What does "on build " mean?

[v0031]

Dell initiated the direct selling of computers, offering low-cost, custom-configured personal computers direct to customers. In order to keep low on stocks, Dell sold computers on build to order basis. And with the Internet, Dell reached the global consumer. Looking at his startup days, Dell explained in the January 2009 issue of SUCCESS Magazine:

[This account no longer in use.]

It's part of the phrase "on build to order basis", meaning that Dell did not build the computers until orders for them came in.

[Crumpets]

I think it would be more common for the line to be written "Dell sold computers on build-to-order basis," with hyphens, if that clarifies it any.

[v0031]

Thank you so much.

[v0031]

I started with a thousand dollars, almost no capital. The interesting thing about the business that we started was that — because we were selling directly to the customer — the customer would pay us, often, right at the time we shipped the product. So we were able to get credit lines from suppliers and we had what’s known as a negative cash conversion cycle, which is a very good thing in a business like ours. We still have that today and it helps us generate significant positive free cash flow.

“Well, we started the company by building to the customer’s order. And, interestingly enough, we didn’t do it because we saw some massive paradigm in the future. Basically, we just didn’t have any capital (to mass produce).”

I'm not clear about this. Could you put it in easier English?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Cash conversion cycle is a measure of how many days on average after you supply a product that you get paid for it versus how many days after you acquire inventory or parts that you pay for them. If you have a negative cash conversion cycle, you're getting paid by your customers before you have to pay your suppliers.

[v0031]

“Well, we started the company by building to the customer’s order. And, interestingly enough, we didn’t do it because we saw some massive paradigm in the future. Basically, we just didn’t have any capital (to mass produce).”

Thanks， what about this？

[homelycooking]

The quote refers to a "paradigm shift", meaning - in this context - a reorganization of the customs and values of the market. The company in question initially built products to the customers' orders out of necessity (because it could not make the large initial investment needed for mass production), and not because it anticipated that such a practice would become generally accepted among competitors and expected by consumers.

[v0031]

Thank you all for replying. And what does the green refer to ?

“Well, we started the company by building to the customer’s order. And, interestingly enough, we didn’t do it because we saw some massive paradigm in the future. Basically, we just didn’t have any capital (to mass produce).”

[This account no longer in use.]

It means that they predicted this paradigm shift.

[v0031]

It means that they predicted this paradigm shift.

What does paradigm shift mean？ change？

[This account no longer in use.]

It's meant to mean "a radical change in the underlying beliefs and theories of a subject". People just throw it around like a meaningless buzzword now, however.