Short description of the day

There is little doubt at this point that businesses world-wide are going to have to move rapidly and effectively into e-Commerce (or e-Business as IBM calls it). The Internet is going to be the central technology that governs future developments and firms that are able to capitalize on e-Commerce capabilities, trends, and technologies will succeed in the new millenium.  Firms that are already Internet-capable will have to look carefully over their shoulder to be sure that competitors do not erode their first mover advantage.  Firms that are ramping up to e-Commerce are going to have to innovate to catch their competitors off guard and to exceed them in new ideas and in creating new links to customers.

 Many of the observations during the day-long session about best of breed practices in e-Commerce are based on a major ongoing study of the how successful firms are implementing seamless connections with suppliers, customers, and, yes, even competitors.  This study, for which the workshop leader is the research project director, has been sponsored by Georgia State University’s Digital Commerce Center and such major firms as Sun Microsystems and EDS.

 This one-day seminar focuses deliberately on e-Commerce and how it will transform the firm.  The revolutionary changes that businesses are experiencing will be overviewed and the program participants will have an opportunity to analyze the business model of some of the most effective of Webized firms.  Least effective firms will also be examined.

 During the day, basic strategic and value chain issues will be reviewed and participants will be given an opportunity to think about the effect of e-Commerce on how they themselves do business.  Customers often look to certain firms for models of how they can re-invent their own businesses.  IBM, for example, is now creating seamless linkages with both suppliers and customers so that IBM itself can serve as an exemplar of effective e-Commerce and be a visible demonstration to potential customers that IBM has expertise to help other firms complete this business transformation.

 High-level strategic issues will be covered.  Emerging business models and the new role of intermediation in Web-based businesses will be examined.  With regard to strategizing for e-Commerce, there is a critical need for organizations to progress quickly through short-term strategic goals, like cost reduction and productivity improvements, to longer term objectives, like customer relationship management.  Program participants will be shown an analysis of strategies of competitors for major e-Commerce B2C firms.  They will answer for themselves such issues as: Can anyone compete successfully with these early entrants?  What is needed to be a late entrant in this area?  

 In the late afternoon session, the question of how to implement e-Commerce systems will be addressed.  Drawing on the on-going Georgia State University study, we will conclude with best and worst of breed practices.