Ict in Business and Commerce
ICT in Business and Commerce
Changing Shape of Organisations
• More people are working for themselves or for small businesses
• Large organisations are becoming “flatter” i.e. less hierarchical. People are working in groups rather than individually.
• Knowledge workers need less supervision than factory workers because they know what to do and when. They need information rather than supervision.
Using ICT to Set up a Small Business
Any business needs a phone and an answering machine.
For about £800+ a small business could also get:
• Spreadsheet (Help set up business plan by calculating expected income and expenses. Perform “what if” queries to test the effect of raising or lowering prices).
• Graphics (Create high quality commercial documents i.e. design logo, headed stationary, business cards etc.)
• Word Processing (Design invoice stationary, send mailshots etc)
• DTP (Design advertising, promotional material etc.)
• Database (keep a mailing list)
• Accounts
• Fax (fax modem comes with most PCs)
• Internet and Email (communication, online sales)
ICT in Banking
• Telephone/Internet Banking (consider the problems of bank closures in rural areas)
• ATMs
• Debit and Credit Cards
• MICR
• Direct Debit (salaries, bills etc.)
• Electronic Smartcards (e.g. Mondex) - could we have a cashless society?
Shopping on the Internet (E-Commerce)
Advantages:
• Open 24/7
• By asking customers to “register”, businesses can build up databases/customer profiles
• People can shop without leaving home
• People can search massive online databases to find exactly what they want (see the case study below)
• A site such as Amazon has reviews of books, CDs and video games. You can read what other people thought of the product before you buy.
• Amazon allows customers to listen to a sample of each track on the CD before they decide to buy
• Businesses have fewer overheads and these savings should be passed on to the customer. Drawbacks:
• Some people
Changing Shape of Organisations
• More people are working for themselves or for small businesses
• Large organisations are becoming “flatter” i.e. less hierarchical. People are working in groups rather than individually.
• Knowledge workers need less supervision than factory workers because they know what to do and when. They need information rather than supervision.
Using ICT to Set up a Small Business
Any business needs a phone and an answering machine.
For about £800+ a small business could also get:
• Spreadsheet (Help set up business plan by calculating expected income and expenses. Perform “what if” queries to test the effect of raising or lowering prices).
• Graphics (Create high quality commercial documents i.e. design logo, headed stationary, business cards etc.)
• Word Processing (Design invoice stationary, send mailshots etc)
• DTP (Design advertising, promotional material etc.)
• Database (keep a mailing list)
• Accounts
• Fax (fax modem comes with most PCs)
• Internet and Email (communication, online sales)
ICT in Banking
• Telephone/Internet Banking (consider the problems of bank closures in rural areas)
• ATMs
• Debit and Credit Cards
• MICR
• Direct Debit (salaries, bills etc.)
• Electronic Smartcards (e.g. Mondex) - could we have a cashless society?
Shopping on the Internet (E-Commerce)
Advantages:
• Open 24/7
• By asking customers to “register”, businesses can build up databases/customer profiles
• People can shop without leaving home
• People can search massive online databases to find exactly what they want (see the case study below)
• A site such as Amazon has reviews of books, CDs and video games. You can read what other people thought of the product before you buy.
• Amazon allows customers to listen to a sample of each track on the CD before they decide to buy
• Businesses have fewer overheads and these savings should be passed on to the customer. Drawbacks:
• Some people