NDIT/FPIT-Diplomarbeit 1997

Electronic Commerce im Umfeld KMUs - Studie und Architekturbeschrieb

Christian Frei / Robert Bouwens

Synopsis

The work describes in a comprehensive manner how a company can utilize today's existing communication and information systems. This becomes mandatory if a company wants to enhance its profitability by supporting the value added chains.

The proposed model is explained in various phases and methods from the initial selection of the process until the implementation and integration of the system. The proposed technical solution is based on the Internet technology. The proposal is worked out with small and medium sized companies in mind. In particular this size of enterprises can position themselves favorably in a competitive environment if they adopt this system and apply it in an efficient manner by making full use of the opportunities offered by the Internet technology.

The office supplier of Büro-Fürrer was selected for a practical exercise. The paper at hand describes how the order intake process chain is supported by the Internet technology and how the model can be implemented.

Executive Summary

The goal of every company is to position himself favorably in the competitive environment of today. In order to achieve this, they seek highest possible cost reductions and accelerated turn around times to optimize the value-added chains.

Over the last years changes in technology and the requirements of information oriented customers created an environment in which Internet and in particular E-Mail and W3 seem to respond to those requirements to a high degree of satisfaction. As a result of the increased popularity and expansion of its use the Internet will also become an integrated tool in the field of doing business.

The goal of this project is to demonstrate how small and medium sized companies can achieve a cost optimization of the ordering and handling process by the implementation of these new tools in information and communication technology.

The most important rule is that the business support process should be totally converted to this Internet technology. First from a strategic prospect all relevant activities in relation to the value added process must be identified. Once this is done the entire process is to be analyzed for weak links from a tactical prospect in order to find the potential for optimization. Now the new process must be planned and implemented at the execution level taking into account the concepts for technology and organization. At the same time the hardware must be evaluated and an economic analysis is to be carried out. In this phase in particular the integration of existing systems, for instance back-office must be taken care of. Once planning is completed the realization and implementation of the W3 application is to be done.

The office supplier of Büro-Fürrer was selected for a practical exercise and it was demonstrated that the largest potential in savings can be realized in the order intake section. The proposed structure intends to use the existing EDI for the order intake via the W3 application as well. This would enable the customers to select a business to business relationship with or without EDI or a people to business relationship which can be considered as open and scaleable architecture.

Fig. 1: Architecture Overview

The W3 application is a transaction oriented information system. It also implies a service system and a W3 database which is kept up to date by a replicating system from the back office system.

Fig. 2: Architecture of the W3-Order-System

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