Dell Computer Corporation

Dell Computer Corporation (now Dell, Inc.) pioneered direct sales channels for personal computers. Dell s methods, labeled its secret sauce, are copied widely in other industries. At the time of writing, Dell had become the world s largest personal computer manufacturer and the most profitable. 

The Dell Computer Corporation is famous of its direct business model (see Dell and Fredman, 1999) that assembles customized computer systems based on customer orders, and ships directly from the factory to the customers. Based on Kraemer, et. al. (2000), Dell basically segments its customers into Transaction, Relationship, and Public/Intemational customer segments, in which more refined sales channels, including Home Home Office, Small Business, Medium Large Business, State Local Government, Federal Government, Education, Healthcare, are offered at Dell. By doing so, Dell is able to satisfy special needs in each customer channel. 

Kraemer, Kenneth L., Jason Dedrick, and Sandra Yamashiro (2000). Refining and Extending the Business Model with Information Technology Dell Computer Corporation, The Information Society, 16, 5-21. 

Kraemer, K. L., Dedrick, J., Yamashiro, S. (2000). Refining and extending the business model with information technology Dell computer corporation. Information Society, 76(1), 5-21. 

---