E-commerce, a way to enhance your business

Why is it needed?

Survival of the fittest: Current global economic crisis causes numerous businesses collapse. There would be various explanations about the reasons. However, one of the most vital factors, to these unlucky victims, might because of weakening competition capability in local or global markets. Don’t be the next one, who are survived from recent recession, to be kicked out in the future if does not sharp its competitive edge from now on.

Cannot be ignored: It is an urgent task and also a long term strategy for a business strengthening its competition capability. There are many approaches to cope with the requests. From a technical angle, implementing an e-commerce scheme might be one of the top choices as information technology has linked our globe as a small village. E-commerce has been an essential tool enhancing enterprises’ performance, and is becoming an ultimate model for every business.

Weakness and gaps: E-commerce is no longer a new term to markets, industries and entrepreneurs. However, by a close look at Canadian industries, e-commerce application appears way behind the demands, especially to the SMEs. The negatives are similar to overall industries, name few of them:

• Conception not yet established by corporate leaders.

• Vagueness of visions or strategies.

• Lack of technical resources for building up system.

• Limited financing for system construction.

• Management and administration procedures are not optimized for matching with e-commerce implementation.

What it does?

Fit to SMEs: Feasibility, to an e-commerce solution, is always a primary request. It determines whether the application is to be success. The bottom line is to fit the enterprise’s daily operation, affordable for system construction and accountable for long-term operation. In addition, an enterprise is required, usually, to upgrade its existing operation model in order to fit digitalized, network-based environment. Apparently, serious commitment for both system developer and enterprise operator are required for an e-commerce system application.

Things on the new page: Briefly, e-commerce lifts you up to a new platform, a virtual marketplace. It synchronizes production, management, marketing and sales into a network system that enables internal and external communication conducted effectively, it connects manufacturers, suppliers and buyers in a real-time environment, executes transactions and management directly and instantly from anywhere, anytime and various devices (i.e. desktop, laptop or cell phone). Definitely, a proper e-commerce system is a powerful tool upgrading SMEs business significantly.

How to establish your e-commerce platform?  

E-commerce system can be tailored to different businesses. The cost for getting one could be multi-million dollars or few thousands instead. Our approach for SMEs is “Easy Get, Easy Run” principle. It’s implemented in three steps:

1. Understanding e-commerce, walking through: 

  
I. What is E-commerce?

II. How it works to my business?

III. How can I use it?

2. Individual consulting and business assessment, on-site session: 

I. Diagnose existing operations: products, management, markets, sales, personnel, technical availability, weakness for business operations.

II. Identify the demands and determine the solutions: industrial environment, production process, services, markets, logistics and sales.

III. Determine system architecture: structures, functions, model, data relations, and methods of formalization. 
  

IV. Learn e-business development technologies, know the methods and familiar with the tools and skills.

V.Operation optimization: production, management, services, sales processes for fitting with e-commerce environment. 

VI. Formulate an e-commerce implementation plan (extra time may be needed).

3. System development (Three Approaches)

Approach One: Coaching and consulting. Review enterprises' existing operation, deploy a solution plan, assist enterprise to develop an e-commerce system by itself. 
 

Approach Two: System development (providing web hosting, domain name, system development tool and technical support on third-part providers).

• Option 1: System development and on-going administration, maintenance services are provided. Or,

• Option 2: System development is provided, the management is executed by enterprise itself.

 
 Approach Three: System development on customized environment.