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One Simple Strategy to Organize your Online Business
By
Abe Cherian Copyright ©
2005 [Reprint this article] |
Recently a survey showed that most online businesses are
not organized. In fact many organizations throw up an
expensive web site using all the latest "bells and
whistles" only to find it a generally unsatisfying
experience.
Apart from the technical vs. sales and marketing issues of
the web site itself many organizations both in terms of
appropriate organizational behaviors as well as of
effective organizational designs has been sadly neglected
by many established retailers.
You may have a business site with dedicated staff and
webmaster, yet it is poorly integrated within your parent
organization and tasked with ill defined roles. A simple
question needs to be asked. Do you have a central internet
group (CIG) directed by a chief Web officer and composed of
dedicated staff for each business function?
If not then depending upon your organizations size and
abilities you need to implement a CIG or
outsource those functions.
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Typically, many conventional retailers have
acquired organizational habits that are not well aligned to
the needs of e-Commerce. It should be noted that four
undesirable traits or behaviors found in many organizations
must be guarded against.
You might find that increasing complexity in your company
has resulted in inflexibility and slow decision making
processes. There is also a tendency towards internal
conflict and stratification as well as a leadership that
would tend to emphasize capital investment as a solution to
all problems.
The movement towards centralized control, which
characterizes a typical consumer goods business, will carry
with it limited coordination among your departments and
divisions resulting in a weakened sense of market trends
and increased dissatisfaction.
These features are in direct conflict with what you should
know about the cultural characteristics of pure successful
e-businesses. An e-business is predominantly a flat
organization with quick decision making where risk taking
is encouraged and failure is merely education.
Employees tend to work long hours at the office by choice
and are very self disciplined. Typically such companies use
guiding principles rather than procedures and tend to lead
by example.
When these two types of cultural environment are brought
together, unexpected and perhaps dysfunctional behaviors
must be expected to emerge. Given the cultural and
organizational differences between "new" and "old" economy
businesses, the way in which you as an established retailer
should set up and manage Internet operations is therefore
extremely important.
One factor to consider is that small businesses are more
flexible organizationally. You should consider that
e-commerce has provided greater "e-quality" for smaller
businesses in relation to their larger competitors.
You will need an increased willingness to seek appropriate
alliances and partnerships, plus consider organizational
designs, company spin-offs, etc., that will provide
convergence to the integrated business model required to
overcome these mismatches in culture and outlook.
The many advantages derived from the Internet must be
exploited both within and between existing sectors of your
bricks and mortar business. With the ways in which
networked organizations are evolving, it should be realized
that only those retaining an Internet culture in a parallel
or centralized Internet group (CIG) style of operation
closely identified with the eCommerce aspects of a
business's overall objectives will be successful.
About
The Author
Abe Cherian is the founder
of Multiple Stream Media,
a company that helps online
businesses find new
prospects and clients, who
are anxious to grow
their business fast, and
without spending a fortune
in marketing and automation.
http://www.multiplestreammktg.com
Web's #1 site to find
"free resources to
Plan, Build,
Market, and Maintain your
website":
http://www.multiplestreammktg.com/resources.html
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