With the advent of easy worldwide access to Internet and the proliferation of computers linked to fixed and mobile phones, telecommunication has broken down many a corporate barrier. It has enabled many small and medium sized organizations and individuals to carryout day to day transactions over telecommunication networks, regardless of limitations due to geographic distances and time zones.

Opening markets to global competition is no longer an option but a commercial necessity. Today, each and every organization has to plan on offering an e-commerce solution to their customers. Planning for e-commerce should now occupy a central position in corporate strategy.

The question is where do you start? E-commerce strategy should be looked at in three stages and in three levels. Let us first look at the elements of strategic management

First stage is the needs analysis. Here we look the risks, resources and returns. And for each of these we look at thevalue-chain level to enable the smooth flow of goods and services; Secondly at the sales and promotion level to identify customer awareness and public relations; Thirdly, at the commerce enable or transaction level, internally and externally.

At the second stage, we look at the choices. What triggers and opportunities are offered by e-commerce? These could be competitor moves, technological developments and cost opportunities as well as internal changes. The organization can then make decisions on selecting systems.

The third stage is the implementation project management. This is where most companies fail due to a lack of user involvement during the early stages. User involvement at every stage is necessary in order to avoid failing at this last hurdle of post implementation operational level.

An e-commerce strategy is not limited to just having a promotional web site. It should ultimately mean getting closer to the customer. E-commerce offers the opportunity to go directly to the consumers’ doorstep and influence their buying behavior.

Selecting and Managing a corporate Telecommunication network becomes part of the telecommunication strategy.

If telecommunication is the life-blood of your organization, then your telecommunication network and systems should be considered as the heart of that operation. Modern telecommunication systems are so reliable and sophisticated that we simply take its availability for granted.

Yet many organizations do not use even a fraction of the system capability due to improper planning, selection and management.

The main factors effecting the planning and managing of your network are:

Effective traffic routing and integration

Cost, traffic and Information flow management

Selecting the system to fit the organization.

Maintenance and Disaster recovery

Given that the busy corporate executive could spend over 50% of the time on the telephone and that over 80% of your business transaction maybe carried out over the communications network, the selection planning and management of such systems are of critical importance.

Planning and selecting your information system should follow a defined set of steps such the one outlined before.

Inter and intra organizational information flow analysis.

Medium and long term growth plans

IS and IT strategy

System requirement specification

Request information from potential suppliers

Produce implementation schedule

Short list suppliers

Produce tender document and selection criteria

Invite tenders

Technical and management Evaluation and selection

Contract negotiations and agreements

Project manage implementation

Change management and training

Commission test and acceptance

Post implementation report

System management and maintenance.

Going through each of these stages systematically will ensure that you get the best value for money from your system and its users.