精选优质文档-----倾情为你奉上The Strategic Challenges of E-commerceIntroduction11th Century Europe saw the emergence of credit-based banking systems and financial instruments such as bills of exchange. These concepts remain with us, in their modified form, to this day (Chown, 1994). They underpin all modern forms of commerce. The arrival of information technology (computers and telecommunications) has raised the prospect of radical change to this traditional model. The rise of the Internet (electronic commerce), since the advent of the World Wide Web, has provided an easy to use communication channel for businesses to contact current and potential customers. The emergence of the Internet as a general communication channel has also given rise to the possibility of widespread electronic commerce. Even though there is still much debate relating to electronic payment for commercial activities, this is clearly an area of growth.It is difficult to say how large the Internet is. Hoffman & Novak (1996) quote a number of surveys (OReilly, FIND/SVP, Times Mirror and CommerceNet) which suggest that there are at least 10 million Internet users in the United States alone. The number of computers (hosts) connected to the Internet topped 9.47 million (Network Wizards, 1996) as of January 1996. Note that a single host supports anywhere from a single user to, in some cases, thousands of users. As of March 21, 1996, 24,347 firms were listed in Open Markets (1996) directory of "Commercial Services on the Net," and there were 54,800 entries in the "Companies" directory of the Yahoo Guide to WWW (Yahoo, 1996), with the total number of Web sites doubling approximately every two months. Jim Clarke, the chairman of Netscape, estimated the Internet has 40 million users in 1995 with growth at 8% per month (Clarke, 1995).The Internet is only one aspect of technology. Businesses require information and supporting systems (processes) to handle the data - over time these systems have become computerised (IT). Modern information technology can both support the processes and help capture useful information for the enterprise. These technologies include:1. Organizational support systems, such as workflow and groupware - making businesses more efficient.2. Customer contact databases - helping capture information about customers and facilitate new methods of marketing.3. Electronic payment systems for goods and services - these are emerging, although the majority of payments are still based on relatively expensive traditional cheque clearance.Collectively and individually, these areas will contribute to major changes in the way a company conducts its business. Enix have coined the term Workware to describe the combination of these technologies. Figure 1 - The emergence of Electronic Commerce will be underpinned by three key componentsHowever, there is still widespread misunderstanding on the value of organisational support technology. A recent survey of 437 large enterprises by research company Xephon (1996) indicated that an astonishing proportion (44%) had no immediate intention of introducing modern information handling systems (Groupware was defined by Xephon as Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise). Of these, 65% said they were unsure what these technologies could deliver. From these statistics, it is clear many organisations are still sceptical about the benefits of technology. The efficient collection, utilisation, handling, storage and dissemination of information is a vital component of corporate success in the modern business world. However, the gathering and use of information must take into account issues of privacy and security. A recent feature in the Financial Times (1996) noted that " … in order to thrive in the 1990s, financial services organisations are as much in the business of managing and manipulating information as managing and making money." Furthermore, the interest shown in topics such as TQM and BPR has demonstrated the importance of processes as a fundamental building block. Inevitably a few savvy organizations in each sector will utilise all three components to change their market or develop new markets. Those who do not adapt quickly to the new ways of working are likely to be disadvantaged as their strategies become redundant. All businesses should investigate the implications of these technologies for them and the markets within which they operate.Marketing Champy, Buday and Nohria (1996) argue that the rise of electronic commerce and the changing consumer processes brought about through electronic communities are likely to lead to a new wave of reengineering, mergers and acquisitions. Moreover, organizations may expand into new business areas, taking on roles unforeseen prior to the rise of the Web. For example: a magazine publisher, Cond Naste, has moved into the travel business; Bill Gates is now an electronic real estate agent; and a recruitment advertising agency, B。