Caleb Mohon

This session was intended to give real life insight from current projects delivering Business Process Management (BPM) combined with some thoughts about where the focus of BPM projects needs to be in 2012 and beyond. The points here are made empirically using unconstrained analysis of BPM engagements that I have been involved in. This overview of the session covers three key focus areas: Business, Customer and Business Architecture.

Purpose: In the context of the Internet a number of new business models become apparent such as aggregator, reseller and, retailers. The business models have developed from the maturing Internet and the advancements of new technologies. This paper presents a case study view of the aggregator, demonstrating the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for this business model.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The methodology is to investigate the range of new business models that have… Show more

Purpose: In the context of the Internet a number of new business models become apparent such as aggregator, reseller and, retailers. The business models have developed from the maturing Internet and the advancements of new technologies. This paper presents a case study view of the aggregator, demonstrating the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for this business model.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The methodology is to investigate the range of new business models that have become apparent through the Internet, such as aggregator, reseller and retailer, and examine the business models that have developed from the maturing Internet and the advent of new technologies

Findings: A case study of one type of entrepreneur, the aggregator, shows that the aggregator creates preferred relationships with a range of higher tier suppliers in order to virtualise his business by removing the cost of his inventory and locate the cost of fulfillment with his suppliers. Such a business model is named 'aggregator' from the way it can also create new products as aggregations of offerings from multiple suppliers, thereby increasing its share of retained value from each purchase transaction.

Implications: The main implication is that business needs to become aware of the technologies that have made this possible, such as dynamic data-driven websites for transaction control, standardised communication protocols for low-cost management of business relationships, and most importantly how web services show innovations of business process with a service architecture to drive the Information Technology. Critical Success Factors are the technology capability and the domain/market sector knowledge. This suggests that technology sectors are likely to be the first to feel the competitive pressures of aggregation.

Originality/ Value: This gives insight about how information technology has made this type of business model cost-effective with more attractive profit margins. Show less

A model of e-Adoption to encourage small and medium enterprises is described. The model is based on a tradition of improvement models from the world of quality assurance. A particular feature of the model is the investigation instrument that measures the e-capability of a small and medium enterprise, but in such a way as to encourage the enterprises towards improvement.

The e-adoption ladder uses levels consistent with quality improvement steps described by Deeming and Juran. The ladder… Show more

A model of e-Adoption to encourage small and medium enterprises is described. The model is based on a tradition of improvement models from the world of quality assurance. A particular feature of the model is the investigation instrument that measures the e-capability of a small and medium enterprise, but in such a way as to encourage the enterprises towards improvement.

The e-adoption ladder uses levels consistent with quality improvement steps described by Deeming and Juran. The ladder has five levels. Get by; ad hoc use, some reports, some usefulness, not systematic. Effective; ICT is applied with good effect on several aspects of the enterprise. Operational; ICT is applied systematically to underpin all aspects of the enterprise. Integrated collaboration; the ICT systems are part-and-parcel of the enterprise they support and receive the same management attention to performance improvement and training as the rest of the enterprise. Effective e-business; an effective electronic interface is maintained with customers or suppliers, cost-effective outsourcing has been achieved and customer relations are managed for mutual benefit. Show less

This paper investigates how software solutions might empower a Small or Medium (Enterprise) to gain the benefits of e-commerce by engaging in electronic trade. The paper investigates the barriers that face an Enterprise as it attempts to work through the plethora of available software and its own unclear requirements. Analysis of focus group results and researching corroborative literature reveal the key hindrances to be the lack of knowledge and insufficient time to exploit e-commerce, leading… Show more

This paper investigates how software solutions might empower a Small or Medium (Enterprise) to gain the benefits of e-commerce by engaging in electronic trade. The paper investigates the barriers that face an Enterprise as it attempts to work through the plethora of available software and its own unclear requirements. Analysis of focus group results and researching corroborative literature reveal the key hindrances to be the lack of knowledge and insufficient time to exploit e-commerce, leading to paralyzing inaction when faced with the need to apply the business processes to a typically inflexible software package.

A definition and analysis of e-commerce is used to identify the generic functionality available to an Enterprise through e-commerce. The paper describes the development of a generic model of any Enterprise under the categories information flows, goods flows and financial flows. These categories are further elaborated by drilling down into the flows to identify ten sub-flows and thirty eight detail aspects of these flows. These flows are then structured into a framework, against which the functionality of various packages that facilitate e-commerce business and accounting can be measured. The framework is developed using the concepts of information aggregation and service integration, in order to layer incremental e-commerce development into the structure. These layers are e-operations, e-marketing, e-trade and e-service.

The framework is evaluated under three categories of use: mapping the abilities of e-commerce software packages, identifying the requirements of an Enterprise to engage in e-commerce, and defining the goals of Enterprise capability in order to engage in e-commerce.

This e-commerce empowerment framework can be used as a means of making visible to an Enterprise what is unclear and unstructured, and hence is a valuable tool for empowering the Enterprise towards e-commerce. Show less