eBusiness Solutions in Sydney

e-business 

Is your business doing e-business?  

Here's a checklist to find out. If you can say yes to any of these, then you are doing e-business.

• We communicate with customers, clients or suppliers via email.

• We send emails to other businesses to order products and services.

• We sell our products or services via our website.

• We use the Web to find information, such as prices, phone numbers, reviews of products.

• We use the Web for research, such as the latest industry trends.

• We use our website to provide information about our products and services.

• We use our website as a means of managing the information in our business.

• We use the Internet for online banking and paying our bills using BPAY.

No level of e-business is necessarily better than any other level. Some businesses don't need a full on website but just a simple "brochure" type site as they deal all day with other businesses and customers online via email and an e-marketplace. Other businesses have a robust website that helps them sell their products all around the world. It's up to each business to determine what level of e-business is right for them.

It is envisaged that the average length of a completed E-business Plan would be somewhere between Five and fifteen pages.

Organisations are encouraged to add additional sections to their plan and/or alter aspects of this template as appropriate to their organisation and circumstances.

It is recommended that the key stakeholders in the organisation be involved in the discussions and decision-making process on the key issues as this is likely to add value to the depth and breadth of the E-business Plan. An inclusive approach also helps to promote a better understanding of the project across the organisation from its inception.

It may not be possible to complete this plan until you have referred to the Protecting and Managing sections of the e-business guide website. They will provide you with information, such as risk management, legal requirements, budgeting and security, that you may need.

E-business Description and Planner

e-Business Rationale 

i. Having a detailed explanation of the aims – example to cut costs, save time, increase your customer base, meet your business requirements how the aims meet the related objectives of your organisation.

ii. How e-business will meet your stakeholders’ needs or demands – the results of market research into what the target audience wants and does not want on the new or revised site.

Management 

i. A statement as to who is ultimately responsible for the e-business; who will manage it and the people or organisation maintaining it; what committee, group or team is overseeing it. 

ii. An outline of the management methodology/strategy to be adopted – meetings, communication

iii. The risks and how you intend dealing with them – eg intellectual property, contracts with suppliers eg the web developer

iv. An outline of the schedule of the roll-out of the e-business plan

Marketing strategy 

i. How will the use of email and the website enhance the organisation’s existing marketing plan? What unique marketing tools will email and the website provide that the organisation has never had before?

ii. How will the e-business be promoted – what strategies, to whom, when?

iii. What promotional features will be included in the website or email to help drive traffic to the website – eg email subscriptions, virtual postcards?

iv. How does its look, feel and content complement and add value to the branding of your organisation?

v. What are the likely costs and required time allocations for implementing and monitoring the promotional strategies?


Website Project Resourcing 

i. People who will be involved in the development and maintenance of the e-business and their respective roles – updating, technical, promotion etc.

ii. The approximate time commitment required of each during the development and in the on-going maintenance of the e-business.

iii. New skills and roles that might be needed, how they will be met (re-training/ skilling , outsourcing, engaging new staff) and the time and costs involved.

Website Equipment 

The hardware or software that may be required by the organisation’s staff in the development and maintenance of the e-business – eg a computer and Internet connection for all in the office.

Website Project Funding 

The estimated dollar amount required to fund the establishment (or re-alignment) of the e-business and its on-going maintenance and promotion the source(s) of the funds.

Outsourcing 

What, if any, part of the redevelopment is to be outsourced and how the outsourcing is to be conducted – eg open tender.


Benefits of the e-business 

i. Who benefits?

ii. How will they benefit and over what time-frame?

Revenue streams 

i. What, if any, are the likely revenue streams from the e-business over the next 2-3 years – eg from sales, purchases of information, uptake of services?

ii. What features will be included to create these revenue streams – eg e-commerce, shopping carts?

Efficiency gains 

What, if any, are the likely areas of efficiency gains resulting from the e-business and what is the likely extent and nature of those gains – eg 20 hours/pa saved via providing online application forms, reduced number of enquiries?

Challenges and constraints 

The following categories and their associated issues and questions are indicative of those that may need to be addressed in this section of the E-business Plan. Before answering some of these questions you may need to refer to the e-business guide website - Protection and Management sections.

Technical 

i. Limitations placed on the range and sophistication of e-business features that can be offered due to the audience’s level of computer power, browsers, plug-ins, Internet access speeds. 

ii. Resourcing (time and money) required to interface the organisation’s backend databases, accounting systems etc with the website – especially if e-commerce is a feature of the site.

iii. Security of data/information – what degree of security of the website is required.

Legal 

i. Intellectual property and copyright – eg ownership of the IP and copyright of the content and concepts to be placed in the site.

ii. Privacy – the privacy laws and regulations with which the site needs to comply.

iii. Relevant legislation with which the site has to comply and the ways in which that may impact on the project.

Organisational changes 

i. Potential changes in the organisation’s role and how these might impact on the project over time.

ii. The extent to which the culture of the organisation is conducive to change and to embracing the online world change-management plans.

iii. Will anyone lose out of the new e-business – if so how and what implications for you.

Resources and timeframes 

i. Collating, editing and clearing the content in time to meet milestones.

ii. The complexities and time involved in altering office work-flow and processes to incorporate maintenance of the site.

iii. Special events or outside forces that may challenge the milestones – eg key staff on leave

Competitors and collaborators 

i. Your competitors and the status of their Internet strategies and websites – the extent to which they affect your ability to meet the aims and vision for your online presence.

ii. The possibility of collaborating and its mutual benefits.

Project evaluation 

i. The criteria by which to judge the degree of success of the e-business – eg 30% cost savings or reduction in staff time allocated to a particular area or task, level of site traffic equivalent to similar sites or the old one.

ii. Measurement methodology – eg who will conduct the evaluation and via what method (collection of statistics, surveys, focus groups)reporting on the evaluation: who, when and format.

For more information: Contact us on 1300 911 772 or drop us a line here today!