Essay on E-Commerce Cycle Time

Submitted By kthomp44
Words: 371
Pages: 2

Explain how E-Commerce can reduce cycle time, improve employees’ empowerment, and facilitate customer support. Discuss and give examples.
E-commerce (EC) can reduce cycle time, improve employees’ empowerment, and facilitate customer support through digital enterprise. Digital enterprise is an IT business model with the goal to reach customers more effectively, improve employee productivity or improve operating efficiency. Cycle time is the time it takes to complete a process, the process could be the submittal of an invoice or the design of a chemical plant, but it includes any delays during the work. EC process are performed with the goal of improving efficiency, many times going paperless so they are faster. Productivity is increased when orders are visible to everyone as soon as they are inputted. Increased productivity leads to less down time and reduced cycle time. An example is Boeing during the construction of the 787. Boeing developed a Technology Group to improve collaboration for the global construction project of the $150 million dollar plane.
Employees working in a digital enterprise are empowered by being in an information rich environment. All distributed material is up-to-date and this facilitates problem solving. Current information is available in real time to provide customer support. The digital enterprise has all employees in the loop when important feedback is given, and they have continuous means to ask for assistance. An example would