Section 1
What is e-Commerce?
Section 2
Why Consider e-Commerce?
Section 3
e-Commerce - A Business Focus
Section 4
Types of e-Commerce and How to Guides
Section 5
Charting Your First Steps
- Section 5 Overview
- 5.1 Where is Your Business Now?
- 5.2 Where Do You Want Your Business to Be?
- 5.3 How Will You Get Your Business There?
- Section 5 Summary
- Test your Knowledge
- Focus on your Business
Small Business Assistance
Section 5.3 — How Will You Get Your Business There?
The third planning step is to develop an implementation plan, or the “how”, to move your business from “Where it is now” to “Where you want it to be”. In other words, how you will achieve your e-Commerce goal set in topic 5.2.
Your implementation plan should reflect what is to be done (actions), who is to take responsibility for each action and the deadline for completion of each action.
Actions
The actions in your implementation plan should include:
- the things that have to be done to adopt the e-Commerce option you have chosen. (refer to e-Start Section 4 - e-Commerce Options)
- the things that have to be done to address the business issues when you implement your selected e-Commerce option. (refer to e-Start Section 3 - Business Focus)
Online Banking Example 
A small business (with a computer, but not connected to the internet) has set an e-Commerce goal of using online banking to reduce the time spent in the bank and to have instant access to online bill paying and bank statements.
To complete it’s implementation plan the business should include the things that need to be done to implement the e-Commerce option. That is:
- organise access to the internet, including purchasing and installing a modem in their computer, selecting an internet service provider and connecting through the telephone line.
- organise with the bank for the business bank accounts to be made accessible through the bank’s online banking facility.
The business should also include the actions required to address business issues. In this case, training will be required in basic internet use and the online banking application provided by the bank. Staff requiring access to the business bank accounts will require security access and arrangements will need to be put in place to keep access codes secure.
The number of business issues that need to be dealt with depends on the complexity of the e-Commerce strategy being undertaken. Problems can easily be overcome by planning for them first.
The final stage is implementing the actions listed in the plan. Your success will depend on how well you planned and how comfortable people in your business, your customers and / or your suppliers are with the new way of doing things.
