Electronic Commerce Module Guide

Written by: Jonathan Briggs

September 25, 2004 [4916 views]

Each course at Kingston University has a module guide to describe the goals of the course, the assessment and teaching strategies and some of the recommended reading. Here is the guide for Electronic Commerce for Final Year Students to be run from October 2004 - January 2005.

ecommerce 2004/5
!!Level 3
!!School of Computing and Information Systems, Kingston University
!!!Lead by Professor Jonathan Briggs

Goals of the Module

• To provide students with an overview of the impact of and trends in electronic commerce in differing business, retail and leisure environments.
• To introduce students to issues from across the industry in companies large and small, traditional businesses and start-ups
• To provide opportunities for students to consider an ecommerce business proposition of their own
• To discuss how the IT industry is changing and the roles for information systems designers and computer scientists in the ecommerce industries
• To explore the link between business strategy and electronic commerce and the importance of customer service
• To examine the emerging business models in e-business in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and innovation.

By the end of the module each student should be able to

• Describe current trends in the ecommerce marketplace
• Describe designing and building of ecommerce solutions
• Discuss some the technical options for implementing web based ecommerce
• Identify key business, legal and regulatory issues which may impact on electronic business.
• Relate the development and implementation of electronic business systems (including training, Intranet, customer service, monitoring and entertainment systems) to wider social and business trends.
• Critically assess how the technical and non-technical aspects can best be managed to ensure the successful implementation of electronic business systems.
• Develop a case to justify the expenditure on electronic commerce in terms of business benefits.
• Apply appropriate tools and techniques to identify opportunities for implementing e-business

Teaching and learning approach

The module will be run as a series of lectures with accompanying online discussions.

For this course I will be experimenting with a new website www.jonathanbriggs.com that will be used extensively both to disseminate information and support discussion.

All lecture notes will be posted to www.jonathanbriggs.com before each session. Please ask questions by commenting on the appropriate document or lecture.

We will also be using online surveys for three purposes:

1. To help me monitor progress and improve communication
2. To involve each student in examining the state of UK e-commerce
3. To provide feedback on the running of the module

It is essential that you participate in all the online activity. In previous years students have felt they are following the course only to be disappointed by their exam results. Many have clearly misunderstood key concepts. The only components of this course should allow us to test this understanding earlier and help each student improve their performance.

Indicative lectures

Introduction to ecommerce
Why dotcoms failed
Making money: business models
Inside an e-business
Designing effective e-commerce
Technologies to support e-commerce
Web services
ASP versus Java Servlets
Customer service
Running an e-business company
Profit and loss
Reflections on ecommerce

Assessment

The module will be assessed by examination only (single 2 hour exam). The exam however will be based on an activity that you must complete during the semester. You will take a report produced during the semester into the exam and hand it in along with your exam answers.

The examination will take the form of short answer questions based on the work you have completed and questions about ecommerce in general. You will NOT be expected to memorise or to copy large sections of your report onto the exam paper but re-present key ideas in answer to specific questions.

You will work in a small group to complete the activity (Groups must not be larger than 4 people). If you choose to work alone then you should still complete all the deliverables as outlined below.

The work will involve the creation of a proposal for the improvement of an existing electronic business. A list of businesses will be distributed in week 3 of the course.

Activity deliverables

Create an outline proposal suitable for presentation to the company or organisation
Please note that you must complete this activity in order to answer the examination questions!

It will not be possible to invent a case study for yourself inside the examination room!
This should propose detailed improvements to the existing business.

The following headings are indicative of what should be included and provide a guideline of the maximum length (10 pages – strict limit):

1. Clear identification of client with background notes on their business (1)
2. Outline of proposed ideas for improvement or implementation (1)
3. Analysis of audience, market and discussion of demand (1)
4. Review against competitors / similar businesses (1)
5. Technology Plan (1)
6. Top-level implementation plan (1)
7. Estimates for costs of implementation at industry rates
8. Budget& revenue - 18 month Profit & Loss summary (1)

Examination

The examination questions are likely to

• Provide you with a opportunity to prioritise your ideas (probably in a form suitable for presentation to a specific audience)
• Require you to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your ideas
• Ask you to discuss the costs and benefits of your ideas
• Ask you to review your technology plans
• Allow you to review your proposals in the context of broader developments in your client industry

Please note that you may take a proposal document of up to 10 sides of A4 (Minimum text size 10pt) into your examination. All proposals must be handed in together with the exam answers. No other notes may be brought into the exam room.

Exam answers will be expected to be short and to the point and will focus on drawing out key ideas from the business proposal. Long essays are not expected.

If you are working in a group then it is expected that you will use roughly the same proposal as other members of the same group – this is OK!

Marks will be deducted if more pages are taken into the exam or if more than 4 students use the same basic proposal!

Marks will be awarded for answering the examination questions with direct reference to the proposal that you have prepared.

Examination dates

Dates will be advised.

Indicative reading

The focus of this module is on the emerging new media and ecommerce business marketplace.

You should try and read some of the following books

• The Perfect Store: inside eBay, Adam Cohen, Piatkus (2002), ISBN: 0749924039
• Why we buy, the science of shopping, Paco Underhill, Texere Publishing (2000), ISBN 158799044X
• Right Side Up, Alan Mitchell, Harper Collins Business (2001), ISBN: 0002571528
• Dot Con, John Cassidy, Allen Lane Publishing (2002), ISBN: 071399598X
• Amazon.com: Get Big Fast, Robert Spector, Random House (2000), ISBN: 0712669671
• Futurize Your Enterprise: Business Strategy in the Age of the E-customer, David Seigal, Hardcover - 318 pages (September 1999) John Wiley & Sons; ISBN: 0471357634
• Net Success : 24 Leaders in Web Commerce Show You How to Put the Web to Work for Your Business, Ford, Haylock, Len Muscarella, Hardcover - 320 pages (April 1999) Adams Media Corporation; ISBN: 1580621147
• The E-Commerce Book: Building the E-Empire, Steffano Korper, Juanita Ellis Hardcover - 284 pages (15 August, 1999) Academic Press Inc; ISBN: 0124211607
• Customers.com, Patricia Seybold, Hardcover - 380 pages (November 1998), Business (Century/Arrow); ISBN: 0712680713

Contact details

Initially address questions and comments through this website www.jonathanbriggs.com.

 

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