Table of Contents

Preface.


Acknowledgments.


1. Formulating an Internet Strategy in a Networked World.
The Internet as a Business Solution or Pandora's Box. The Way Forward.New Organizations: Born on the Net. Existing Organizations: Move to the Net. Move to the Net: Pillars of Success. Infomediaries and Business-to-Business Consortia. B2C, B2B, B2G, and G2B. Business-to-Government E-commerce. Government-to-Business E-commerce. Interorganizational Systems: B2C, Consortia, B2B, B2G, G2B.

2. Creating an Integrated E-commerce Strategy.
Seven Dimensions of an E-commerce Strategy.The Bonds of an E-commerce Strategy. Four Positional E-strategic Directions.Summary.

3. Ownership Issues.
The E-centric Management Structure.Senior Strategic Management Group. Content Owners.Content.Content May Be King, But it is Value Chain that is the Power Behind the Throne.Summary.

4. E-strategy Leadership Through a Technology Focus.
The Role of the Executive Technology Champion. Internal Technology Leadership: The Seven S Framework.Strategy: The Alignment of Technology and Corporate Planning. Structure: Characteristics of a Flexible, Agile E-organization. Systems: The Nervous System Through Which the Organization Reacts to Its Environment. Staffing. Skills: Running Up a Down Escalator. Style and Shared Values: The Magic That Raises the Ordinary .com to Become a Great.com.Summary.The Seven S Framework: Issues and Actions.

5. Developing a Market Focus: Sector Strategies in Segmenting Markets.
Manufacturing. Mixed Goods and Service Organizations. Service Organizations. Summary.

6. Service Leadership - Adding Value to the Customer at Every Point of Contact.
Bricks-and-Mortar to Clicks-and-Mortar Transition.OfficeDepot.com.The Internet Service Value Chain - "Where the Rubber of E-commerce Meets the Road."Customer Acquisition. Customer Purchase Support - A Helping Hand to Smooth the Transaction Process. Customer Fulfillment - Timely Delivery: A Key to Successful Service. Customer Continuance and Support - Maintaining That Customer Relationship Between Purchases. The Customer Service Channel.Summary.Service Leadership: Rules of Internet Strategy.

7. E-branding - The Emergence of New Global Brands.
Brand Creation: First to Market Wins and Wins Big.Amazon.com. Developing a Brand Creator Position.Brand Follower: A Last-Mover Disadvantage or Recoverable Position? Brand Reinforcement - The Development of a Continuous Brand Model Across Media.Fending Off Brand Dilution: To Be Seen Online but Not to Sell Online.Brand Reposition: Core Brand Values Combined with a Modern.Customer Experience.Summary.Brand Leadership: Rules of Internet Strategy.

8. Formulating an Internet Rollout Strategy.
Development Options-Where to Develop an E-commerce System (Internal, External, or Partnering).The Internal Development Route. The External Development Route - Outsourcing as an Approach to Systems Creation.Summary: Development Issues.Hosting Options - Hosting Websites, Maintaining Control, and Managing Flexibility. Application Design. Network Topology. Server Configuration.

9. Internet Strategy Effectiveness - A Scorecard Approach.
Forces Affecting Strategy Formulation - Understanding the Forces That That Impact You Is Half the Battle to Overcoming Them. Internet Strategy Effectiveness - The Creation of a Metrics Program.Internet Effectiveness Scorecard.The E-value Map.Ownership Value Map. Ownership Levels. Process Value Map.Summary.

10. Waves of the Future - Issues That Will Shape the Formulation of Strategy.
The Agile E-commerce Organization. Technology Change - A Rising Tide Does Not Lift All Boats Equally. Brand Changes - Brand Equity, the Currency of the Global Leaders.Leadership. Stability. Market. International Scope. Trend. Support. Protection.Service Changes - Evolving to Meet the Changing Expectations of the Customer.Customer Acquisition. Customer Support - During Purchase. Customer Fulfillment - Purchase Dispatch. Customer Continuance and Support.Market Changes - The Rapid Evolution of Global, Segmented Systems-based Markets.Market Segmentation. Global Markets. Market Hubs. Future Directions: Agile and E-organization Confluence.Change in External Relationships - It Is the Company We Keep That Determines Who We Are.The Battle for Information Supremacy: The Information Hub.Government and Political Change-The Visible and Invisible Hands That Influence Commerce.The United States of America. Global Issues. The Eighth Principle.Commentary on the Road Ahead.

11. Views from the Edge - Conversations with Executives.
Executive Interview # 1: Travel Related Services. Executive Interview #2: Financial Services. Executive Interview #3: Power Utility. Executive Interview #4: Telecommunications. Executive Interview #5: Healthcare Services. Future Steps: Epilogue. So, What of the Future?

Appendix A. United States Department of Commerce.


Appendix B. Featured IBM Technology in Charles Schwab Case Study.


Index.

Promotional Information

This is the first book about the formulation, development and execution of e-strategy written entirely for senior executives in the language of the boardroom. Leading eCommerce expert Robert Plant cuts through the "consultantese" and technobabble to present a comprehensive, balanced, integrated strategy for ECommerce leadership. Drawn from research and interviews with senior executives at more than 40 of the world's largest organizations, Plant's strategy addresses all four key drivers of eCommerce success: brand, technology, service, and market. Plant introduces detailed models for the creation of a high-level eCommerce strategy and each dimension of that strategy. He demystifies the technical issues, explaining the functions and roles of each key element of eCommerce infrastructure. Along the way, Plant answers questions such as: "Where does your ERP system fit in? What is the role of knowledge management and data warehousing? Should you outsource, develop internally, or partner? How will eCommerce change your supplier and customer relationships?" Using a scorecard methodology, Plant helps executives understand their eCommerce objectives, and define metrics and processes that help every team member stay on track. From start to finish, eCommerce: Formulation of Strategy gives executives the intellectual tools to compete effectively in the new e-conomy.

About the Author

DR. ROBERT PLANT is a leading global consultant on Internet strategies, mass customization, and knowledge management, and author of several widely read articles on eCommerce in the Financial Times of London, including "Moving to the Net: Leadership Strategies," "eBranding: Leadership Strategies," and "Crafting a Coherent Internet Strategy."

For over a decade, Plant has been a leader in research and strategy for mass customization, knowledge management, and knowledge-based systems. He has repeatedly been called upon to chair colloquia and edit special issues of leading technical journals covering these and other leading-edge issues in business information technology.

Plant is currently Associate Professor, School of Business Administration, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, as well as Research Associate, Templeton College, Oxford University, England and Visiting Professor of Strategy and Information Systems at Universidad Gabriela Mistral, Santiago de Chile. Direct comments and questions to him at dr_robert_plant@hotmail.com

Reviews

"An excellent primer for executives, business strategists, and CIOs."- Bob Clinton, Director, Internet Business Group, Motorola, Inc. "Do not fool yourself. The Internet is global. eCommerce: Formulation of Strategy is the first book I've read that provided me with empiric models that helped me structure successful frameworks for our clients to compete online...globally."- Andre Vanyi-Robin, President and CEO, Visualcom.Com "A strong blend of academic research and practitioner pragmatism that provides substantive research-based models that CEOs and e-commerce strategists can use immediately."- Daniel E. O'Leary, Ph.D., Professor, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California "A must-read for executives planning to implement and e-business strategy."- Winston Estridge, President of Nortel Networks Enterprise Solutions, North America