Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 1. Structured methodology
The first layer is to state the business-level objectives. This
determines all other levels, finally resulting in the use of
appropriate technologies to meet business needs:
Strategic business planning
Business process reengineering
Identification of major business functions
Identification of business processes
Identification of business opportunities
For the e-business analyst, this will be the most challenging aspect of their consultancy,
as the SME has to focus on the what, how, where, and why of their business.
Using this model for analyzing business needs when developing the e-business
strategy, the e-commerce professional will need to develop skills in what Davenport and Short
(1990) and Sawy (2001) called the “Business Process Redesign” or “Business Process
Reengineering” (BPR). BPR is the analysis and design (redesign) of workflow and processes
within and between organizations as information technology is used for doing business.
Enterprises moving from a “bricks-n-mortar” to a “bricks-n-click” operation use BPR
principles and methodologies to make changes in the traditional way of carrying out
transactions. They move to the virtual environment, using real-time access with Internet
technologies and Web interfaces that should result in greater efficiencies. Figure 2 shows
how the principles of BRP are used in the process of transforming a conventional business
into an e-business and the interactions that take place.
STRUCTURE OF AN E-BUSINESS PROGRAM
There is a tendency by designers of e-commerce and e-business courses to concentrate
on skills development and knowledge acquisition related to Internet technologies by
focusing on Web programming and front-end and back-end applications. While these are
important, these topics and courses should be supplemented with business oriented courses,
so the graduate has total exposure to the business environment in which the strategy is to
be implemented, making their role of integration and implementation much easier and
increasing the probability of success.
An analysis of the data obtained from online recruiters advertising for graduates in the
categories of e-business, e-commerce, e-commerce architecture consultants, Web develop-
