SEC Filings Section 16 Filings Only
 
PFSWEB INC filed this 10-K on 04/02/2007.
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new client contracts we generally incur capital expenditures associated with assets whose primary use is related to the client solution. There is a risk that the contract may end before expected and we may not recover the full amount of our capital costs.
Our revenue and margins may be materially impacted by client transaction volumes that differ from client projections and business assumptions.
     Our pricing for client transaction services, such as call center and fulfillment, is often based upon volume projections and business assumptions provided by the client and our anticipated costs to perform such work. In the event the actual level of activity or cost is substantially different from the projections or assumptions, we may have insufficient or excess staffing, incremental costs or other assets dedicated for such client that may negatively impact our margins and business relationship with such client. In the event we are unable to meet the service levels expected by the client, our relationship with the client will suffer and may result in financial penalties and/or the termination of the client contract.
We face competition from many sources that could adversely affect our business.
     Many companies offer, on an individual basis, one or more of the same services we do, and we face competition from many different sources depending upon the type and range of services requested by a potential client. Our competitors include vertical outsourcers, which are companies that offer a single function, such as call centers, public warehouses or credit card processors. We compete against transportation logistics providers who offer product management functions as an ancillary service to their primary transportation services. We also compete against other business process outsourcing providers, who perform many similar services as us. Many of these companies have greater capabilities than we do for the single or multiple functions they provide. In many instances, our competition is the in-house operations of its potential clients themselves. The in-house operations of potential clients often believe that they can perform the same services we do, while others are reluctant to outsource business functions that involve direct customer contact. We cannot be certain that we will be able to compete successfully against these or other competitors in the future.
Our sales and implementation cycles are highly variable and our ability to finalize pending contracts may cause our operating results to vary widely.
     The sales cycle for our services is variable, typically ranging between several months to up to a year from initial contact with the potential client to the signing of a contract. Occasionally the sales cycle requires substantially more time. Delays in signing and executing client contracts may affect our revenue and cause our operating results to vary widely. We believe that a potential client’s decision to purchase our services is discretionary, involves a significant commitment of the client’s resources and is influenced by intense internal and external pricing and operating comparisons. To successfully sell our services, we generally must educate our potential clients regarding the use and benefit of our services, which can require significant time and resources. Consequently, the period between initial contact and the purchase of our services is often long and subject to delays associated with the lengthy approval and competitive evaluation processes that typically accompany significant operational decisions. Additionally, the time required to finalize pending contracts and to implement our systems and integrate a new client can range from several weeks to many months. Delays in signing and integrating new clients may affect our revenue and cause our operating results to vary widely.
Our business could be adversely affected by a systems or equipment failure, whether that of us or our clients.
     Our operations are dependent upon our ability to protect our distribution facilities, customer service centers, computer and telecommunications equipment and software systems against damage and failures. Damage or failures could result from fire, power loss, equipment malfunctions, system failures, natural disasters and other causes. If our business is interrupted either from accidents or the intentional acts of others, our business could be materially adversely affected. In addition, in the event of widespread damage or failures at our facilities, our short-term disaster recovery and contingency plans and insurance coverage may not be sufficient.
     Our clients’ businesses may also be harmed from any system or equipment failures we experiences. In that event, our relationship with these clients may be adversely affected, we may lose these clients, our ability to attract new clients may be adversely affected and we could be exposed to liability.

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