The document summarizes key findings from research into factors that influence the adoption of e-commerce by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The research found that the main reasons SMEs adopt e-commerce are to easily disseminate product information and reduce costs. However, the largest barriers to adoption were high initial costs and lack of in-house expertise. During implementation, SMEs faced challenges from lack of managerial time, skills, and finances. While short-term sales benefits were moderate, SMEs saw potential for future business opportunities and access to new markets through e-commerce.
This presentation contains trends and analysis of Officeof the CIO areas (PPM, Demand mng, IT Governance methodologies & tools), Outsourcing decisions, and Mobile strategies.
This presentation contains trends and analysis of Officeof the CIO areas (PPM, Demand mng, IT Governance methodologies & tools), Outsourcing decisions, and Mobile strategies.
What is the Future of Voice & Collaboration in Financial Services?Telstra_International
Financial firms that trade via voice are coming under increased commercial and regulatory
pressure to unify voice activities with other communication channels. The idea is to enable efficient
collaboration both internally - whether it involves the front, middle or back office - and externally
with clients, counterparties and regulators, wherever they may be. The number of communication
systems at a single bank or IDB, however, can be staggering. Can they streamline and improve
collaboration solutions across a range of devices, particularly as more and more voice and
messaging services are IP-based and available via the cloud and hosted solutions? How can they
leverage technology to gain maximum business benefit? There are a plethora of ways that market
participants can answer both questions. But there are two words specialists say firms need to keep
in their mind at all times: Think Holistically!
IBM Impact 2014 - Overview and strategy to transforming your mobile enterpriseEd Brill
IBM point of view on the mobile enterprise opportunity in eight key industries, including banking, government, healthcare, insurance, automotive, and retail.
IBM ConnectED 2015: IBM's Social Business TransformationEd Brill
IBM pioneered the concept of social business - an organization whose culture of participation and systems of engagement encourage groups of people to drive specific business outcomes. In this presentation, IBM Vice President Ed Brill describes the organization's progress on its social business journey. Real examples of how IBMers are driving innovation, speed,agility, client satisfaction, and employee engagement through the use of IBM Connections and other social tools are included, along with discussion of how to measure the business outcomes from internal social.
What is the Future of Voice & Collaboration in Financial Services?Telstra_International
Financial firms that trade via voice are coming under increased commercial and regulatory
pressure to unify voice activities with other communication channels. The idea is to enable efficient
collaboration both internally - whether it involves the front, middle or back office - and externally
with clients, counterparties and regulators, wherever they may be. The number of communication
systems at a single bank or IDB, however, can be staggering. Can they streamline and improve
collaboration solutions across a range of devices, particularly as more and more voice and
messaging services are IP-based and available via the cloud and hosted solutions? How can they
leverage technology to gain maximum business benefit? There are a plethora of ways that market
participants can answer both questions. But there are two words specialists say firms need to keep
in their mind at all times: Think Holistically!
IBM Impact 2014 - Overview and strategy to transforming your mobile enterpriseEd Brill
IBM point of view on the mobile enterprise opportunity in eight key industries, including banking, government, healthcare, insurance, automotive, and retail.
IBM ConnectED 2015: IBM's Social Business TransformationEd Brill
IBM pioneered the concept of social business - an organization whose culture of participation and systems of engagement encourage groups of people to drive specific business outcomes. In this presentation, IBM Vice President Ed Brill describes the organization's progress on its social business journey. Real examples of how IBMers are driving innovation, speed,agility, client satisfaction, and employee engagement through the use of IBM Connections and other social tools are included, along with discussion of how to measure the business outcomes from internal social.
Firms in growth phase want to expand their customer base, enter new product markets and
rationalize their business. The advent of internet based electronic commerce has given them
ample opportunities do so. Although many SME's have embraced ICT and taken up e-commerce,
the adoption rate has been rather slow. Many industry analysts attribute this slow adoption rate
to the lack of awareness of e-commerce applications.
Why do some firms flourish with the implementation of E-Commerce (EC) strategies while others flop? What are the critical factors that influence the successful adoption of EC? What external conditions are most conducive for a successful deployment? To find out, click our paper here.
Putting The Commerce Back In E Commerce 2001Julian Curtiss
Skills and cynism aside, what gives me the most sleepless nights is the fact that Critical Success Factor #1 of any eCommerce implementation is the provision of a stable technology platform capable of feeding into the eProcurement, eBusiness and CRM systems clean, accurate and reliable information. Step 1, before anything else… finish your ERP implementation!
Barriers to Retail Growth - And How to Overcome ThemSarah Mitchell
The retail industry has never been more complex. In a climate where retailers are deluged with data and technology, trying to make sense of disparate systems and home-grown solutions is almost impossible.
Increasingly, retail executives are under scrutiny about how their stores are displaying prices, promoting products and complying with a multitude of regulatory bodies.
All this adds up to unnecessary pressure for the retailer and, quite often, a less than fabulous customer experience. Removing these barriers to growth is simpler than you might think but it takes an outsourced service focused focused solely on helping you get closer to customers to achieve. Read on to find out more.
Barriers to Retail Growth - And How To Remove ThemTypeset
Retailers have never been better positioned to achieve sustainable sales growth.
Advances in technology enable companies to process vast amounts of data and transform it into operational insights on a previously unattainable scale, yet few businesses have been able to capitalise on this opportunity. Why?
Part of the reason is because technology keeps changing. The volume of facts and figures is so large many businesses struggle to process the data passing through their systems. The vision of enabling marketers to mine this information has remained largely unfulfilled for the majority of retailers.
While a few retailers are now obtaining key insights after investing millions in pursuit of the perfect system, the truth is most retailers are sceptical of ever seeing ‘big data’ provide benefits that add real value to their business.
In this report we show how this situation has been turned on its head, enabling retailers of all sizes to begin tapping into the data that matters most.
3 key considerations for IT teams at small to midsized firms.How data, security & support should influence platform decisions for tech decision makers.
Visit ReadyTalk at: http://www.readytalk.com/
According to Corey (Industrial Marketing: Cases &
Concepts, 4th Edition) “a distribution system is a key external
resource. Normally it takes years to build and is not easily
changed”. The reason for this is that like all strategic areas of
the organisation, it becomes part of the organisational
organism. Distribution channels are intended to deliver more
of the organisation’s products or services to its customers
than the organisation could, at a lower
This video is presented by USEP's BSCS student Lady Rose Palma under Mr. ND Arquillano as a partial fulfillment for Elective 4 -E-Commerce. It talks about ( Topics 1-14)
This video is presented by USEP's BSCS student Ann Juvie S. Papas under Mr. ND Arquillano as a partial fulfillment for Elective 4 -E-Commerce It talks about:
•Introduction to e-business and e-commerce
•E-commerce Fundamentals
•E-business Infrastructure
•E-environment
•Supply Chain Management
•E-marketing
•Customer relationship Management
•Change Management
•Analysis and Design: M-commerce
•Management of Mobile commerce services
•
LA HUG - Video Testimonials with Chynna Morgan - June 2024Lital Barkan
Have you ever heard that user-generated content or video testimonials can take your brand to the next level? We will explore how you can effectively use video testimonials to leverage and boost your sales, content strategy, and increase your CRM data.🤯
We will dig deeper into:
1. How to capture video testimonials that convert from your audience 🎥
2. How to leverage your testimonials to boost your sales 💲
3. How you can capture more CRM data to understand your audience better through video testimonials. 📊
Implicitly or explicitly all competing businesses employ a strategy to select a mix
of marketing resources. Formulating such competitive strategies fundamentally
involves recognizing relationships between elements of the marketing mix (e.g.,
price and product quality), as well as assessing competitive and market conditions
(i.e., industry structure in the language of economics).
Business Valuation Principles for EntrepreneursBen Wann
This insightful presentation is designed to equip entrepreneurs with the essential knowledge and tools needed to accurately value their businesses. Understanding business valuation is crucial for making informed decisions, whether you're seeking investment, planning to sell, or simply want to gauge your company's worth.
Personal Brand Statement:
As an Army veteran dedicated to lifelong learning, I bring a disciplined, strategic mindset to my pursuits. I am constantly expanding my knowledge to innovate and lead effectively. My journey is driven by a commitment to excellence, and to make a meaningful impact in the world.
Recruiting in the Digital Age: A Social Media MasterclassLuanWise
In this masterclass, presented at the Global HR Summit on 5th June 2024, Luan Wise explored the essential features of social media platforms that support talent acquisition, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.
Kseniya Leshchenko: Shared development support service model as the way to ma...Lviv Startup Club
Kseniya Leshchenko: Shared development support service model as the way to make small projects with small budgets profitable for the company (UA)
Kyiv PMDay 2024 Summer
Website – www.pmday.org
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/startuplviv
FB – https://www.facebook.com/pmdayconference
At Techbox Square, in Singapore, we're not just creative web designers and developers, we're the driving force behind your brand identity. Contact us today.
Improving profitability for small businessBen Wann
In this comprehensive presentation, we will explore strategies and practical tips for enhancing profitability in small businesses. Tailored to meet the unique challenges faced by small enterprises, this session covers various aspects that directly impact the bottom line. Attendees will learn how to optimize operational efficiency, manage expenses, and increase revenue through innovative marketing and customer engagement techniques.
The Parable of the Pipeline a book every new businessman or business student ...
Factors of EC Adoption for SMEs
1. Factors that influence the
adoption of e-commerce in
SMEs
Key research findings
By Sandy Chong
Introduction 2
The research 3
Adopting e-commerce in SMEs 5
Implementing e-commerce in SMEs 6
Perceived benefits of e-commerce 7
Leveraging on the Internet 8
Managerial Implications 9
Creativity | Passion | Growth
2. Creativity | Passion | Growth
Electronic commerce (e-commerce) has changed and is
still changing the way business is conducted around the
world. The commercialisation of the Internet and the
World Wide Web (WWW) has driven e-commerce to
become one of the most important mediums that
facilitates the sharing of business information – both
within and between organisations.
As many researchers and practitioners have What kinds of benefits are business leaders
shown, e-commerce has reshaped the expecting from its adoption? And in practice,
traditional value chain and has revolutionised how optimally is the Internet being used for
business processes, creating phenomenal value this purpose?
for businesses worldwide. Thus, in a globalised
economy with less and less opportunities for To investigate these questions, we conducted a
regional and niche market positions, it is research on SMEs between October and
necessary that small and medium enterprises December 2000. The research consisted of
(SMEs) take advantage of what e-commerce can preliminary interviews and a cross-country
offer. survey in Australia.
Yet, the remarkable value and growth of e- In the following pages, we have summarised
commerce do not come without these practical our key findings in graphical forms, and we
questions: What exactly are the reasons behind hope they will provide useful insights for our
e-commerce adoption? What factors hinder the readers.
adoption and implementation of e-commerce?
E-commerce adoption in SMEs: Key research findings 2
3. Creativity | Passion | Growth
The Research
Fig. 1: Profile of SMEs who participated in the study
Age of company Industry Sectors
Other characteristics
Most of the SMEs have been in operation for more than As can be seen, a majority of participating SMEs was
10 years, a majority of participating firms are from the manufacturing industry (37%), with retailers
registered as Proprietary Limited companies, with a and wholesalers forming 21% of all respondents.
modest turnover of between $1m and $15m, and with
less than 50 employees.
Fig. 2: Profile of respondents Fig. 3: Level of adoption in SMEs
Education level of SME owners Experience with e-commerce
Most of our respondents had formal education of up to The responding firms had varying lengths of experience
diploma, while about a quarter of them received with e-commerce adoption and implementation. A high
university education and above. percentage of late adopters is consistent with the
expectation that e-commerce was a relatively new and
growing business practice at the time of the study.
E-commerce adoption in SMEs: Key research findings 3
4. Creativity | Passion | Growth
Being aware of the critical
success factors would equip
SMEs to address adoption issues
effectively and hence progress in
the global marketplace.
E-commerce adoption in SMEs: Key research findings 4
5. Creativity | Passion | Growth
Adopting e-commerce in SMEs
The respondents’ reasons for adopting e-commerce are reported in Fig. 4.
It is apparent that the ability to disseminate product information easily
and quickly is the main reason why SMEs adopt e-commerce, followed by
cost savings and a quick turnaround for orders and purchases. On the
other hand, increasing their sales and gaining global business access were
the least important reasons.
Respondents were also asked to rate the concerns they had to deal with
before adopting e-commerce. The greatest barrier to adoption was the
high initial costs whereas on-going costs ranked significantly lower in
importance. This possibly indicates an ignorance that on-going
maintenance costs are, in practice, much higher than initial outlays, as in
most IT investment.
Fig. 4: Reasons for & barriers of adoption
Reasons for adopting e-commerce
3.94 Disseminate product information quickly & easily
3.91 Save costs / lower prices
3.88 Gain quick turnaround for orders / purchases
3.74 Improve productivity
3.62 Improve image & reputation
3.62 Simply eager to explore what the Internet can offer
3.56 Showcase your company’s products
3.47 Increase sales
3.44 Gain global reach of customers / suppliers
Barriers to adopting e-commerce
3.47 Initial set-up costs
3.38 Lack of in-house expertise or competence
3.35 Security issues
3.26 Customers and/or suppliers not EC ready
3.26 Company not ready
3.26 On-going operational costs
3.21 Lack critical mass among business partners
3.09 Reliability of the Internet
3.09 Lack of perceived needs
2.91 Don’t know enough about EC
2.79 Unfamiliar with IT in general
2.62 Legal issues and standards
1: Very unimportant 2.56 Wait and see mindset
5: Very important 2.26 Currently VAN-based, no need to migrate to Internet
E-commerce adoption in SMEs: Key research findings 5
E-commerce adoption in SMEs: Key research findings 5
6. Creativity | Passion | Growth
The lack of managerial time is expected,
as e-commerce facilitators in SMEs are
mostly directors or owners themselves,
who are –inevitably – busy executives.
Implementing e-commerce
in SMEs
We also investigated the problems faced by Fig. 5: Barriers faced during the implementation of e-commerce
companies while implementing e-commerce.
The lack of resources, particularly managerial
time, skills and finances, were significant
obstacles. This indicates the need for technical Lack of managerial time 3.62
and management training within the company. Shortage of skills 3.29
Morale and more technical issues appear to be
Excessive costs 3.21
less important once these SMEs have decided to
adopt e-commerce. Lack of EC or IT knowledge 3.06
Lack of systems integration or unstructured systems 2.88
Company too small 2.88
Lack of reliable technical advice and support 2.79
Lack of suitable infrastructure in the country 2.44
1: Very unimportant Lack of enthusiasm towards computing, IT and EC 2.29
5: Very important Inappropriate economic climate 2.26
E-commerce adoption in SMEs: Key research findings 6
7. Creativity | Passion | Growth
Perceived benefits of
e-commerce
Respondents were asked to rate direct and indirect benefits, as
perceived at the time e-commerce was being adopted at their firm.
Concerning direct benefits, there was less agreement that generating
sales and retaining customers were benefits of e-commerce. This
suggests that responding SMEs were unable to generate more short-
term revenue and improve customer retention from adopting e-
commerce.
As for indirect benefits, most respondents felt that more potential
business opportunities and initiatives resulted, and they also had
better access to new distribution channels.
Though short-term sales generation may be moderate, SMEs are
generally optimistic that future business opportunities and long-
term revenues will increase.
Fig. 6: Direct and indirect benefits of e-commerce, as perceived by adopting firms
Direct Benefits
DIRECT BENEFITS
Saving time in searching 3.94
information
Long term business 3.79
partnership
Cost savings 3.76
Increased sales 3.53
Customer retention 3.21
Generate short term revenue 2.68
Indirect Benefits
INDIRECT BENEFITS
Opening potential business 3.94
opportunities
New business initiatives 3.85
Access to new distribution 3.79
channels
Effective publicity, advertising 3.74 1:Strongly disagree
and marketingbusiness
Ongoing 3.50 5:Strongly agree
transformation
E-commerce adoption in SMEs: Key research findings 7
8. Creativity | Passion | Growth
Leveraging on the
Internet
Fig. 7: Aspects of the business the Internet was used for
To understand how the Internet was to
conduct business, respondents were
asked to rate usage on a scale of 1-5, Internet Usage
with 1 = "very little", 5 = "very often" 1.12 Online selling of goods & services
and 0 = "not used" (see Fig. 7). The
2.18 Publicity, promoting & advertising of goods & services
Internet was used mostly to facilitate
cross-company communication and 2.21 Research & development
collaboration, than for online sales of 2.29 Collaboration with customers, suppliers & industry groups
goods and services. These results are
expected because a majority of the 2.85 Communication with customers, suppliers & industry groups
respondents are from the manufacturing
5 0
industry. Although overall usage was not
very often not used
high, it is expected to increase over
time.
As with the adoption of most new technologies, there will tend to be
two distinct groups of users: one that knows how to take full
advantage of it, and the other that under-utilises it because of their
lack of expertise.
Fig. 8: Total distribution of Internet usage
The individual scores were added to
give an indication of how optimally the 0.3
Internet was being used as a whole. The
chart in Fig. 8 appears to peak thrice. If
however, the two extremes (lower and
upper modes) were ignored, the graph
0.2
would reflect a normal distribution,
which is expected. Nevertheless, the
lower peak suggests marked under-
utilisation of the Internet, and the
upper peak represents a group with a 0.1
good understanding of the Internet's
potential. Overall, the normal
distribution shows that Internet
utilisation is moderate.
0
E-commerce adoption in SMEs: Key research findings 8
9. Creativity | Passion | Growth
Managerial
Implications
The exploratory nature of this research
has identified some of the issues
commonly faced by practitioners in
various phases of the e-commerce
adoption process – particularly, before
adoption and during implementation.
Though the full potential of e-
commerce and the Internet has yet to
be realised, it seems that the inability
to expend resources in the short term
(such as initial financial outlays and
managerial time) severely impedes
progress. Knowledge of these issues
would certainly help SMEs to preempt
problems or mitigate the effects of
these problems.
In many instances where new technologies are being adopted, top
management support seems to have a strong influence over the
success of these initiatives.
Our findings reiterate this, as the “lack than it is “human-oriented”. Again, the
of managerial time” seemed to be the importance of top management
greatest barrier to successful e- involvement is emphasized here;
commerce implementations. It is thus policies that address these “human”
necessary for top management to issues need to be formulated to govern
participate in this phase of adoption; the new system and steer the e-
not only does this serve as a form of commerce initiative towards its
support and encouragement to intended objectives. Policies could
employees, critical decisions (that could include technical or management
potentially accelerate progress) can training, or assigning key staff to drive
also be made and acted upon promptly. the development of these projects.
The significance of “shortage of skills”
and “lack of EC or IT knowledge” as
barriers to success certainly suggests
that of all the resources required,
human resources are more critical than
technical resources and infrastructure.
This disputes the common
misconception that e-commerce
adoption is more “technical-oriented”
E-commerce adoption in SMEs: Key research findings 9