Web Business Engineering : Using Offline Activities to Drive Internet Strategies

by Flor, Nick V.

• ISBN13: 9780201604689
• ISBN10: 020160468X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-10-01
• Publisher: Pearson P T R

Summary

Many Web developers have powerful technical skills, but limited understanding of business processes; conversely, many managers understand business processes intimately, but do not understand how to leverage Web technologies to improve them. This book bridges the gap, giving technical professionals and managers a systematic approach for analyzing their offline processes and identifying the best opportunities to add value through Web technology. Every business offers a goldmine of opportunities for using Web technology to increase revenue and reduce costs -- but every business is different. This is the first book to help you identify your opportunities -- and act on them. Web Business Engineering starts with a quick primer designed to help Web developers think about business the way managers do. Next, it shows how to map business processes and build "value models" that depict their costs and benefits; and, using these maps, identify key opportunities for adding value with Web technologies. Flor shows how to discover innovative ways to use the Web that go far beyond supporting existing business activities.

Author Biography

Nick V. Flor is a Professor of Information Systems at Carnegie Mellon's Graduate School of Industrial Administration.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Acknowledgments	xv
Introduction	xvii
SECTION 1: WEB BUSINESS 101	1	(48)
Business Building Blocks	3	(10)
Executive Summary	3	(1)
Objectives	3	(1)
Introduction	4	(1)
How an Idea Becomes a Product: The Case of the Guitar	5	(5)
The Value Chain and the Web	10	(3)
Competition and the Web	13	(10)
Executive Summary	13	(1)
Objectives	13	(1)
Introduction	14	(1)
Understanding the Effects of Competition: The Case of the Guitar Maker	14	(4)
Basic Strategic Moves	18	(5)
The Role of Information in the Value Chain	23	(12)
Executive Summary	23	(1)
Objectives	24	(1)
Introduction	24	(1)
How Information Supports the Value Chain for Physical Products	25	(2)
Knowledge-Intensive Products	27	(2)
Pure Information-Based Products	29	(2)
New Business Models: The Autonomous Business	31	(4)
Value and Valuing a Web Site	35	(14)
Executive Summary	35	(1)
Objectives	35	(1)
Introduction	36	(1)
The Web Site Proposal	36	(2)
Value: Return on Investment (ROI)	38	(3)
Net Present Value (NPV)	41	(5)
Some Alternatives to NPV & ROI: Payback and IRR	46	(3)
SECTION 2. WEB BUSINESS ENGINEERING: A QUICK PRIMER	49	(64)
Introduction to Web Business Engineering: Motivation and Basic Principles	51	(12)
Executive Summary	51	(1)
Objectives	52	(1)
Introduction	52	(1)
Definition: Web Business Engineering	53	(1)
Ways of Studying Business Processes	53	(2)
The Web Business Engineering Framework	55	(6)
Basic Steps in Web Business Engineering	61	(2)
Quick Primer: Step 1, Map Business Activities	63	(16)
Executive Summary	63	(1)
Objectives	63	(1)
Introduction	64	(1)
Mapping Notation	65	(6)
The Employee Distance Education Case (EDEC)	71	(8)
Quick Primer: Step 2, Model Activity Value	79	(14)
Executive Summary	79	(1)
Objectives	80	(1)
Introduction	80	(1)
Valuing a Business Activity	80	(2)
Case (Continued): Building an Interaction Cost Model for the EDEC Assignment Mailings	82	(11)
Quick Primer: Step 3, Diagnose Problems and Opportunities	93	(8)
Executive Summary	93	(1)
Objectives	94	(1)
Introduction	94	(1)
Case (Continued): Diagnosing the EDEC Mailing Costs	95	(6)
Quick Primer: Step 4, Design Treatments	101	(12)
Executive Summary	101	(1)
Objectives	101	(1)
Introduction	102	(1)
Case (Continued): Finding Treatments for the EDEC Mailing Assignments	102	(11)
SECTION 3: CASE STUDIES: PUTTING OFFLINE ACTIVITIES ONLINE	113	(50)
Wbe in Small Businesses: The Case of The Hair Salon	113	(14)
Executive Summary	115	(1)
Objectives	115	(1)
Introduction	115	(2)
Case Study: Hair Crafters	117	(1)
Map Business Activity (Haircut)	118	(2)
Map Business Activity (Hair Care Products)	120	(1)
Map Business Activity (Reminder Card)	121	(1)
Model Activity Value, Diagnose Problems and Opportunities	122	(1)
Design Treatments	122	(5)
Wbe in Large Institutions: The Online Survey Case	127	(14)
Executive Summary	127	(1)
Objectives	128	(1)
Introduction	128	(1)
Case Study: Background	129	(3)
Map Activity (Distributing the Survey)	132	(1)
Map Activity (Result Generation)	133	(1)
Map Activity (Result Distribution)	134	(1)
Model the Value of the Survey Activity	135	(3)
Diagnose the Survey Activity	138	(1)
Design Treatments	138	(3)
Wbe in Social/Cultural Situations: The Case of the Online Matchmaking Service	141	(22)
Executive Summary	141	(1)
Objectives	142	(1)
Introduction	142	(1)
Case Study: Background	143	(1)
Map Newspaper Matchmaking	144	(2)
Value Newspaper Matchmaking	146	(2)
Diagnose Newspaper Matchmaking	148	(1)
Design Treatments for Newspaper Matchmaking	149	(14)
SECTION 4: CASE STUDIES: APPLYING WEB BUSINESS ENGINEERING TO ONLINE ACTIVITIES	163	(46)
Marketing Your Web Site	165	(18)
Executive Summary	165	(1)
Objectives	165	(1)
Introduction	166	(1)
Ten Free Ways of Generating Traffic	167	(11)
The Product	178	(1)
Map (Prototype) Activity	178	(2)
Treat Business	180	(3)
Fundamentals of Memetic Marketing	183	(14)
Executive Summary	183	(1)
Objectives	184	(1)
Introduction	184	(1)
What Makes a Good Meme?	185	(2)
How a Meme Spreads Without Technology	187	(2)
How to use the Web to Replicate a Meme	189	(3)
Example: A Good Meme and Web Replicator	192	(5)
Issues in Revenue Generation for Information-Based Web Businesses	197	(12)
Executive Summary	197	(1)
Objectives	198	(1)
Introduction	198	(2)
Case: Dating Expert Matchmaking Activity	200	(5)
Deciding What to Charge for: High Value, Low Risk	205	(1)
Information Currency	206	(2)
Conclusion	208	(1)
Bibliography	209	(2)
Index	211