Electronic Business: A Description of its Main Tools

It is a fact that the 21st century showcases new trends in the consumption of goods, products, and services across all generations involved (baby boomers, millennials, Generation X, Generation Z, etc.), thus affecting the way business is conducted. Consequently, the aim of this work is to present to both novices and experts in the field the various concepts, models, and tools available for implementing any transaction by leveraging innovative technologies such as the internet cloud. It is recommended to start by reading Chapters 1 and 2. Once completed, the order of the remaining chapters can be read in any sequence, as the document's design is modular rather than progressive.

Chapter 1 introduces the birth and evolution of the internet, along with the importance and future of conducting electronic business through it, including its implications and impact on consumption habits, economics, etc. The goal is to acquaint the reader with the current internet context for conducting electronic business.

Chapter 2 presents the different concepts the reader needs to understand, such as e-commerce, digital marketing, and electronic business. It defines the business model concept, emphasizing customer value, different types and approaches to electronic business, the role of e-commerce as a driver of activity, and the income it generates. The chapter concludes with the presentation of the electronic business innovation model based on 19 elements proposed in this work.

The fundamental objective is to present the reader with various perspectives and elements that comprise electronic business, enabling its planning, implementation, and future development. At this stage, it is suggested to propose an electronic business plan to incorporate the various tools from the subsequent chapters.

Chapter 3 briefly introduces all the tools available for promoting and capturing customers through digital marketing (e-Marketing) based on:

• Website planning and construction
• Content Marketing
• Online advertising (SEM - Search Engine Marketing)
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Web Analytics
• Blogging
• Email Marketing
• Social Media
• Video
• Online Public Relations
• Mobile Marketing

Given the breadth and depth of these topics, we recommend exploring the author's work titled "Digital Marketing: A Description of the Tools That Support Strategic Planning of Any Web Campaign," available at: Google Play Books. The objective is for the reader to understand and apply these tools as alternatives to promote their electronic business through digital marketing.

Chapter 4 covers the history and various aspects of e-commerce, such as EDI, XML, e-Procurement, e-Marketplaces, and e-Payment. It also includes tables of the most well-known and recommended software platforms for implementing each of these. The chapter concludes with a simple practice on how to set up an EDI, Shopify, PayPal, and Payoneer account. The goal is for the reader to understand and plan how to implement each of these tools for their electronic business.

Chapter 5 introduces CRM, its characteristics, and basic components, as well as the software platforms recommended by the industry for its implementation. It concludes with a simple practice on how to set up a Zoho account. The goal is to make the reader aware of the capabilities and limitations of this tool in their proposed electronic business implementation.

Chapter 6 teaches the history and evolution of ERP, its characteristics, and basic components, as well as the software platforms recommended by the industry for its installation. It concludes with a simple practice on how to set up an Oracle SAP account. The goal is to make the readers aware of the capabilities and limitations of this tool in their proposed electronic business implementation.

Chapter 7 introduces the history and evolution of SCM, its characteristics, and basic components, as well as the software recommended by the industry for its installation. It concludes with a simple practice on how to set up a Megaventory account. The goal is to make the readers aware of the capabilities and limitations of this tool in their proposed electronic business implementation.

Chapter 8 teaches the history and evolution of e-Procurement, its characteristics, and basic components, as well as the software recommended by the industry for its installation. It concludes with a simple practice on how to set up a Market Dojo account. The goal is to make the readers aware of the capabilities and limitations of this tool in their proposed electronic business implementation.

Chapter 9 teaches the history and evolution of SRM, its characteristics, and basic components, as well as the software recommended by the industry for its installation. It concludes with a simple practice on how to set up a Fishbowl Inventory account. The goal is to make the readers aware of the capabilities and limitations of this tool in their proposed electronic business implementation.

Chapter 10 provides a historical overview of information security (e-Security) in transactions and infrastructure, along with related concepts, different types of threats, viruses and their various forms, factors to consider for a proper security policy, IT Governance, and tables of recommended software platforms at four levels: computer, network, physical, and installation.