| E-commerce is not new, though the interest shown in it is of relatively recent origin. Academics have applied their skill in seeking to maintain or improve business efficiency for years past, but they have concerned themselves mainly with obtaining facts of a historical nature – that is, by analyzing past papers, they have sought to regulate future policies. Until more recently they have been chiefly occupied with matters of a domestic or internal nature, and although they have not been able to ignore affairs outside, such as the influence exerted by customers, nevertheless they have not sought to extend the field of their activities. They have concentrated their endeavors on seeking to establish an efficiently run business, leaving those engaged on the various executive activities of the organization to pronounce on their own particular fields of interest.
Modern business activities and the increasing complexity of present-day ecommerce have necessitated a broadening of the views, knowledge and influence of the consultant, and while greater specialization has taken place within the profession itself, a new branch of IT has evolved, namely, that of e-commerce.
“E-Commerce” may be defined broadly as that aspect of IT that is concerned with the efficient management of a business through the presentation to management of such information as will facilitate efficient and opportune planning and control.
The managerial aspect of his work is the management consultant’s prime concern. Having satisfied himself as to the efficiency of the organization of the business – covering such matters as the regulation of activities – he may justifiably expect to be concerned with the day-to-day running of affairs. His attention should be directed more particularly towards the extraction of information from records and the compilation and preparation of statements that will enable management to function with the minimum of effort and with the maximum of efficiency. |
