The integration of e-business processes with other traditional organizational processes is an important factor to serve customers effectively. Organizations must be flexible enough to cooperate with their partners. The article focuses on the two most important organizational requirements for e-businessinternal integration and external flexibility. Through the help of case studies, it illustrates the effects of integration and flexibility on the organization. The fall of dotcom businesses has taught us that not every dotcom start--up leads to a successful business. Just as in brick--and--mortar companies, an adequate analysis of investment and return on investment appears to be necessary. So far, many dotcom companies have made inadequate investment analysis. The decision to start dotcom companies was often based on faith rather than on an analysis of a return on investment. Currently, research is being carried out to establish the factors that help explain success and failure in dotcom business and e--business. Many factors have been identified. They may be classified across three dimensions. The first dimension pertains to the type of e--business namely, B2B, B2C, or C2C.
In the present scenario, B2B is considered to have the highest chance of success. The second dimension concerns the type of object (virtual, physical or hybrid) that is traded or produced. The third dimension pertains to organizational aspects, such as identifying the business goals and finding the right business strategy to achieve these goals. In the field of information systems--strategy alignment, for instance, we know that IT--strategy and infrastructure should be aligned with the organization's strategy and infrastructure. |
