At the organizational level, e-business activities can be broken into
categories that map to a primary business function of any organization.
These include:
~ sales: Website. catalog sales, e-commerce transactions;
~ marketing: e-marketing activities:
~ support: Web-based support with CRM;
~ manufacturing: ERP. inventory control, B2B systems:
~ distribution: catalogs, self-service sales: and
~ magazines: infomediary.

By taking a simple approach of seeing how e-Business tools are applied to everyday business operations we can become desensitized to the complexities of e-business technologies and tools. This is a good thing, as seeing this big picture is often the critical factor in the successful development of e-Business systems. Most industry, analysts define e-Business activities using these general parameters:

1. Sale and tinnier of goods before they reach a consumer transaction;
2. Sale and transfer of goods as they reach a consumer transaction;
3. Sub-contracted development and manufacturing processes;
4. Joint ventures and supply chains:
5. Manufacturing contracting and subcontracting;
6. Distribution and marketplaces for the products; and
7. Support services for the products and services in the marketplace.

It can be relatively easy for the differing forms of e-business systems to be confusing for organizations to consider. In most cases, however, e-Business systems are really an extension of internal systems, or at the very least an extension of them. This larger definition of e-Business systems clearly illustrates that the power is there to leverage information, skills, and relationships if  implemented wisely.

To exploit these opportunities it is necessity to improve the way that current supply chains, sales, and support networks are operating. This will inherently provide value in the development and delivery, of these systems.

In many cases, the today's business networks are too fat and slow for today's fast-moving marketplace. Herein lies the opportunity for e-Business focused organizations to improve their method of operation, and clean house in industries not leveraging the effectiveness or efficiency of theft supply chains. Any transaction or information associated with development, manufacturing, delivering sales, and support of products or services is a candidate for an e-business system.

Most e-business systems can be categorized to clearly define their business function. In many cases the technology components are common for these systems. For example, they all include a Web server or transaction management system of some description.