Sometimes the value of eBusiness web services can seem a little ethereal. The inspiration for today's column title comes from a conversation I had with a visitor to a recent Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission networking event.
"So what is it your company does?" he asked.
"We develop internet-based solutions that help small businesses leverage web services to reduce costs, and increase revenues and productivity" I answered proudly.
"You design websites, then?" he suggested.
"Actually, we don't do many websites," I tell him, "most of our applications are private intranets or internal eBusiness applications, not just websites in the standard sense."
"So can you show me some of these?" he asked.
"Well, not exactly" I explain, "our applications are typically either highly proprietary intellectual property or they exist as applications that allow one computer system to pass data and instructions to another without a web interface."
"Hmmm," he scowled, "Sounds like the emperor's new clothes to me!"
He's right - it sounds a little shady. It's a hard pitch when your best work can't be seen or displayed, but modern internet business solutions (IBS) go way beyond the website. While websites typically represent only a small portion of a company's marketing effort, IBS can provide cost savings, revenue opportunities, and productivity increases throughout the whole value chain - incoming and outgoing logistics, operations, sales and marketing, and support.
Okay, how about a few examples: consider a company intranet that provides client data to traveling staff through a secure portal no matter where they are; a knowledge management system that preserves corporate wisdom and makes available critical information to your whole enterprise; how about a powerful reporting tool that can allow you to analyze and present real-time performance data from any web-accessible location; perhaps, a project management system that can track time and resources charged to a project from a mobile device in the field, like a phone or PDA. This is just a small sampling of potential web services.
To engage in eBusiness, you really have to get beyond the web - focus on your own core business, its strengths, and its challenges. Then think how technology could be leveraged to better those conditions. A great starting point for planning your eBusiness strategy is the ebiz.enable resource on Industry Canada's Strategis website. Check out the link below.
Now if you'll please excuse me, I have a web service to weave - the emperor is waiting!
EBIZ Planning Tools: http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/ebizenable
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