This unit provides the learner with the understanding and skills needed to develop, implement and manage an e-strategy for an organisation to ensure it retains its competitive advantage in a global market.
Business technology has changed the way in which organisations work and how business is carried out. Organisations can internally manage and manipulate information in ways that provide a fuller insight into how they work. This information is communicated instantly to interested parties to enable them to carry out their work more efficiently and effectively. Relationships with external customers have been transformed as they too have information they can use when engaging in transactions, whether it is to check a product specification, view an item, make a purchase or transfer funds. Technology benefits all interested parties in business transactions and, as a result, organisations develop e-strategies to exploit these benefits.
E-strategies complement and align to the overarching organisational strategy. The broader organisational strategy may need to be reviewed to accommodate an e- strategy. In some cases, an e-strategy is the major factor in shaping an organisation that thrives whilst competitors struggle to adapt and keep up. An e- strategy enables an organisation to add value to its activities by using the worldwide web and wide area and local area networks to exploit the available business information and accessibility to that information.
By considering the role of an e-strategy, learners will understand how it allows an organisation to develop efficient processes that improve its competitive advantage in a global market.
