So try to imagine the real estate industry as one long e-business supply chain. I know it's a stretch. But that's the vision shared by David Clute, Manager eSolutions at Cisco, and Keith Perske, Business Systems Manager at Sun Microsystems, two leaders in CoreNet Global's Operation eCRE. Last week I spoke with them about the challenges of creating a real estate supply chain built upon "ubiquitous access to shared data independent of hardware and software platforms."

Operation eCRE seeks to build a consensus on three fundamental elements -- a common framework, a common process, and a common dictionary. While this may sound like a dream, the hard reality is that it is difficult for Clute and Perske to compare the real estate operations of Cisco and Sun. Precisely because they do not have a common framework, process, or dictionary, they cannot leverage their collective knowledge easily. And that's frustrating in the heart of Silicon Valley, which is "wired" for synergy.

The trick is to motivate eCRE participants to pursue a common good for individual gain. And that's a very long-term process, at least five to ten years. Both Clute and Perske argue strongly that individual real estate players -- whether owners, tenants, or service providers -- cannot become more efficient without the industry becoming more efficient. So are you ready to get more efficient?

--Peter Pike