Name e-Business Planning
Report
Due Date Week 10 –
Semester 2, 2012, Friday, 5:00 pm
Worth 25% (60 marks)
Course Objectives
This assessment task relates to the following course objectives:
· discuss the meaning of e-Commerce
from a business and technical perspective
· appreciate the business
environments conducive to the use of successful e-Commerce applications
· compare and report on the types of
e-Commerce and their application to business
· review the technologies used to
deploy an e-Commerce solution
· apply an understanding of the
development needs of a basic e-Commerce web site using one of these
technologies
· illustrate understanding of the
design, maintenance, business principles and administration of an e-Commerce
site
· discuss ethical, social and
political issues in e-Commerce
Overview
You have the task of developing an e-commerce business plan for the
client described in the case study below. Your planning document must meet the
needs of the client and you may not choose to develop a plan for any other client
(i.e. business or website). However, this case study is not intended to limit
your creativity or the scope of your e-commerce business proposal.
Your must submit a report (as an MSWord format document) for the client.
You may/will need to research a number of different aspects of your proposal,
but some of these aspects will not be covered in lectures until Week 10 of
semester – however, do not wait until that time to begin this assignment as it
will take considerable time, thought and work to be successfully completed. You
may refer to any authentic source in conducting your research and all
references must be included in your report. You may also employ any analysis or
design tool in the preparation of your report – so long as the results are
suitable for presentation in the required Word document and are your own work.
Remember: this is a report intended to convince a board of directors to
adopt your proposal. Your report must therefore be complete, yet concise; be
clear and convincing, and professionally presented. Above all, the report must
be specific to the needs of the business!
Case Study
AusNat is a SME company based in Creswick, Victoria, with a shop front retailing
a range of horticulture products (including a range of propagation equipment,
greenhouses, pots, sprinkling systems, and watering accessories, fertilisers
and washes, hydroponic equipment, gardening products, sprays, tree guards and
stakes, plants, seedlings, seeds, and bulbs). In addition to the retail
business, the company operates a wholesale export business specialising in
Australian native fauna. AusNat propagate the native species locally. They are
a small family-owned business with capitalisation of $A12M, annual sales of
$A3M, increasing at two percent per annum, and net profits of eight percent of
total sales. The younger members of the management team are university educated,
with the others industry experienced. However, in an ever-changing industry,
their future business is uncertain.
Their main business is the wholesale sale of Australian native seeds and
seedlings to International commercial retailers, however they do supply to Australian
domestic and commercial retailers (currently 50 percent of sales and 50 percent
of profits).
While AusNat grows its own stock, the main suppliers for the related
horticulture products are based in to the AusNat are based in Perth and Sydney,
although several product lines are imported directly from the UK. Supplier
relations are all paper-based transactions, while long-term contracts are
managed using email and facsimile transmission of orders.
The AusNat management team is keen to expand the retail sales, which are
potentially very profitable for the company and to improve relations with
suppliers, and growers. To do this one member of the management team (who
recently graduated from the University of Ballarat) has suggested the company
create new online channels for sales, marketing, and supply chain management.
You have been called in as an internet and management consultant. AusNat
wants to know how e-commerce business technologies could be used to improve the
company’s operations. The company is keen to leave as much open as possible –
you have been told that it is a ‘clean sheet’ strategy but cannot consume more
than half the profits of next year’s business. The Chief Executive, Ms Grower,
needs a report from you to give the board a specific brief, along with an
e-Commerce website.
Requirements
Tasks
Your e-Commerce business proposal
should address:
·
clearly identified e-commerce business model(s)
·
how the e-commerce business will derive
revenue (i.e. revenue models)
·
what network and communications
infrastructure will be required
·
what applications will be required to meet
specific e-commerce business goals
·
how you will address security issues
·
how you will address e-marketing requirements
·
what choice of payment systems will be used
·
how you will address privacy and other
relevant ethical concerns
·
how you will address legal issues connected
with the e-commerce business
·
how you will address customer service issues
·
how you will measure the success of your
proposal (metrics, tools)
Presentation
Please refer
to the General guide for the presentation of academic work, available
electronically on the universities website. URL:.ballarat.edu.au/generalguide”>http://www.ballarat.edu.au/generalguide. Present your evaluation in a business or management style report, as
outlined in the guide.
Submission
Please submit an ELECTRONIC copy only via Moodle (Mt Helen
students only).Please refer to the “Course
Description” for information regarding late assignments, extensions, special
consideration, and plagiarism. A reminder all academic regulations can be
accessed via the university’s website.
URL: .ballarat.edu.au/handbook”>http://www.ballarat.edu.au/handbook
Assessment Criteria
Students work will be assessed upon:
· evidence of completion of all proposal tasks comprising a solution
based on theoretical concepts outlined in the literature, with practical
supporting examples from industry, and your own ideas. A quality discussion
will provide an analysis and comparison of multiple potential options for each
task
· an accurate business report including elements, such as table of
contents, executive summary etc., evidence of quality written expression
including good grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence construction etc,
reports should adhere to the university style guide including formatting,
layout and structure, and should not exceed word limit of 2800 words
· evidence of formatted bibliography and in-text references which
comply with the APA style guide, a quality piece of work will provide a wide range
of authentic references for example books, journals, reputable websites,
podcasts, etc, in-text references should be used in such a way as to provide
support and validation for the work
· a quality conclusion, which draws together all the ideas that have
been presented and validated. The detail should arise clearly from the data
given in the body of the report, and explain why one conclusion is preferred to
another, offering recommendations
Assessment Feedback
|
Student |
e-Business
Planning Report
|
Elements |
Marking Scale |
|
|
Poor Excellent |
|
1 …………………. 5 |
|
|
Proposal – e-commerce |
|
|
– revenue model |
|
|
– applications |
|
|
– security |
|
|
– e-marketing requirements |
|
|
– payment system |
|
|
– privacy |
|
|
– legal issues |
|
|
– customer service issues |
|
|
– analytics |
|
|
Business report elements and academic |
|
|
Bibliography and in-text referencing |
|
|
Conclusion and recommendations |
|
|
Total Mark [65 |
|
|
Total Worth [30%] |
|
|
Comments |
||
|
Marked |
||
|
Date |
Worth 25% (60 marks)
Course Objectives
This assessment task relates to the following course objectives:
· discuss the meaning of e-Commerce
from a business and technical perspective
· appreciate the business
environments conducive to the use of successful e-Commerce applications
· compare and report on the types of
e-Commerce and their application to business
· review the technologies used to
deploy an e-Commerce solution
· apply an understanding of the
development needs of a basic e-Commerce web site using one of these
technologies
· illustrate understanding of the
design, maintenance, business principles and administration of an e-Commerce
site
· discuss ethical, social and
political issues in e-Commerce
Overview
You have the task of developing an e-commerce business plan for the
client described in the case study below. Your planning document must meet the
needs of the client and you may not choose to develop a plan for any other client
(i.e. business or website). However, this case study is not intended to limit
your creativity or the scope of your e-commerce business proposal.
Your must submit a report (as an MSWord format document) for the client.
You may/will need to research a number of different aspects of your proposal,
but some of these aspects will not be covered in lectures until Week 10 of
semester – however, do not wait until that time to begin this assignment as it
will take considerable time, thought and work to be successfully completed. You
may refer to any authentic source in conducting your research and all
references must be included in your report. You may also employ any analysis or
design tool in the preparation of your report – so long as the results are
suitable for presentation in the required Word document and are your own work.
Remember: this is a report intended to convince a board of directors to
adopt your proposal. Your report must therefore be complete, yet concise; be
clear and convincing, and professionally presented. Above all, the report must
be specific to the needs of the business!
Case Study
AusNat is a SME company based in Creswick, Victoria, with a shop front retailing
a range of horticulture products (including a range of propagation equipment,
greenhouses, pots, sprinkling systems, and watering accessories, fertilisers
and washes, hydroponic equipment, gardening products, sprays, tree guards and
stakes, plants, seedlings, seeds, and bulbs). In addition to the retail
business, the company operates a wholesale export business specialising in
Australian native fauna. AusNat propagate the native species locally. They are
a small family-owned business with capitalisation of $A12M, annual sales of
$A3M, increasing at two percent per annum, and net profits of eight percent of
total sales. The younger members of the management team are university educated,
with the others industry experienced. However, in an ever-changing industry,
their future business is uncertain.
Their main business is the wholesale sale of Australian native seeds and
seedlings to International commercial retailers, however they do supply to Australian
domestic and commercial retailers (currently 50 percent of sales and 50 percent
of profits).
While AusNat grows its own stock, the main suppliers for the related
horticulture products are based in to the AusNat are based in Perth and Sydney,
although several product lines are imported directly from the UK. Supplier
relations are all paper-based transactions, while long-term contracts are
managed using email and facsimile transmission of orders.
The AusNat management team is keen to expand the retail sales, which are
potentially very profitable for the company and to improve relations with
suppliers, and growers. To do this one member of the management team (who
recently graduated from the University of Ballarat) has suggested the company
create new online channels for sales, marketing, and supply chain management.
You have been called in as an internet and management consultant. AusNat
wants to know how e-commerce business technologies could be used to improve the
company’s operations. The company is keen to leave as much open as possible –
you have been told that it is a ‘clean sheet’ strategy but cannot consume more
than half the profits of next year’s business. The Chief Executive, Ms Grower,
needs a report from you to give the board a specific brief, along with an
e-Commerce website.
Requirements
Tasks
Your e-Commerce business proposal
should address:
·
clearly identified e-commerce business model(s)
·
how the e-commerce business will derive
revenue (i.e. revenue models)
·
what network and communications
infrastructure will be required
·
what applications will be required to meet
specific e-commerce business goals
·
how you will address security issues
·
how you will address e-marketing requirements
·
what choice of payment systems will be used
·
how you will address privacy and other
relevant ethical concerns
·
how you will address legal issues connected
with the e-commerce business
·
how you will address customer service issues
·
how you will measure the success of your
proposal (metrics, tools)
Presentation
Please refer
to the General guide for the presentation of academic work, available
electronically on the universities website. URL:.ballarat.edu.au/generalguide”>http://www.ballarat.edu.au/generalguide. Present your evaluation in a business or management style report, as
outlined in the guide.
Submission
Please submit an ELECTRONIC copy only via Moodle (Mt Helen
students only).Please refer to the “Course
Description” for information regarding late assignments, extensions, special
consideration, and plagiarism. A reminder all academic regulations can be
accessed via the university’s website.
URL: .ballarat.edu.au/handbook”>http://www.ballarat.edu.au/handbook
Assessment Criteria
Students work will be assessed upon:
· evidence of completion of all proposal tasks comprising a solution
based on theoretical concepts outlined in the literature, with practical
supporting examples from industry, and your own ideas. A quality discussion
will provide an analysis and comparison of multiple potential options for each
task
· an accurate business report including elements, such as table of
contents, executive summary etc., evidence of quality written expression
including good grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence construction etc,
reports should adhere to the university style guide including formatting,
layout and structure, and should not exceed word limit of 2800 words
· evidence of formatted bibliography and in-text references which
comply with the APA style guide, a quality piece of work will provide a wide range
of authentic references for example books, journals, reputable websites,
podcasts, etc, in-text references should be used in such a way as to provide
support and validation for the work
· a quality conclusion, which draws together all the ideas that have
been presented and validated. The detail should arise clearly from the data
given in the body of the report, and explain why one conclusion is preferred to
another, offering recommendations
Assessment Feedback
|
Student |
e-Business
Planning Report
|
Elements |
Marking Scale |
|
|
Poor Excellent |
|
1 …………………. 5 |
|
|
Proposal – e-commerce |
|
|
– revenue model |
|
|
– applications |
|
|
– security |
|
|
– e-marketing requirements |
|
|
– payment system |
|
|
– privacy |
|
|
– legal issues |
|
|
– customer service issues |
|
|
– analytics |
|
|
Business report elements and academic |
|
|
Bibliography and in-text referencing |
|
|
Conclusion and recommendations |
|
|
Total Mark [65 |
|
|
Total Worth [30%] |
|
|
Comments |
||
|
Marked |
||
|
Date |
