BUSINESS MODEL TEMPLATE - UNECE



ESCAP/UNECE High-Level Symposium on Building Regional Capacity for Paperless Trade

Bangkok, 24-25 March 2009

Single Window Business Model Questionnaire

Participants of UN Next suggested launching a survey on business models for Single Windows. UNECE and UNESCAP have prepared this questionnaire and are calling for participants of the High-Level Symposium to participate in the questionnaire. To participate in the questionnaire the meeting participants can either download the document MS word format from the UN Next website at XXXXXXX or fill in an Interactive Form on the UN Next Interactive Website. To access the UN Next Interactive Web pleas send a request for a user account to Markus.Pikart@

We kindly ask to send the completed questionnaires latest until 1 May 2009 to Maria.Misovicova@

The outcome of the survey will be made available on the UN Next Website.

A. Background information on the Single Window:

Provide a brief overview of the SW so the reader can put your answers to questions on the “Business Model” below into a larger context. You may reference information provided in white papers of your SW or information already provided in the Single Window case studies ( )

Information provided should answer to following questions:

• Q1: What motivated establishment of SW and when was it established? How does it fit into the national ICT of trade development strategy?

• Q2: What is the current status of the SW? (Study, pilot phase, fully operational) What are the services provided? How many users does it have?

B. The important aspects when determining a Business Model for a Single Window:

It is understood that many countries do not yet have a Single Window but are rather in various stages of preparation. If questions do not match your current state of implementation, then your answers could reflect relevant ideas, plans or preparatory discussions that have been made.

• Q3: What is the type of business entity that operates the single window and provides the services? (public, private, public-private)

What is the organizational structure of the SW, who operates it, who supervises it? What were the alternatives that were discussed when the business entity was established, what were their particular strength/weaknesses? Why was this solution chosen? In the hindsight, was this a good decision?

• Q4: Who is making strategic decisions?

Which parties are on the Board of Directors, who makes effectively the decisions on services provided and the development plan? How are other parties such as Government agencies and the private sector included in the decision making process? How strong is their influence? Are Customers of the SW (such as Government agencies or private sectors companies) engaged as shareholders of the SW?

• Q5: How is the business entity capitalized?

Who is providing the capital for the business entity? If there are several share holders, what is their share? How important is capitalization? What is the preferred ratio between capital resources and borrowed capital? What is the dividend policy? How important is profit making for the operation of the entity? What is the long term objective (achieve break even points, profit making, self sustainability, altruistic objectives such as trade development.)

• Q6: What determines the Cash Flow of the Business Entity?

What are the main components of the cash flow (such as initial investments, operational costs, user integration and marketing and revenues for services)? How do revenues and costs develop over time? How is the revenue stream composed (what are the most important sources of income, what part of the business provides high profit margins, which client base is crucial for the survival/expansion of the SW). What is the model of payment? (Fixed annual fee, price per transaction, combination, or other)

• Q7: How are the offer and the market price determined?

Which analytical methods are used to determine services to be offered, the bundling of services and the market price? How much market segmentation is done (specific services/price for specific user groups such as SMEs or large customers) and how important is market segmentation. What is the relation between fixed and marginal costs for the services offered? How important are economies of scale (low marginal costs of services offered)? Are sufficient data/analytical methods available to allow proper planning for the services and fees?

How is the price for the service fixed? How costs and the price that the market is prepared to pay for a service calculated and how reliable are these calculations/estimations? How important are other considerations (such as availability of service to SMEs) when fixing the price?

• Q8: What are there particularities in a Business Model for Single Window?

Is there anything that is particularly different in starting a SW operation compared to any other startup such as funding, time to market, revenue process, user base and service offer.

• Q9: How is the client base for the SW established?

What is the main Clientele for the Single Window? Why do they participate and do they participate on entirely voluntary basis? What is the motivation of Government agencies to participate? Is use of SW voluntary or obligatory? Do participants need to sign a contract with the provider/ agency to use the SW?

• Q10: Are there areas were the United Nations should provide support to Governments and private sector companies in preparing business models for Single Windows?

The United Nations can not interfere in entrepreneurial aspects of Single Window implementation. However, the organization can provide support to Governments to make better informed decisions and safeguard investments. Possible activities could include publication of questionnaires, organizing exchange of experience between SW implementers, establishing dialogue between practitioners and academic, workshops on best practice for public service development. Suggestions how the Organization could be assistance are welcome. The suggestion should also consider the cost/benefit aspects of the proposed activity.

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