What is E-Business?

Focus on Business Improvement Priorities to Drive Business and Finance E-Business Enablement

There are mission critical processes in companies and there are those that have a lesser priority.

P&L level executives would not leave the doors to their office building open nor would they leave files containing important client lists and business secrets unlocked when business hours were over. Likewise security is one of the top priorities for most companies as they continue to find ways to drive their business and maximize profits through technology.

Similarly, insurance against disasters that could destroy important business assets is prudent management decision making. Likewise, a disaster recovery program in the event of an unanticipated breakdown in the technology system is near the top of the priority list for most companies.

Data is said to be the "heart beat" of business. Without the information that defines the company's products, customers, transactions and operations, no business could function. As a consequence data integration, management, sharing and security are areas where companies find it wise to invest in technology. Giving internal staff, customers and business partners that ability to gain instant access to the information they need to engage in business is often the key to driving business profits to the maximum.

Web services are emerging as one of the most cost effective and efficient ways to improve customer service, generate new sales, reduce labor costs and improve the overall performance of company operations. For this reason companies are turning their backs on spending money with web site development specialists and "brochure" type web sites that provide no revenue generating value to the company. This is why web services is on the priority list for most companies.

The e-business system must be reliable and dependable if the company is to derive the best return from its investment. Reliability and dependability require the capacity to look into the total e-business enterprise, monitor the performance of the components and react quickly to repair any dysfunction that occurs. Because the very ability of the company to engage in business depends on the system working properly, enterprise management is one of the top priorities in the development of a quality e-business system.

The network is the skeleton upon which the e-business system is constructed. A weak skeleton will not be able to support the components that are critical to becoming fully e-business enabled. It is important that the network be designed to carry the weight of today's e-business requirements, and be scalable as the demand increases in the future. Without a quality network, achieving the cost benefits and business returns of e-business technology is impossible.

IND's Methodology Pinpoints the Mission Critical Elements of a Quality E-Business Structure

The IND E-Business Enablement Methodology™ is based on providing best practice solutions for all of those priorities noted above along with eight other basic components necessary to becoming fully e-business enabled. These 13 e-business components provide the foundation for the IND Phase I needs assessment process that marks the beginning of the e-business enablement process.