eBusiness: Critical Success Factors

General Perspective Of The Ecommerce And Ebusiness

According to Turban et al. (2005, p.4) eCommerce is the realization of all business activities realized via computer networks. eBusiness in contrast does not only include the buying and selling process but everything else like e.g. the customer service, the corporation with suppliers and every internal process of the organization handled via an established digital network. Dell was the first company that was using the direct-marketing business model to sell such an expensive good like a PC directly to its customers without the intermediation of a reseller (Turban et al., 2005, pp. 2–3). The term “eBusiness” has a very broad application. It can describe companies operating in the ICT producing sectors as well as new emerging sectors and industries such as in the area of digital content. However, at a more fundamental level, the term eBusiness also describes the application of information and communication technologies to business processes in all sectors of the economy to reduce costs, to improve customer value and to find new markets for products and services. It is in this sense the term is interpreted this chapter.

The paper is intended to form the basis of a new eBusiness strategy aimed at encouraging and assisting businesses, across all sectors of the economy, to use ICTs in a way that will maximize their competitive advantage. Effective use of ICTs by enterprises is a key element in building competitiveness and for this understanding the critical success factors in eBusiness is crucial. Today eBusiness has emerged as a mainstream way to facilitate business transactions around the world. The definition of eBusiness is broad, and encompasses eCommerce and all means by which people transact with one another over the internet.