to deal with the values that were violated. COO resignations, the CEO of Business-to-business companies, resigned. Jack Ma, the chairman of Alibaba Group, has openly stressed to customers and employees that the company will not compromise on values.

What happened to Alibaba? What are the internal and external factors of this incident?

What kind of fraud?

In fact, there have been cases in which more than 2000 Chinese supplier customers have appeared and cheated. This type of case was exposed in 2009, but the impact was small.

The typical case is this. When customer a needs a batch of products, he may look for supplier B Company in Alibaba, when the customer A and B company in charge of contact, B Company asked customer A to submit a 10,000 yuan "deposit" to their own company or personal account, and when the deposit payment, customer a found that no longer contact the company.

In this case, Company B is a "Chinese supplier" suspected of fraud.

"I really do not understand, if it is a deceptive company, why is there a large number of on the site?" "Complaints and complaints on the Internet are common.

On the Alibaba platform, there are certain platforms such as Alipay that protect client A's interests. But the question is what kind of attitude Alibaba is taking on a number of "B" companies after the client A is defrauded of money from B.

This question is Alibaba's problem.

Standard questions

Back to 2009 and 2010, the Alibaba platform fraud problem can be found in the internal cause of the "outbreak."

November 2006, Mr. Wei joined Alibaba officially. "I'm not a startup veteran, I'm not a professional manager, but a partner in this team." "He was a partner," he said.

November 2008, under the "China Supplier" system launched a Low-cost product export pass, the product has just launched the price is 19,800 yuan, and the previous Chinese supplier price of 50,000 yuan. Alibaba former market sales staff told reporters that Alibaba sales will be based on different performance on the basis of 8% to 12% of the Commission.

This Low-cost product has sparked an accelerated growth of Alibaba customers. But Alibaba Group CFO Tsai explained that Alibaba at the end of 2008 launched the entry-level membership "Export-version" service, aimed at reducing service prices, to more small business users to provide affordable services. Affected by this, perhaps because of the lower price of services, leading to some sales staff to pursue commissions and relaxed standards.

Alibaba survey found that most of the merchant shops involved are deliberately set up to defraud global buyers. Fraudulent practices show that these shops offer high demand products and are traded at attractive prices, low minimum purchases and relatively unsafe payment methods. In each case, the average amount of payment for the deceived buyer is less than 1200 dollars.

The company also said that in the 5000-person direct sales team, nearly 100 salespeople and some supervisors and sales managers need to be directly responsible for their deliberate or negligent allowing fraudsters to circumvent the company's certification measures and to establish fraudulent commercial shops in the international market. The survey concludes that the excessive pursuit of performance and the unscrupulous means of obtaining short-term economic benefits have led to the continued occurrence of fraudulent practices.

Alibaba 2010 Three quarterly results also showed that the number of honest-paid users reached 630,000, about 6 times times the number of Chinese suppliers, but accounted for 58% of the income of Chinese suppliers is the main force, and Chinese suppliers growth began to slow. This also constitutes performance pressure.

At the same time, Alibaba's share price after the listing does not allow investors to satisfy. Under the triple pressure of fraud, performance and stock price, Mr. Wei's departure had ample justification.

The possibility of a pattern change

Jack Ma in the Alibaba Group Organization Department 21st meeting request the Business-to-business team must carry on the thorough review. At the same time, Taobao's original CEO Lu will take up the CEO of Business-to-business Company, the two major platforms. Tsai also publicly stated that Alibaba's board is temporarily not looking for other CEO candidates.

What LU need is the determination of the next foot to strictly screen the members. The reporter learned that Alibaba and the international Certification Body Tianxiang Group launched a cooperation, the introduction of a third party based on the depth of certification services, is intended to its Chinese suppliers to carry out the maximum qualification certification, thus eliminating fraud, disputes and other events.

"Alibaba let us review 200,000 key customers in the first batch. "Tian Xiang Group of consumer goods China Market, general manager Wangs told this newspaper," Did 3 months, but also made 2000, the workload is very large. E-commerce certification is a new and unfamiliar field, which is a huge challenge to Alibaba and to us. ”

Tian Xiang for Alibaba to provide in-depth certification services are divided into "capacity audit" and "Trade capacity audit" two categories. Bercoline, China's president, said that the certification services of these two projects are not only the evaluation of product quality and safety of the merchant, but also the comprehensive evaluation of the supplier's capability, thus creating the credit system of electronic commerce.

And Alibaba wants LU to promote deeper synergy. Tsai said that Taobao and Business-to-business can have a lot of cooperation between places, such as suppliers, back-end resources complementary, Taobao can also for business-to-business suppliers to provide distribution channels. Business-to-business can also consider the development of marketing through Taobao to win new customers.

"Given Alibaba's slow market growth, we are not surprised by the resignation of its CEO and COO, Lu will introduce some of Taobao's good practices into Alibaba." Says Wallace Cheung, analyst at Credit Suisse.

Lu was born in Guangzhou in 1969, one year older than Wei Zhe. 1988 admitted to Guangzhou University to study hotel management, in 2000, Alibaba as the highest in South China in charge of the region. 2004 to 2008 the helm of Alipay and Taobao.

LU yesterday issued an internal open letter said: "The road is right, not afraid of far." "He believes there is a lot of work to do between Taobao and business-to-business companies in the future, with business-to-business companies facing suppliers and Taobao to consumers." In such a chain, the two can unite to create many opportunities, Taobao focus on service consumers, business-to-business focus on service providers, to achieve complementary resources. Taobao can provide a sales platform for business-to-business suppliers, and Taobao's large number of mature sellers can provide the best distribution channels for suppliers.

And Alibaba is also pushing for a fee-for-trade model to change the way it has previously been simply taking profits from membership fees. In fact, paying for deals can largely prevent fraud. At present, there are dunhuang nets and other similar E-commerce Web site in the use of this model.

The new crisis of Ma Yun

Zhangjingko

Ma Yun always let staff and himself full of sense of crisis.

During the past few years, in the field of E-commerce, Ma's Alibaba situation is a good, with a strong public relations, market operation ability, no one dares to challenge it, Alibaba Group's company experienced several senior management after the shift to learn, but also more "harmonious" to determine the horse cloud irreplaceable leadership status. Even after the test of the financial crisis, Alibaba and Baidu and Tencent are also recognized as the three largest Chinese internet giants.

However, born in the worry of Ma Yun is necessary to listen to the words of Mencius: into the family can not brush, out of the invincible foreign patients, the state of death.

In the days of the eldest, Ma Yun had some too easy, busy born asked, overseas speech, expand overseas market, and even almost no longer accept the domestic media interview, the eyes and ears are the scene. But a few years later, Alibaba Group after the listing of Business-to-business business, including Alipay, Taobao and so on should be more magnificent "big Taobao" listing plan has dragged on. Counter-view market competition, Dangdang listed after the initiative to Taobao launched a challenge.

In fact, these years to grow up the enemy of Taobao has been far more than when one, there are excellent Amazon, Jingdong Mall and other e-commerce giants have been eager to gain a foothold in the field, are constantly expanding the category.

In addition, Baidu and Japan Lotte Group joint Venture cool days, NetEase's ticket business, Tencent, Sina Weibo derivative of E-commerce are in the brewing, in the vertical e-commerce field, such as footwear Amoy and good buy, clothing category of the van and Massa Masso, such as the newly emerging clothing brands, luxury sites still goods network, and even Gome, Suning, Foxconn is also in the development of E-commerce sales, compared with a few years ago, now Taobao's rivals are numerous.

Not only are competitors growing, consumers are also growing, and as China's economy continues to grow at a high speed, consumers and businesses are increasingly seeking and consuming quality brands.

But and Ma Yun last foreseen the financial crisis in advance to prepare for the winter, Taobao also advance the layout of this trend, launched the "Amoy brand", "Taobao Mall" and other new business, and Ma Yun personally to communicate with the national logistics, I hope they will solve the current obstacles to the development of E-commerce logistics bottlenecks.

In addition to the domestic consumer market has changed, Ma Yun should also have noted that business-to-business overseas markets and the pattern between the domestic market has also changed markedly. As the financial crisis continues, the decline in overseas orders is inevitable, and more and more overseas orders are being made in South-East Asia and Mexico, avoiding rising labor and material costs in China. This means that the already listed Alibaba Business-to-business Business should also find new positioning and business models.

In this potentially protracted global inflation, there should be a strong platform that allows powerful Chinese to buy clothes and goods as cheap as Americans, and a combination of Alibaba's business-to-business and Taobao, which may be able to achieve this.

The so-called crisis equals danger plus opportunity. If you do not want to die of euthanasia, do not want to be in the "winter". Ma Yun, why not try this opportunity?

Honesty: The new problem of electronic commerce?

Zhangjingko

E-commerce development is the most important element of logistics or integrity? Jack Ma, chairman of Alibaba Group, said: all important.

How to solve the credit crisis?

After Mr. Wei resigned, now Alibaba company up and down the "good faith" two words on the tip of the tongue. Is this the best way to solve the problem of electronic business integrity?

Xie, a well-known blogger, is skeptical: "Values are of course values, but problems in business-to-business models exist before Mr. Wei enters, even in the form of a fetus." There should be other problems in doing such a big action. ”

Ma Yun's move also expresses puzzled also has Dangdang CO President guoqing: "Whether due to performance or office politics and the company's business fraud, please give the executive sufficient face, resignation has been the parties to pay the cost of career, do not make resign; let's create a healthy retreat for partners and professional managers. He later said in a microblog.

Of course Guoqing said this is not because of it, Dangdang Taobao Mall is also the main competitor, both claimed to sell only authentic, the same as the main business direction of the large-scale integrated E-commerce site also has excellent Amazon and Jingdong Mall.

Ecapital Capital CEO ran also in its micro-Bozhong point out the root of the problem: "In the marvel of the courage of Ma Yun, we also look forward to Taobao can also be radical, so that fakes and piracy soon extinct." This burden is too heavy, should not fall on a person, even a great man. ”

Guoqing that integrity has been China's e-commerce market development of the old problem, "I and Taobao sell real goods and the vast number of customers are afraid of Taobao fake." ”

Guoqing that the Internet regulation is difficult to lead to the credibility of the problem is not an excuse, "online counterfeiting and infringement, easier than the entity." Ma Yun and Robin (note: Baidu CEO Robin Li) have the determination or the Government has the determination can be sweep. The law exists, do not use the Internet to drill loopholes. ”

Logistics is still a big problem

The current credibility crisis is still only a problem in the specific development period of China's e-commerce. But the logistics problem has actually affected the service quality of the electronic commerce.

As we all know, during the Spring Festival, the major express delivery company almost all in a standstill state, whether the business or consumers are affected.

On promotional days, Taobao Mall package can reach 15 million a day, Ma Yun before the logistics platform, said that China's logistics industry seriously restricting the development of e-commerce market speed and quality, "we received almost all complaints from logistics, I hope that after 10, in any part of China, As long as the order from the Internet, the maximum 8 hours of goods sent home. ”

Ma Yun before the Spring Festival, announced that the construction of Alibaba's physical logistics, Alibaba Group only their own investment funds will reach 10 billion yuan. Ma hopes and many VC, PE and other financial, fund partners to invest 20 billion ~300 billion yuan, in the country to establish a three-dimensional storage network system, and the warehousing system with all partners to share, to ensure the smooth flow of logistics.

Even in the sales of footwear-oriented vertical e-commerce companies, but also faced with logistics problems. Footwear E-commerce Web site Bi Sheng CEO of E-commerce Logistics bottlenecks in the field of frustration, "if not logistics constraints, our development rate is far more than three times times a year." ”

However, some commodity-intensive e-commerce manufacturers have not been affected by logistics, the operation of Liulichang Old 6688.com website founder of the original (Wang Juntao) successfully through an express outsourcing company completed the delivery of all goods, investigate the reason, the old Banyan told reporters: " Mainly because all the shops are concentrated together, express can be Baixin meters within the distance to complete all the shops to take goods, shipments, returns and other processes. Therefore, we will consider more open up the park-type e-business in the future. ”

Business model is a new problem

In fact, the incident of Mr. Wei's resignation also made people aware of a fundamental problem-whether it is business-to-business, consumer-to-consumer or other types of e-commerce companies, business model innovation is always a problem.

Alibaba's business-to-business company has built a professional platform for buyers and sellers worldwide to reap the benefits of a vendor's commission or membership fee model. Taobao combines the Consumer-to-consumer and the two models, mainly rely on advertising and search advertising and other profits, but its customers unless they have a very unique and competitive personalized products, small individual customers can not be under the pressure of large manufacturers to continue to survive, As a result, Taobao has gradually evolved into a large seller business model.

As for the same use of the Consumer-to-consumer model of ebay, and the alliance with ebay, but eventually in the Chinese market acclimatized, second-hand trading market model in China has not been recognized, and finally positioned to become the current overseas purchasing site.

Internet commentator Liu Xingliang that with the progress of people's living standards, people in the hands of some of the quality of second-hand trading demand will increase sharply, with the nature of the sale of second-hand transactions may gradually recover. "The business model is not rigid, mainly looking at enterprise development and consumer demand." such as search engine this business model, before many people did not think, now buy and micro Bo are so hot, so perhaps the future simple and practical, to meet people's needs of e-commerce business model innovation will emerge. ”

Liu Xingliang For example, third-party manufacturers can connect their product information to the group buying site or microblogging, with the help of search engines and platform recommended way to get more user resources. "The new user platform will be more and more in the future, it will be more and more subdivided, as long as there are high-quality users, can bring business." ”

The end of the "unseemly" Wei

Sun Jin

With Alibaba's listing in Hong Kong's main board, Mr. Wei's $ more than 1 billion worth of money has stirred up a wave of drool when he was called China's most expensive professional manager.

Mr Wei's first encounter with Ma was at Harvard Business School in 2001, when both were invited to give a speech when they were not as famous as they are now, and from then on they would sometimes have tea and chat and talk about Jin Yong's martial arts.

Wei, who was born in Shanghai in 1970, 24 years old as deputy general manager of the International Securities Management Headquarters, 28 years old as the Managing Director of Oriental Securities Investment Bank, 2002 as the President of the China region, as the world's top 500, the youngest president of China. 2005, Mr. Wei High-profile write "Golden Collar-21st century career victory". He was a rival to Tang June for the title of China's "wage Emperor".

Wei is a partner mentality to Alibaba "entrepreneurial", but because of "value" problem had to sadly leave. Mr. Wei even wrote down his e-mails to admit mistakes and to make self-criticism. It was a decent correction for Alibaba, but not a "decent" departure for Mr. Wei.

Mr. Wei's professional manager's path has been broken. "Some people in the industry told reporters that he could only start a business, invest, or realize his dream of becoming a business school teacher."

Initially joined Alibaba, Mr. Wei's high-profile remarks let many industry people remember so far. "I couldn't find a reason to leave, but I found a reason to join Alibaba," he said. "Once said that Alibaba is their last work of Wei, also once said to Ma Yun," at most seven or eight years, will certainly leave, after 45 years old to do is when a business teaching teacher. ”

Is such a Wei, his mailbox is open to all customers, as long as not on international flights, customers and staff to his mail, do not need to do the Secretary.

"Wei Zhe is one of the best professional managers I know. "Senior IT Person Xingdong said, February 12 also and Mr. Wei in Hangzhou chat, did not see the signs, really shocked, Ma Yun and Wei to show respect, ruthless have the realm!"

Xingdong revealed that the news after the telephone chat with Wei, he is very peaceful, want to take a break first. He has the courage to step down in such a unseemly way. This is the most tiring job on the internet, and it's not a relief to quit. He usually lives at Ramada Hangzhou and returns to Shanghai on weekends. It's no longer a weekly commute. ”

"If Mr. Wei had offered to resign, I would take off his hat," he said. "No. 1th store chairman Gege said, and Mr. Wei through the phone, his mentality is very peaceful, said there is time to find him play." Gege also pointed out that the problems of Alibaba, MA also have to get rid of the relationship, should bear the same responsibility as Wei. The practice of such a hero's arm to lose several generals to win the industry's reputation is also crisis management and PR skills, the benefit of the enterprise, but in the manager's career left a stain.

Gege that what happened to Alibaba executives should assume the responsibility of not shirking. As a mature business leader, MA Yun Initiative, serious, drastic deal with the crisis is sensible, need courage, for Chinese enterprises to set an example.