ecommerce Information Pack Third Level Model Answers Syllabus

Transcription

1 ecommerce Third Level Information Pack Contents: Sample Paper Model Answers Syllabus

2 Examiners Use only TOTAL SAMPLE 1 EXAMINATION 2001 ecommerce THIRD LEVEL (Code No:) Instructions to Candidates (a) (b) The time allowed for this examination is 3 hours Answer all questions in Section A and 3 questions from Section B (c) There are 10 questions in Section A with a total mark value of 25. (d) There are 6 questions in Section B. You must answer 3. All Section B questions carry 25 marks (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) All answers must be clearly and correctly numbered but need not be in numerical order. Your answers should be written in blue or black ink/ballpoint. Pencil may be used only for graphs, charts, diagrams, etc. Write legibly on both sides of the page. Rough work (if any) must be crossed through after use. If supplementary sheets are used, the candidate's number must be clearly shown and the sheets securely inserted inside the answer book. The question(s) to which they refer must be clearly numbered. The use of standard English dictionaries and cordless non-programmable calculators is permitted. Candidates whose first language is not English may use a bilingual dictionary. (j) Ensure that your details are clearly entered below. ENTER DETAILS BELOW CANDIDATE S NAME IN FULL as it is to appear on the certificate IDENTITY CARD NUMBER... Subject Code Number... Candidate s Number... Centre Code... Full Private Address Postcode... Centre Name and Address... 1

3 SECTION A: Candidates should attempt all the questions in this section Question 1 What are the advantages of hosting a web site using your own organisation s server? (2 marks) Question 2 Identify 3 major design criteria for an ecommerce web site. (3 marks) Question 3 Which operating systems could be used for hosting a web site? (3 marks) Question 4 Identify 3 departments of an organisation that should be included in an ecommerce re-engineering project team. (3 marks) Question 5 What is meant by "phase change"? (3 marks) Question 6 What fears may staff have following an ecommerce re-engineering project? (3 marks) Question 7 Identify 2 key components of the role of an ecommerce project manager. (2 marks) Question 8 What changes to working practices may be required following an organisation adopting ecommerce to allow for real time response? (2 marks) Question 9 What can be added to a web site to improve the quality of information that is provided by on-line customers and visitors? (2 marks) Question 10 How can the ROI from an informational web site be measured? (2 marks) 2

4 SECTION B: Candidates are required to answer 3 questions only. All questions carry equal marks Question 1 (a) (b) (c) Explain 5 major reasons for the growth in ecommerce Describe 5 areas of poor web design which may result in lost opportunities. Describe 5 additions to a web site that could make them more user-friendly. (10 marks) (5 marks) (10 marks) Question 2 Write a report to your finance director fully explaining the following: (i) (ii) 4 essential elements for any electronic payment system (12 marks) 4 methods available to reduce consumer fears regarding on-line credit card transactions. (12 marks) (1 mark for report format, 24 marks for report content) Question 3 (a) (b) Identify 5 areas in an organisation that will be affected by an ecommerce implementation project. (5 marks) Explain the 4 stages an organisation may pass through when conducting an ecommerce strategy. (20 marks) Question 4 (a) (b) Describe 6 benefits of an ecommerce strategy that can be maximised by an organisation (18 marks) Briefly explain what is meant by the following terms as they apply to ecommerce: (i) Total Quality Management (3 marks) (ii) Business Process Re-engineering (3 marks) (iii) U.R.L. (1 mark) 3

5 Question 5 Explain the following project management terms used in ecommerce: (i) scope of the project (2 marks) (ii) capture document (3 marks) (iii) budget and resource pool (4 marks) (iv) project objectives (4 marks) (v) SMART (4 marks) (vi) project scheduling (4 marks) (vii) W.B.S and C.P.A. (4 marks) Question 6 You are the Project Manager responsible for development of your company s transactional web site. Your Project Director has questioned the need to pilot the web site before going live. Write a report to her: (a) Explaining the need for a "pilot project" (3 marks) (b) Explaining 4 benefits of a pilot project (12 marks) (c) Explaining 5 common reasons why projects fail and how these can be avoided through piloting. (10 marks) 4

6 ecommerce Third Level How to use this booklet Examiners Reports and Model Answers have been developed by LCCIEB to offer additional information and guidance to Centres, teachers and candidates as they prepare for LCCIEB examinations. The contents of this booklet are divided into 5 elements: (1) General Comments assessment of overall candidate performance in this examination, providing general guidance where it applies across the examination as a whole (2) Questions reproduced from the printed examination paper (3) Model Answers summary of the main points that the Chief Examiner expected to see in the answers to each question in the examination paper (4) Examiner s Report constructive analysis of candidate error, areas of weakness and other comments that apply to each question in the examination paper (5) Helpful Hints where appropriate, additional guidance relating to individual questions or to examination technique Teachers and candidates should find this booklet an invaluable teaching tool and an aid to success. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Examinations Board provides Model Answers to help candidates gain a general understanding of the standard required. The Board accepts that candidates may offer other answers that could be equally valid. Note LCCIEB reserves the right not to produce an Examiner s Report, either for an examination paper as a whole or for individual questions, if too few candidates were involved to make an Examiner s Report meaningful. LCCI CET 2000 All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the Publisher. The book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover, other than that in which it is published, without the prior consent of the Publisher. Typeset, printed and bound by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Examinations Board. 1

7 SECTION A: Candidates should attempt all the questions in this section Question 1 What are the advantages of hosting a web site using your own organisation s server? (2 marks) Question 2 Identify 3 major design criteria for an ecommerce web site. (3 marks) Question 3 Which operating systems could be used for hosting a web site? (3 marks) Question 4 Identify 3 departments of an organisation that should be included in an ecommerce re-engineering project team. (3 marks) Question 5 What is meant by "phase change"? (3 marks) Question 6 What fears may staff have following an ecommerce re-engineering project? (3 marks) Question 7 Identify 2 key components of the role of an ecommerce project manager. (2 marks) Question 8 What changes to working practices may be required following an organisation adopting ecommerce to allow for real time response? (2 marks) Question 9 What can be added to a web site to improve the quality of information that is provided by on-line customers and visitors? (2 marks) Question 10 How can the ROI from an informational web site be measured? (2 marks) 3

8 MODEL ANSWERS TO SECTION A Question 1 Any two of: Your choice of operating system Your choice of web server software Your choice of database software High level of control of the site Question 2 Any three of: Speed of download of pages Pages should be able to be viewed the same with various browsers Ease of navigation Content should be found with no more than four mouse clicks from the home page The site replicates or compliments the existing brand Question 3 Any three of: Windows 2000 Server Windows NT4.0 Server Linux Various flavours of UNIX Question 4 Any three of: Marketing Sales Fulfilment/Logistics Customer Services IT Finance Design Question 5 Phase change involves implementing new working practises or processes in chunks as part of an overall change management programme. After each phase has been completed, the efficacy of the change is evaluated and adjusted as necessary. 4

9 Question 6 Any three of: Fear of redundancy Fear that they will not be able to use the new technology Fear that they will be de-skilled by new technology Fear that they will break or damage the new technology Change of working hours Change of working practises Question 7 Any two of: Take ownership of the entire project Be accountable for successes (or failures) Act as a point of escalation Escalate problems to Project Sponsor Monitor timescales or milestones Move/source resources Question 8 Any two of: 24x7 fulfilment Integration of ecommerce site with Inventory system Support staff available 24x7 Effective IT and communications infrastructure Question 9 Any two of: Customer survey forms Customer feedback forms On-line registration facility Phone me button (A facility that allows the customer to be telephoned by the supplier at the click of a button) links Question 10 Any two of: Number of hits received per day/week/month Number of telephone enquiries received as a result of web presence Time spent at site Number of unique domains that visit the site Sales resulting through normal channels which first approached the organisation as a result of the web site 5

10 SECTION B: Candidates are required to answer 3 questions only. All questions carry equal marks Question 1 (a) (b) (c) Explain 5 major reasons for the growth in ecommerce Describe 5 areas of poor web design which may result in lost opportunities. Describe 5 additions to a web site that could make them more user-friendly. (10 marks) (5 marks) (10 marks) Question 2 Write a report to your finance director fully explaining the following: (i) (ii) 4 essential elements for any electronic payment system (12 marks) 4 methods available to reduce consumer fears regarding on-line credit card transactions. (12 marks) (1 mark for report format, 24 marks for report content) Question 3 (a) (b) Identify 5 areas in an organisation that will be affected by an ecommerce implementation project. (5 marks) Explain the 4 stages an organisation may pass through when conducting an ecommerce strategy. (20 marks) Question 4 (a) (b) Describe 6 benefits of an ecommerce strategy that can be maximised by an organisation (18 marks) Briefly explain what is meant by the following terms as they apply to ecommerce: (i) Total Quality Management (3 marks) (ii) Business Process Re-engineering (3 marks) (iii) U.R.L. (1 mark) 6

11 Question 5 Explain the following project management terms used in ecommerce: (i) scope of the project (2 marks) (ii) capture document (3 marks) (iii) budget and resource pool (4 marks) (iv) project objectives (4 marks) (v) SMART (4 marks) (vi) project scheduling (4 marks) (vii) W.B.S and C.P.A. (4 marks) Question 6 You are the Project Manager responsible for development of your company s transactional web site. Your Project Director has questioned the need to pilot the web site before going live. Write a report to her: (a) Explaining the need for a "pilot project" (3 marks) (b) Explaining 4 benefits of a pilot project (12 marks) (c) Explaining 5 common reasons why projects fail and how these can be avoided through piloting. (10 marks) 7

12 MODEL ANSWERS TO SECTION B QUESTION 1 (a) The last five years has seen an enormous proliferation of ecommerce web sites on the Internet. It is estimated that in excess of 70 million web sites now offer ecommerce transaction facilities throughout the world. Many organisations have entered into the world of ecommerce owing to the additional unique benefits offered by web sites. Increased opening hours, as there are no physical premises to maintain or staff to employ there is the facility to operate the 24/7 principle. In other words they can operate 24 hours a day for 7 days a week. The geographic reach of the operation no longer has any physical boundaries as the Internet has a global market. With the unlimited trading opportunities the ecommerce operation may be very convenient for shift workers and other customers wishing to shop at unconventional times With the introduction of a computerised operation there will be a large reduction in selling costs for the operation owing to minimum staff and absence of retail premises. It is recognised that many more social grade AB consumers have access to and regular use of the Internet. This allows the organisation to reach consumers with recognised greater buying power. (b) Although many organisations have joined the Internet revolution and now offer web sites, it has to be said that some web sites are much more successful than others. Poor web site design invariably leads to many lost opportunities. The most common faults, or design defects, are: The absence of a search facility within the site - leaving customers confused and short of information Products not being split into logical groupings or "shelves" hence the customer becomes frustrated trying to locate the product they are seeking Difficulties in finding the on-line purchases section Too many pages to be cycled through before getting to the on-line purchase section, customers become bored or frustrated and click off before getting to the purchase page. The purchase page requesting or requiring too much information, or is too complicated to complete before the purchase can take place. (c) The ultimate aim of any ecommerce web site is to facilitate the sale of the organisation's offerings on a continual and regular basis. Naturally the more consumer friendly the web site is - the easier it will be for consumers to make their purchases. This aspect should go a long way to ensuring repeat visits and repeat purchases. The types of facility that an organisation can include in their site to achieve this aim are: the provision of virtual assistants to ask questions and lead customers to the relevant part of the site by providing a frequently asked questions page, with the relevant answers supplied by providing direct links for customers to ask questions by offering an instant message facility for consumers to ask questions and be connected to a real person - who replies with the relevant answer almost immediately by offering virtual tours aided by clear and simple design of the pages 8

13 Question 2 TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Finance Director A Candidate xx/xx/2001 ecommerce requirements I have been asked to prepare a report regarding the essential requirements of an electronic payments system and to suggest methods of reducing customer fears with regard to such transactions. 1 Essential Requirements of An Electronic Payment System: 1.1 Confidentiality The system must prevent disclosure of the message to unauthorised users 1.2 Authentication. The system must allow the recipient to validate the identity of the claimed originator 1.3 Non-Repudiation The system must prevent one party in the communication later falsely denying having taken part in the transaction 1.4 Integrity The system must be able to detect whether the message has been modified in anyway from its original format 2 Reducing Consumer Fears in On-Line Transactions 2.1 Using the highest possible encryption facilities (currently 128 bit) 2.2 Through the use of digital certificates 2.3 By offering credit card company guarantees 2.4 By providing telephone help lines 9

14 Question 3 (a) The introduction of an ecommerce operation into any organisation will have repercussions for many department or functional areas such as: the sales and marketing department the buying/procurement department personnel department warehousing and distribution department accounts/finance department. (b) It is very unlikely that any organisation will move from not having any presence on the Internet to being a fully-fledged ecommerce operation in one gigantic leap into the unknown. It is far more likely that an organisation will follow a recognised four step process (though it is accepted that possibly stages 2 or 3 may be omitted in the drive towards completion) Stage 1 Bricolage At this stage ecommerce is likely to be little more than a hobby horse of an enthusiast. The medium is likely to be restricted to a very small part of the organisation and developed in an adhoc manner. The resource allocation is likely to come from the co-option of existing Internet resources and the use of stray budget to augment this with possible external resources. There is little or no management interest and indeed may even be seen as an interference with existing systems. Stage 2 Trojan Horse During this stage the ecommerce initiative is restricted to one segment of the organisation and for this reason is often referred to as segmenting. The leadership of the project tends to come from an evangelist who possibly has the ear of a senior member of management. As a result there may well be an official budget, personnel and resource allocation. The group operates nominally as a new channel or segment of the company. The Trojan horse leads company-wide development and could be a genuine pilot scheme. A major problem for this operation could be the lack of any specific business target and its success is often reliant on the activity of other segments Stage 3 New Business At some point, senior management become aware the ecommerce is a serious and genuine business. This may be due to the persuasion of the evangelist or more likely the realisation that competitors are gaining a distinct business advantage. Frequently ecommerce does not match the existing structures and the easiest route is to build a new on-line business, mirroring the organisation's core business. At this stage a senior manager will be appointed with responsibility for ecommerce. The team reporting to this manager will combine the enthusiasm and persuasiveness of the evangelist, whilst being capable of managing a separate business. The new business will almost certainly run separately to the core business but will draw on many of the same resources. Stage 4 E-Corporation Once the new business has developed its own organisation structures to deal with the dynamics of the on-line organisation it is ready for the next stage. The idea here is to take the lessons learned in the previous stage and apply them back into the old business. The new business will become THE business 10

15 Question 4 (a) For organisation's entering into the world of ecommerce there are a number of specific benefits that can be maximised such as: The organisation enjoys what is referred to as the 24/7 principle. What this means is that the organisation can trade for 24 hours a day, 7 days per week and is not constrained by any recognised normal trading hours. Because the Internet is a global operation the potential market for customers is also global. There are no physical boundaries created by space or time, accordingly orders could potentially be derived from anywhere in the world that has access to the Internet. The absence of any constraints on potential customers, combined with the 24-hour availability means the organisation can also have access to many types of customer not normally reachable during conventional retailing formats. Shift workers are a prime example, who can now shop when it is convenient to them. There is also the added advantage that the organisation can now establish an extranet system to share information with their suppliers, partners or even customers It is a well recognised fact that at present it tends to be the socio-economic groups AB that have the greatest access to, and usage of the Internet through a higher ownership of home personal computers (though this will change over time as PC ownership continues to increase). It is these social groups that have the highest potential spending powers and usage of credit/debit cards. The absence of retail premises, usage of minimal staff and the subsequent effect on labour costs should lead to a significant reduction in selling prices, whilst still allowing substantial profit margins. (b) (i) Total Quality Management: Is the process adopted during the incremental change process of installing an ecommerce operation. It means that each process is mapped out and changes are made on a gradual basis. Each stage is brought to the right standard (quality) before the next stage is attempted. The major problem with this method is that the processes evolve more in line with the organisation's needs rather than the customers. (ii) (iii) Business Process Re-engineering: This is the method adopted for a radical change to the organisation during the introduction of an ecommerce operation. There is no mapping of current operations or processes involved in this method - indeed this can even be detrimental to the process of BPR. BPR looks at the entire operation from the customers perspective and works back into the organisation. In many instances this may lead to the total abandonment of old tried and tested processes within the organisation. The central focus of this method is to provide a completely customer focussed operation and the implementation of processes that facilitate this. U.R.L. This acronym for Uniform Resource Locator and refers to the text address of a web site. Every URL is unique and positively identifies every Internet site irrespective of location or server 11

16 Question 5 (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) Scope of the Project: This is the initial stage of a project where it is decided and defined exactly what the project is meant to accomplish. The Capture Document: Having defined the scope and ultimate aim of the project this is the written documentation that records everything that has been defined and agreed. It may simply be a summary of the project as a whole - but is more likely to be a detailed document indicating key stages, milestones and specific objectives. Budget and Resource Pool: The budget may simply be a total amount of money allocated for the project or, more likely, a detailed breakdown of financial allocations for resources, labour costs and ancillary expenses. Resources will be allocated such as materials, equipment, fixtures/fittings and even space. Designated personnel will be appointed and allocated to the project either on a full time or ad-hoc basis. Project Objectives: These are identified stages of the project that will be used to measure the success or failure during the progress of the project. Whilst the ultimate objective will be the successful completion of the project, key stages will have been identified in conjunction with the relevant time-scales through out the life of the project combined with specified financial targets. SMART: Is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic, Timed and relates to objectives. The objective has to be specific - defined precisely with no ambiguities has to be measurable - to be able to ascertain if it is on course or indeed been achieved - has to be agreed with those required to achieve the objective, they have to accept and agree it is attainable has to be realistic, that is it is possible to achieve it - has to have a time limit for completion Project Scheduling: This involves the use of GANNT charts or PERT (project evaluation and revue techniques) to determine exactly which jobs or tasks need to be completed, in what time scale and in what sequences. GANNT charts also allow the project manager/team to see at a glance at exactly what stage the project is at (or should be at). (4 marks) (vii) W.B.S. and C.P.A.: WBS refers to Work Breakdown Structures and CPA refers to Critical Path Analysis. Both are methods of determining critical tasks within the project that have to be completed before other tasks can be started (eg in introducing an ecommerce system the hardware needs to be bought before the software can be installed, the software needs to be installed before the web page can be designed, and ISP needs to be engaged before the web page can go on line etc.) 12

17 Question 6 To: From: Date: Subject: The Project Director The Project Manager xx/xx/2001 Pilot Project In response to you query regarding the need for a pilot project I submit the following for your attention: 1 The Need for a Pilot Project. 1.1 A pilot project is significantly lower in costs than a full scale project 1.2 A pilot project will consume far less resources and time than a full scale project 1.3 A pilot project could prevent embarrassment for the organisation should a future major project fail or collapse 2 The Benefits of a Pilot Project 2.1 The pilot project allow the re-definition/clarification of the requirement for the project based on lessons learnt 2.2 It will allow a far more accurate estimation of milestones and other time scales to be applied to the full project bases on lessons learnt 2.3 Will be able to assess with greater accuracy the budgetary requirements of the full project 2.4 Will be able to assess and evaluate the other resourcing implications and requirements for the main project 3 Common Reasons why Projects Fail 3.1 Fuzzy, ambiguous or even no precise objectives set 3.2 Owing to the fact that insufficient or inadequate resources available 3.3 The project manager lacked the necessary authority to drive the project 3.4 There was a lack of senior management support for the project 3.5 There were a lot of creeping requirements that had not been foreseen or allowed for and adequate resources were not made available to cover them 13

18 ecommerce Third Level Aims The aims of this syllabus are to enable candidates to develop: A broad strategic understanding of the present and future potential of ecommerce The ability to apply this understanding to real-life ecommerce projects The ability to illustrate their understanding through the use of real experiences, or created examples, of ecommerce projects Assessment Objectives The examination will assess the candidate s ability to: Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the planning and implementation requirements for an ecommerce strategy Apply the above knowledge and understanding to real-life ecommerce project scenarios Illustrate their understanding with real and/or created ecommerce project examples Target Audience and Candidate Progression This qualification is intended for those who wish to develop a strategic understanding of the role of ecommerce in the modern business environment. Candidates should already have acquired an understanding of the fundamentals of the Internet and web site design equivalent to LCCIEB ecommerce Second Level and should also be familiar with: Using personal computers, operating systems, desktop applications and web browsers New developments in technology, that affect the business world The operations and functions of a commercially driven organisation 2

19 Level of English Required Candidates should have a standard of business English equivalent to LCCIEB English for Business Second Level. However, their knowledge of specialist Information Technology terminology should be equivalent to Third Level in terms of vocabulary. Syllabus Topics 1 ecommerce Overview 2 The ecommerce Web Site 3 Business Processes in ecommerce 4 Managing Change 5 ecommerce and Personnel 6 Return On Investment ROI in e Commerce Coverage of Syllabus Topics in Examinations Questions in Section A are taken from across the entire syllabus Section B: - 1 question from Syllabus Topic 4 (maximum 2 questions) - 1 question from Syllabus Topic 3 (maximum 2 questions) - The remaining questions will be based on Syllabus Topics 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7. A maximum of 1 question will be set on each of these topics. Examination Format The format of the examination is as follows: Candidates will be assessed via a 3 hour examination paper in 2 parts Section A requires candidates to give short answer responses. Section A is compulsory and consists 10 questions with a total mark value of 25 marks Section B requires candidates to compose 3 more detailed answers, some of which will require a report format, from a choice of 6 questions. Each question carries a total mark value of 25 marks. To achieve a pass, candidates need to score 50 marks overall 3

20 Guided Learning Hours LCCIEB recommends that Guided Learning Hours (GLHs) is a suitable course duration for an average candidate at this level. This figure includes direct contact hours as well as other time when candidates work is being supervised by teachers. Ultimately, however, it is up to training centres to determine the appropriate course duration based on their candidates ability and level of existing knowledge. LCCIEB experience indicates that the number of GLHs can vary significantly from one training centre to another. Candidate Answer Guidance Answer Formats Unless otherwise requested, candidates will be asked to provide answers in one or more of the following formats: Short answer responses More detailed answers Appropriate technical language should be used with relevant diagrams properly labelled if appropriate. Section A requires candidates to give short answers responses only. Section B requires candidates to give more detailed answers, some in a report style format. If candidates choose a report style question, they will need to structure their report clearly using a concise essay style or bullet points. Up to 3 marks may be awarded for the report format. A positive marking approach is used (ie marks can be gained but not deducted). Incorrect English spelling, grammar or vocabulary will not be penalised except where this could cause misunderstanding. Candidates are allowed to take one dictionary into this examination which may be either English or foreign language/english; the LCCIEB cannot undertake to advise on which dictionaries to choose and candidates make the choice entirely at their own risk. Poor quality dictionaries may be misleading and candidates will lose time looking up words if they frequently have recourse to them. 4

21 Candidate Performance Measurement Pass Mark Information Pass 50% Credit 60% Distinction 75% To achieve a pass, candidates need to score 50 marks overall Mark Allocation A positive marking approach is used (ie marks can be gained but not deducted). Recommended Reading List and Support Material Reading List Title Authors(s) Publisher ISBN Code Businessplan.Com: How to Write an ecommerce Business Plan L Manning Ross Oasis Press Support Material Examiners Reports and Model Answers on past question papers (when available) can be purchased from the LCCIEB Customer Service Department. 5

22 Syllabus Topic Items Covered 1 ecommerce Overview Candidates must be able to: 1.1 Definition of ecommerce Define ecommerce Identify the elements which make up an ecommerce business operation Analyse the split of on-line transactions between B2B and B2C during the previous financial year 1.2 Benefits of ecommerce Analyse and describe the commercial benefits of ecommerce 1.3 Transactions on the Internet Identify the technological considerations when implementing an ecommerce site Identify the design considerations when implementing an ecommerce site Describe the role of TTP (Trusted Third Party) 1.4 Electronic Payments Identify and differentiate between the different means of making payments over the Internet 1.5 ecommerce Security Analyse and differentiate between the different means of ensuring security on the Internet (encryption, digital certificates, firewalls etc) 2 The ecommerce Web Site Candidates must be able to: 2.1 Web Sites Differentiate between informational, transactional and interactive web sites Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of informational, transactional and interactive web sites Analyse which is the appropriate format of web site for a given commercial scenario 6

23 2.2 In house or ISP Explain the advantages of hosting a web site from an organisation s own server Identify the technical and business issues that should be considered when choosing to host a web site in-house Identify three considerations when choosing an ISP to host your web site. (eg cost, web space, forwarding) 2.3 Front of House Issues Explain the design issues that must be considered when designing an ecommerce site Explain the functional issues that must be considered when designing an ecommerce site Analyse whether it is more effective to task a third party to design an ecommerce site for a given scenario 2.4 Back Office Needs Identify the operating systems that can be used to host an ecommerce site Analyse which web server software is more appropriate for an ecommerce site for a given scenario Identify software tools that can be used to enable transactions for an ecommerce site 3 Business Processes Candidates must be able to: 3.1 Re-engineering Framework Explain what should be included in a re-engineering project Define which areas of an organisation should make up a re-engineering project team Explain the training needs that will be required as a result of a re-engineering project 7

24 3.1.4 Describe the steps that should be undertaken when scoping a re-engineering project 3.2 Mapping Processes Describe the various methods that can be used to document existing business processes Describe how the effectiveness of existing business processes can be measured 3.3 Redesigning Processes Describe a suitable methodology for redesigning business processes Describe a strategy for capturing best practice during the process redesign Describe the dangers involved when redesigning business processes 3.4 Implementing Redesign Describe how the effectiveness of new business processes can be measured Describe a suitable strategy for adjusting newly implemented processes Describe how adjusted processes should be re-implemented 4 Managing Change Candidates must be able to: 4.1 Incremental Change Explain the concept of incremental change Explain the benefits of incremental change to a given ecommerce re-engineering project scenario 4.2 Phase Change Explain the concept of phase change Explain the benefits of phase change to a given ecommerce re-engineering project scenario 4.3 Radical Change Explain the concept of radical change Explain the benefits of radical change to a given ecommerce re-engineering project scenario Analyse the potential problems associated with radical change 8

25 4.4 Risk Management Explain a suitable methodology to be used to manage risk in an ecommerce strategy Explain how risk can be assessed using criterion of likelihood and impact Explain how an index can be produced based on likelihood and impact using relevant examples 5 e-commerce and Personnel Candidates must be able to: 5.1 People s Fears State the likely concerns that employees of a given organisation may have as a result of an ecommerce project Explain how the need for change can be communicated in a given scenario 5.2 The Implementation Team Define project management Explain the role of the project manager in an ecommerce project team Identify the attributes that should be possessed by a successful ecommerce project manager Explain the role of the ecommerce project sponsor Describe the structure of an ecommerce project team Explain how an ecommerce project manager and sponsor should act as mediators during times of conflict 5.3 New Roles and Role Change Identify the new roles that will become required during and following an ecommerce project Identify which roles may become redundant as a result of an ecommerce project Explain how existing human resources can be redeployed into new roles Identify what training will be required following an ecommerce project in a given scenario 9

26 5.4 Re-focussing The Team Explain the changes to working practices that will be required to allow real time response to on-line customers Demonstrate how new processes should be presented to a given scenario 6 Return on Investment (ROI) Candidates must be able to: in ecommerce 6.1 Introduction Explain the concept of ROI Explain the new time dynamics that have occurred as a result of ecommerce and the Internet 6.2 Site Metrics Analyse the metrics that can be used to identify ROI over the short, medium and long term for a given scenario for: Informational sites Transactional sites Interactive sites 6.3 Marketing Strategies Explain the need for promoting the address of an ecommerce site Explain what content can be provided which will encourage customers to visit a given web site Explain what can be added to a given web site to improve the quality of information that is provided by customers Explain the importance of feedback mechanisms 10