Coordination of the value web is accomplished electronically through legacy systems, the
Internet, extranets, e-mail, EDI and newer applications such as i2 and Ariba. These
technologies not only reduce costs and improve quality, they make it possible to coordinate a
much broader value web and transact larger volumes of business than could possibly be done in
their absence. Taken together, the foregoing uses of IT enable the value web to be coordinated
in real time and in a relatively seamless fashion, allowing Dell to continually refine the direct
model to achieve greater customization, faster response times, higher quality and lower cost for
customers.