E-Commerce Can Reduce Cycle Time, Improve Employees’ Empowerment And Facilitate Customer Support

REDUCE CYCLE TIME

One of the most important aspects of business efficiency is the cycle time, which is defined as the total time taken to complete a task. As customer demands are increasing from day to day and most of the companies are globalized, the traditional way of doing business does not seem to be applicable. As a result, e-commerce has become a need, especially in big and international firms.

E-commerce can reduce cycle time by eliminating steps in business processes. By eliminating the unnecessary processes or step, it can effectively shorter the total cycle time. The steps may be redundant or can be replaced with more efficient technology solutions. The elimination of the steps speeds the overall process.

Also, e-commerce allows company to carry out businesses without the barriers of time or distance. With e-commerce, the business is on going for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365days a year. E-commerce benefits consumers by providing them convenience, high speed, low cost, desired customization, personalization and communities. As a result, this can help to bring the relationship between the organization and customers closer in order to reduce cycle time.

IMPROVE EMPLOYEES’ EMPOWERMENT

Giving employees’ responsibility and authority to make decisions without supervisory approval is the definition of employees’ empowerment. Nowadays, employees’ empowerment has become more and more common in most of the companies as employees are more educated. As a result, the master and slave relationship can not be applied anymore.

E-commerce can provide employee empowerment by providing employees with greater and easier access to information provided by the employer. The power of managers should now be shared with employees through trust, assurance, motivation, and support. Work decisions and the ability to control an individual’s amount of work is now being relied upon at lower-level management positions.

One of the systems that enable the employees to have freedom and authority to access in transaction system is the Electronic-Data-Interchange (EDI). It results in transparency barrier between employee and customer. Employees in charge can have more understanding on the business and the transaction and providing relevance feedback to customer. Employees who work under these circumstances are more productivity as they can work independently. However, those who work under tight supervise normally will be less productivity.

FACILITATES CUSTOMER SUPPORT

E-commerce facilitates customer support by providing a wide range of technological solutions and communication opportunities. A 24 hours on going business can facilitates customer to have unlimited shopping hours. Additionally, EC supports self-help customer service so consumers can answer their own questions.

Other than that, retaining customers by satisfying their needs is the objective in customer service for example managing customers’ feedback, complaints, recommendation is essential in enhancing customers support.

Useful links:
http://ecomspace.blogspot.com/2008/06/discuss-how-e-commerce-can-reduce-cycle.html
http://4krewz.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-e-commerce-can-reduce-cycle-time_17.html
http://amazingcommerce.wordpress.com/2008/06/15/discuss-how-e-commerce-can-reduce-cycle-time-improve-employees-empowernment-and-facilitate-customer-support/
http://4ecom.blogspot.com/2008/06/discuss-how-e-commerce-can-reduce-cycle.html
http://flora-ourstory.blogspot.com/2008/06/discuss-how-e-commerce-can-reduce-cycle.html
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do;jsessionid=6A0DAC6DB35D27B1DB6E4C798FB2FD4B?contentType=Article&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=842917
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118925756/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
http://ecommercesite.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/reduction-of-cycle-time-improve-employees-empowerment-facilitate-customer-support-through-e-commerce/