Overview

You have the task of developing an e-commerce business plan for the client described in the case study below. Your planning document must meet the needs of the client and you may not choose to develop a plan for any other client (i.e. business or website). However, this case study is not intended to limit your creativity or the scope of your e-commerce business proposal.

Your must submit a report (as an MSWord format document) for the client. You may/will need to research a number of different aspects of your proposal, but some of these aspects will not be covered in lectures until Week 10 of semester - however, do not wait until that time to begin this assignment as it will take considerable time, thought and work to be successfully completed. You may refer to any authentic source in conducting your research and all references must be included in your report. You may also employ any analysis or design tool in the preparation of your report - so long as the results are suitable for presentation in the required Word document and are your own work.

Remember: this is a report intended to convince a board of directors to adopt your proposal. Your report must therefore be complete, yet concise; be clear and convincing, and professionally presented. Above all, the report must be specific to the needs of the business!

Case Study

Orion Australia

The Orion Australia is a Geelong-based company which manufactures biometric devices used for Time & Attendance data recording and access control for a wide variety of industries. They are a small first-tier family-owned supplier to the industry in Australia with capitalisation of $A25M, annual sales of $A3M, increasing at two percent per annum, and net profits of six percent of total sales. The management team are all industry experienced and university educated; the company is flexible and innovative. However, in an ever-changing industry, their future business is uncertain.

Their main business is wholesale to all major Australian banks and financial institutions (currently 50 percent of sales and 50 percent of profits). The company also has a small sideline (currently 7 percent of sales but 30 percent of profits) where it retails biometric devices, like finger print scanners, via the phone to customers all over the world.

The main suppliers to Orion Australia are based in Melbourne and Sydney, although most parts come from overseas (e.g. UK). Supplier relations are all paper-based transactions, while long-term contracts with assemblers are managed using email and facsimile transmission of orders, although the assemblers employ EDI with most other first-tier suppliers.

The Orion Australia management team is keen to expand the retail sales, which are potentially very profitable for the company and to improve relations with suppliers, parts retailers and assemblers. To do this one member of the management team has suggested the company create new online channels for sales, marketing, and supply chain management.

You have been called in as an internet and management consultant. Orion Australia wants to know how e-business technologies could be used to improve the company's operations. The company is keen to leave as much open as possible - you have been told that it is a 'clean sheet' strategy but cannot consume more than half the profits of next year's business. The Chief Executive, Mr Rodgers, needs a report from you to give the board a specific brief.

Requirements

Tasks

Your e-Commerce business proposal should address:

clearly identified e-commerce business model(s)

• how the e-commerce business will derive revenue (i.e. revenue models)
• what network and communications infrastructure will be required
• what applications will be required to meet specific e-commerce business goals
• how you will address security issues
• how you will address e-marketing requirements
• what choice of payment systems will be used
• how you will address privacy and other relevant ethical concerns
• how you will address legal issues connected with the e-commerce business
• how you will address customer service issues
• how you will measure the success of your proposal (metrics, tools)