How to Plan E-Business Initiatives in Established Companies

About the Research

The conceptual framework and approach underlying this article were the result of more than eight years of research involving a variety of corporations across the globe. At the core of the research is Electronic Commerce Architecture, an analytical model developed by the authors that enables businesses, technology providers and intermediaries to examine their roles in the online environment. Using ECA, we have explored how companies could support trade processes online, both conceptually and empirically, and have developed a typology of e-business processes that companies of all types can use to plan specific e-business initiatives for increased performance. This approach has been used to assist various established companies in planning for creating business value through e-business. To further validate the robustness of the approach, we have also examined online organizations such as electronic intermediaries (marketplaces and exchanges) over a three-year period.i In these studies, we have worked with senior management and engaged business directors across geographical regions in sets of workshops to identify sustainable initiatives. The studies have shown that the framework described in this article is both intuitive and useful as a basis for management planning and analysis.

i. A. Basu and S. Muylle, “Customization in Online Trade Processes, ” IEEE Computer Society proceedings of the International Workshop on Advance Issues of E-Commerce and Web-Based Information Systems, Santa Clara, California, April 1999; A. Basu and S. Muylle, “Authentication in E-Commerce,” Communications of the ACM 46, no. 12 (December 2003): 159–166; A. Basu and S.