Abstract
The main purpose of any e-business is to make maximum utilization of the available technology in order to promote effective communication hence realizing high profits within an organization.
Through adoption of the appropriate technologies, an organization is able to promote effectiveness of its business to business communication hence promoting efficiency in the company’s supply chain. Technology enables an organization to promote efficiency in business to customer communication hence making it easy for the company to make transitions with its customers.
B2B and B2C Technologies, Application and Advantages
In the contemporary world, online business has become one of the most common strategies that have been adopted by many organizations across the world to promote sales. Online business is a kind of business whereby customers make orders for the products and services through the internet. This kind of business is characterized by low operational costs hence maximizing profits.
In order for an online business to be successful, an organization must be able to apply appropriate technologies that will promote effective coordination of the activities between the business and customers as well as between the business and the suppliers in its supply chain operations.
Buy-side B2B applications
This is a kind of application where the business logic is stored on the side of the procuring company. Through the buy side b2b applications, the company is allowed to access only the approved company’s e- catalogs. Therefore, there will be very low chances for an organization to make inappropriate purchases.
Several companies have applied this method in their operations. One of the companies that have incorporated buy-side B2B technology is the Procter and Gamble. This involves provision of products supplies in various kinds of business. These include coffee, laundry, tea, and snacks products.
Application of this technology has helped the business in many ways. There are a number of advantages associated with these b2b and b2c technologies and applications. By applying buy side b2b applications, an organization is able to reduce the chances of buying incompatible products.
This is because an organization can only access the predetermined catalogs. This plays a significant role in reducing inefficiencies within an organization. Through buy side application, the price is usually predetermined. This implies that there is no wastage of time by making negotiations.
Trading Partner b2b Applications
This application helps organizations to reduce the manual processing of business transactions. In some cases, processes like booking, inventory management and logistics management may be very demanding. In this case, an organization can significantly benefit from automated negotiation and purchasing processes.
Toyota is one of the companies that has benefited from this technology. Through the trading partner b2b application, the company has managed to improve its sales significantly. Toyota has a store pass word which is used to access the catalogues where it makes orders of the required products. This has significantly helped the organization in promoting the level of efficiency in its supply chain. The company makes its orders directly from its suppliers. This has reduced the level of inefficiency in the organization.
Through trading partner business applications, an organization can significantly improve on its efficiency. For instance, an organization will reduce the time wasted queuing in making orders and making other transitions. An organization will be able to eliminate paper work in its operation, which is one of the main sources of inefficiencies in the contemporary business world. By automating its processes, an organization manages to streamline all its business processes. This contributes in promoting the level of efficiency within an organization.
B2C Technologies
The b2c technologies play a significant role in promoting efficiency in the processes involving communication between the organization and the customers. By applying this method, an organization manages to eliminate paperwork in its operations.
One of the main developments in b2c interaction is the online shopping. Through the internet, customers are able to do their shopping online. One of the major technologies that have allowed customers to make shopping online is the shopping cart system.
Shopping Cart System
Application of this technology provides the seller with a single point customer. Therefore, an organization is able to provide effective customer support hence maximizing the level of consumer satisfaction. This enables customers to access the products, search for the products they want to buy online without necessarily going physically to the stores. In this case, customers are able to view various aspects of a certain product.
The shopping cart system technology has been applied by many companies in promoting business to customer communication (May, 2001). One of the companies that have intensively used this system is the Nintendo video games.
Nintendo is an international company that is involved in manufacturing and sale of video gamers. Since the company has customers from all over the world, customers use shopping cart system to shop and make orders for the games they want. After making an order, customers are expected to make payment after which their product is delivered.
There are several advantages associated with online cart system in an organization. One of the main advantages is that it promotes efficiency in organization’s operations. This method has also helped many organizations reach a larger number of customers. By application of this method, an organization is able to improve on its convenience. Online stores are available throughout and therefore customers can make shopping at any time they wish.
Another way through which organizations has maintained contact with customers is through social networks. Many organizations in the contemporary world are using social networks to reach and communicate with their customers (ANZMAC, 2009). Many organizations have also managed to reduce their operational costs.
Business Application; Used Book, Gaming, or Music Store
In a music store, the above discussed b2b and b3c technologies can be very important in promoting efficiency. A music store can significantly improve its efficiency in the supply management by adopting b2b technologies.
Through the trading partner business application, a music store can be able to improve the process of communication with the trading partners. For instance, the supplier of the material that is used in the store can easily contact the customers.
By adapting trading partner application, the organization will be in a position to reduce the paper work in its operations (Khosrowpour, 2006). Most of the operations will be done online. Orders will be made online as well as the bargaining process. In this case, the bargaining process is easier because the process is usually automated.
In other words, a music shop will be able to reduce the overall operational expenses. Consequently, the store will be able to increase its profit margins significantly. This method can also be very useful in a used book store and gaming. A used book store can apply this method in ordering books from its supplier. The store will be able make transactions online hence reducing expenses significantly.
Buy-side b2b application will also be useful in a music store. Such applications will help the company to reduce the operations expenses significantly. It will also contribute in improving the level of convenience in the organization. This will help in increasing the company’s profit margins.
For instance, a company will be able to access specific e-catalogues of the organizations supplying empty CDs that are very important to the store. The music store will be able to get access to a particular site where they can access CDs with particular specifications. This will help the organization to avoid any inefficiency that may be caused by selecting products with undesired specifications.
By adapting buy-side b2b application, a music store will also be able to improve on its accounting procedures. This is because the figures on transactions will be available in soft copies. This will be easier for the organization to use compared with other methods.
Buy-side b2b application can also be very useful to gaming business and used book business in various ways. For instance, the business will be able make orders online without incurring the transport costs of moving to the suppliers to make orders. The book store will then be supplied with the ordered books. This implies that the organization will be able to maximize its profits because the expenses that are associated with paperwork are significantly reduced. This will also help the company to save time resources.
B2c technology is also vital to an online business. The main aim for every business is to maximize the level of sales. The overall performance of any business is significantly determined by the level of sales it is able to make (Khosrowpour, 2007). However, the level of profit is determined by the total level of sales an organization is able to make. In order for an organization to increase its sales well as maintain high level of sales, it must be able to attract a large number of people and communicate effectively with its customers.
For the music store, b2c technology has a pivotal role in promoting the success of an organization. By integrating b2c technology in its operations, the organization will be able to promote efficiency while interacting with its customers. As a result, the business will be able to meet its sales targets.
One of the main technologies that can be very helpful to a music store is the shopping cart system. This is a type of technology that allows customer to make online shopping without having to move physically to the store (Rose India, 2011). Through shopping cart system, the music store will be able to improve the convenience in its operations.
Customers will be able to make orders without necessarily having to move to the stores to make orders. The business will also be able to maximize the level of customer satisfaction since it can attend a large number of customers at a time. This will consequently lead to increase in the level of profits.
The shopping cart will also be useful for a used book store. A book store can adopt this technology where the customers will be able to view the books available in the store online. This will also enable the customers to make orders online. Again, this will significantly reduce operational costs. Online shopping cart system will also help the company to reach a large number of customers in large geographical areas.
Reference List
ANZMAC. (2009). Business and Consumer Communication Via Online Social Networks: A Preliminary Investigation. Web.
Khosrowpour, M. (2006). Cases on Electronic Commerce Technologies and Applications. U.S.A: Idea Group Inc (IGI).
Khosrowpour, M. (2007). Utilizing and Managing Commerce and Services Online. London: Idea Group Inc (IGI).
May, P. (2001). Mobile Commerce: Opportunities, Applications, and Technologies of Wireless Business. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Rose India. (2011). B2B Application Development, B2B Web Applications, B2B Application Development Companies. Web.