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Practical eBusiness Competitive Advantage Through IT and eBusiness; a Guide for Irish Managers Summary As we have already indicated, the issues that arose in the implementation of these eBusiness projects were primarily business and human ones; not technical challenges (although there were plenty of those). So that’s the route we’ve taken. There’s lots of information here about managing people; the project manager, the team, staff, customers, suppliers and more. Here’s the primary findings... Imagine the Future Having a true vision of your business in the future - potentially in an entirely different format - can guide the way through to a reinvention of the company. Think outside the box, consider the likely impact of technology on your sector and embrace change; to have a clear vision leads the way to success; be there! Take Time to Plan Planning transpired as the single most important process for our case study companies. Set your objective at the outset, get senior management buy-in, be flexible and expect the project to cost more and take longer than you might have expected. You have been warned..... The Choice is Yours A decision that your company will probably face is whether to outsource the required support or to access the expertise inhouse. It transpired that for most case study companies a combination of both was the best solution. Often external consultants give direction to the project that internal staff cannot offer. On the other hand, where ongoing support is required postimplementation, it can be best to resource this inhouse; ideally by training-up a member of staff or else by recruiting-in the necessary skills. Choose Consultants Carefully If you do decide to outsource work to an IT consultant/supplier, then make sure you “Do Due Diligence”; check C.V.s of the personnel that you’ll be working with; find out what the contingency arrangements are to cover illness/absence and talk to their existing clients to gain credible references. And when you make your decision, seal it with legal documentation; a contract of appointment, a service level agreement etc. Leave nothing to chance as the risk is all yours for the taking but it doesn’t have to be! Talk to Customers Many case study companies found it extremely useful to involve customers and trading partners in the eBusiness project from the outset. This is an important part of the process, not least because alienating customers/trading partners can diminish the entire proposed benefit of your project. Some of the companies studied found that by involving customers early on in the process, they were perceived by those customers as being responsive and proactive. This improved their relationships with customers. Consult with Staff Needless to say, nothing can be achieved without the pro-active participation of staff. Involving staff at the earliest possible stage in your eBusiness project will facilitate adoption of the new processes. Input at the planning stage is essential and positive potential benefits for staff - such as eWorking - should be considered. Also allow for staff turnover and back-fill for the staff allocated to the Project Team; they cannot do two jobs at once! Make it Happen Flexibility also turned up as a key to success in the implementation of these projects. Many of the issues that transpired during the implementation process for the case study companies could have been anticipated during the planning phase. However, others that arose simply could not have been anticipated in advance, so be prepared for the occasional surprise. And of course, take time over your testing process; it’s essential to do this properly, to avoid staff/supplier/customer resistance. For many companies, the implementation phase was far more demanding than anticipated. It involved many late nights for staff and managers from various parts of the organisation. You may well have the same experience, so consult all involved as soon as possible. Keep up the Momentum Once the Go Live date comes and goes, it’s tempting to sit back and wait for the benefits to roll in. Don’t do it! Stay on top of the project, make sure that the new work practices required to make a success of your investment are being adhered to. Think about your marketing options; don’t just build a site, for example, and expect visitors to flood in; be prepared to adopt new marketing techniques and to integrate these with conventional marketing campaigns. Look to the future and plan for further developments; they will be required..... A Cut on Costs Given that available budget restrictions are a central issue for most small companies, we didn’t feel that this guide would be complete without indicative costs, so we have included a section on this as a broad guideline. Go & Grow It’s been a fascinating journey for all of us! Make use of this guide as you need to and refer to the CD for more detailed information when you get the chance. Embrace eBusiness and jump ahead of the rest; go for it! <<Back to start of Introduction. |
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