| Any system or process in
use inside an operation becomes a candidate to be part of
an e-business system. At the simplest level, e-mail,
Instant Messaging (IM) and Bulletin Board (BBS) can
provide the foundation of any e-business system. It would
be unthinkable for most business operations to consider
operating without these tools in place, mainly of
communication. In some sense these tools are now
mainstream operation; e-business tools that have become
just business tools. E-business
systems fall into the following categories:
- Collaborative commerce systems and
tools
- Customer and partner relationship
management
- e-Commerce and transaction systems
- Customer Relationship Management
Systems
- e-Marketing Tools
- Knowledge Management
- Back office and Enterprise Resource
Planning
- Portal Tools and Strategies
- Integration and communications
Taking on the task of examining all the
technology that is potentially available to an operation
to leverage e-business is certainly a daunting task. While
you are unlikely to become an expert after reading this
chapter, understanding where to start looking for
opportunities to use e-business strategies and
technologies is a starting point. Technology can be
considered ammunition for the business of e-business.
The e-business system comprises a
combination of technology, work process, and business
rules to improve or optimize existing business situations.
If we have learned nothing else over the past three years
during Internet "learning period," it is that when
building systems we must link these three elements
effectively to make the success happen. Without the
connection the results are unlikely to come in.
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