Inixindo’s e-procurement

Inixindo, as I have explained in my previous blog entry, is a IT education company which is an official learning partner of Microsoft, Sun, Oracle, Cisco,etc. The materials (books/companion cd) used for the class is of course supplied by the respective vendor. At this opportunity, I would like to explain the e-procurement mechanism of Inixindo in regard on purchasing materials for the upcoming class.

For the material procurement, purchasal is usally done 1 week before the scheduled class. The procurement staff will inform the respective vendors by submitting purchasing order. However, in different vendor there is also different mechanism. In the case with Microsoft and Cisco, the procurement staff have only to submit the order via web application provided in the website link accessible only to certified learning partner of those vendor, therefore it makes easy in placing order for the upcoming class. Once order has been placed and being paid, the vendor will process the order and sent the requested materials to Inixindo ASAP.

However these are not the case in ordering materials from Oracle or Sun Microsystem, the purchasing staff must forst make a telephone contact to infor the upcoming purchase to the Oracle Indonesia or Sun Microsystem Singapore. Then, they will follow up the order for materials on their own with whatever method they use to the central printing office. After it finished, the printing office will sent the materials first to the representatives of the vendors (branch offices) before they sent those materials to Inixindo.

One possible problem that might happen is that the difficulty in implementing standard of e-procurement. In inixindo case, vendors have different mechanism and preferences in handling orders from customers like inixindo. Therefore as a company, inixindo must be able to adapt with several method of procurement, be it may e-procurement or traditional procurement.

six strategies of glodokshop

glodokshop.com is an online stone in jakarta specializing in electronics equipment sale. Glodokshop handles all the purchasal online. though it also has a physical store. I’m gonna review the 6-e business strategy decision which is implementing on glodokshop

Decision 1 E-Business Channel Priority

glodokshop use click and brick strategy, simullated traditional stroe using online technology

Decision 2 Organizational restructuring and capabilities

glodokshop relies on suppliers for its inventory, therefore must maintain a good relations with the suppliers

Decision 3 Business, service, and revenue models

glodokshop is a seller of electronics, the inventiry is bought from the supplier

glodokshop gain profits from the electronic sellings

glodokshop have constant promotions and discounts

Decision 4 Market Restructuring

glodokshop acts as a market alternative to a conventional shop

Decision 5 Market and product development strategies

glodokshop perform a lot of promo to gain market attention

Decision 6 Positioning and differentiation strategies

glodokshop offer price below market price to gain a fair share of ccusstomer

E-Business Homework II

Q: Create a summary guide for a small retailer company about the stages that are necessary in the creation of a web site and the management issues involved.

A: In my opinion creation and maintenance/management of an e-commerce website shoul be separated. The creation of a website can be considered as a project, which means it has a finite steps, schedules, and closing. While maintenance/management is an ongoing-process which has no closing unless the website itself closed. So, the steps that are necessary to create a website is as follow:

1. Requirements Gathering, incl brainstorming

first we must specify what things are necessaary in website creation, and also we must take notes from inputs and opinions of the team members

2. Develop scope

then we must develop the scope of the website, determine its purpose, what and what-not will be covered in the website

3. Develop Working Charter

this is as a guideline on how the website creation project is done.

4. Survey competitors website

this can be done to see the tendency of the rivals of your business, you then can follow similar standard or develop an all-new groundbreaking website design and functionality

5. Develop blueprint of the intended website

use this as a guideline of the technical works in developing the website

6. Create, testing and debugging

the actual process of web creation

7. Deploy in a test environment

test whether the website has fulfill our requirement specified in the project charter and the technical blueprint. find any bugs that might occur. repeat step 6-7 as necessary.

8. Find domain and hosting place

once you ensure step 7 succeed. you should find a web host to host your website.

9. Promote your website

once you ensure your website is up n running, you have to promote your site so potential consumer will go and check your website.

10. Run a final check

once everything seems on the right track, run a final check to ensure all is well

11. Project Closing

time to close the website creation and deployment project before we move on to the website maintenance process

12. Project Evaluation

evaluate the website project and crate a lesson-learned notes to be used as a baseline of the next website creation project, if any.

Since website maintenance is a cyclical/repetitive process, the steps listed below will never stops unless the website is shutted down for good.

1. Check user/consumers feedback

this is very important because consumers are the party that use the site first-hand. therefore it is them who will likely to encounter an error or two in your website

2. Fix errors/bugs

try to find and fix any errors and bugs as the time goes on. use the feedback input as information on bug/error locations.

3. Test

Test whether the errors/bugs has successfully fixed

4. Update your website content

A good website is a website that is always updated. keep int ouch with the latest promotions, products, events of your company so that the consumers will be informed.

5. Broaden the website scope

This step is optional if the company wants to broaden the scope and purpose of the website.

E-Business Homework I

Q: For an Organization you familiar with, examine the alternative business and revenue models afforded by the internet, and asses the options for the type & location of e-commerce transition

A: The organization that I am familiar and I will use in this task is PT. Inixindo. Inixindo is a training and education center for Information Technology courses that offer classes and workshops based on official materials from renowned IT vendors such as: Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, Sun, etc. Inixindo is also the official learning partner for those vendors. Basically, Inixindo is a brick-and-mortar business in which classes are held in a specific location, in this case the offices of Inixindo. Currently classes are held traditionally, means that it still follows the old rules in which students were taught directly by the instructor inside a classroom, hence the instructor-led training.

Now the e-business and online revenue model assesed that I assume that is suitable for Inixindo is as follow. One might think that the traditional classroom model of training shoul be abandoned and reduced and replace it instead with an online training. Sure thing that online-led training have its benefit such as mobility, personalization, etcetera. However, based on my observation, customers in Indonesia still prefers the classroom methods, in which the students and instructor are directly participate in the class. We also know that online training utilizes heavy bandwidth for lets say high quality video streaming in which, we also know that Indonesia’s internet bandwidth for common people is still in the low range (read: shitty) compared to the more technologically advanced country. And the last thing about online-led training, the vendors of Inixindo, eg: Microsoft, Oracle, etc, provided the curricula of their materials to be conducted in a traditional brick-and-mortar classroom. Their learning materials are also come in a form of books and cd-roms in which it is counted as a physical goods. Now therefore, regarding online-led training, I personally think this is not the online revenue model that Inixindo will pursue in the near future.

Now then, what is the e-business and online revenue model suitable for Inixindo. I personally think that the current inixindo website should be used to accomodate and support for the on-going business process. For example, the current usage of website are to promote up and coming classes that will be held in the near future, the quarterly schedule of classes, events informations sucha as seminars, etc. Of course we can add additional features to it. One thing comes to mind is online class registration, Inixindo can design the web to accept online class registration and online exam registration so that the customer should not come personally to inixindo to register himself/herself for a class. Of course to prevent fraud/false registration, a statement of advanced payment (uang muka) of the course must be provided, this can be provided in form of scanned image of transfer receipt and such. Definitely easier than you have to come personally to the office of Inixindo.

The other thing comes to mind is that, in the Inixindo website can use more additional promotion materials to promote the classes. This prmotion can come in unique forms such as: video capture of a sample classes to show the prospected consumers how classes is performed by Inixindo, a mini video tutorial that explains a course objectives and how by joining this particular class students can achieve the listed objectives. This is because according to http://ezinearticles.com/?The-5-Best-Revenue-Models-in-E-Commerce-History&id=102842 one of the five best revenue models in e-commerce is to sell your service online and to inform the consumers what to expect in studying in Inixindo, and of course this can also be used to impress consumers since based on my observation none of Inixindo’s competitor using this kind of e-commerce revenue models.

So in conclusion, I personally prefer that for the current time the e-business and online revenue model that will be implemented is not to change the overall business process, such as online-led training, but to support and enhance the existing method of business, in which it can acts as a promotional, information portal, online class booking/reservation, etc.