Wk 6 Individual: International Plastics, Inc. IT Infrastructure Review and Upgrade Recommendations [due Mon] Wk 6 Individual: International Plastics, Inc. IT Infrastructure Review and Upgrade Recommendations

Arthur Jackson

10 December 2018

INDIVIDUAL: INTERNATIONAL PLASTICS INC. MANUFACRURING ECOMMERCE INTEGRATION PROPOSAL

International Plastics Inc. Manufacturing E-Commerce Integration Proposal

In today’s society, E-Commerce has led the way in terms of collaboration between organizations as well as commercial transactions between and organization and the average consumer. When organizations think of E-Commerce, they usually relate it to the transactions of purchasing and selling goods in an online environment. On the same token, there is a lot more than meets the eye. According to Forbes, “a little over 50% of the population in the United States is more receptive to the idea of purchasing goods online vice a brick and mortar store.” (Forbes, 2018) In other words, there is a growing trend of an online shopping experience that has caused organizations to reevaluate their business strategies. Some of the trends that stem from E-Commerce range from block chain-Enabled AI to additional video content showcasing an organization’s products and services. In light of these trends, International Plastics must also adapt with the changes in time in order to stay afloat while maintaining their customer base for plastic goods.

In this paper, a proposal will be created with the intentions of incorporating E-Commerce into International Plastics’ mission objectives. The proposal will have three options for the organizations board to consider. In addition, functional requirements will be annotated to define exactly how E-Commerce will be utilized. Finally, justification will be given regarding the requirements for the organization.

E-Commerce and International Plastics

Long gone are the days of traveling to brick and mortar organizations in order to purchase, sale and trade goods. In the past this was the relationship between businesses and consumers as well as business to business. Most organizations look at ecommerce and begin to see the various opportunities available and how using ecommerce improves upon the overall success of an organization. International Plastics is no exception and would like to venture into the world of ecommerce to bring about a better tomorrow for the organization as a whole. The company already has a global reach with the China site as the backup headquarters. However, in order to get the word out to more consumers, an entirely different approach is needed to capture their attention. This is where ecommerce comes in. Most businesses are aware of a few benefits that ecommerce offers.

These range from saving time, money, to providing quality customer service. Per logicspot.com, “improved customer satisfaction and knowledge management are among the additional benefits of incorporating ecommerce.” (logicspot.com, 2014) To ensure that the organization explores ecommerce efficiently, an ecommerce taskforce/division within International Plastics’ Information Systems Department will be developed. The responsibilities of this division include focusing on functional requirements that encompass Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

E-Commerce Integration Option 1 (Netsuite)

There are numerous options that International Plastics’ could incorporate into their overall business strategy. However, after thorough research, there are only three distinct options that would be in the organization’s best interest to use. The first of these options would be Netsuite. An article taken from the Netsuite online site suggests that, “this ecommerce integration option provides for real-time orders and inventory.” (netsute.com, 2018) What this means is that customers can order plastic goods from any of the four International plastics locations and see the procurement process as it occurs. This gives clients a warm and fuzzy feeling that their purchases are handled with care and will be delivered on time. The functionality of CRM comes in to play in this instance. Netsuite also has the capability of handling both Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) transactions. It can also be used to integrate enterprise resource planning (ERP).

By choosing to go with the Netsuite option, International Plastic would be able to develop a more robust relationship with their clients’ at all four sites. This would gain client trust as well as the strong possibility of client retention for many years to come. In this day and age, up-to-date information is everything. International plastic will only survive if it knows its customers and their needs. On the salesforce.com site, “CRM is known to paint the most accurate picture of an organization’s current customers.” (salesforce.com, 2018) This would provide an intimate bond amongst International Plastic and all clients in such a way that clients would be virtually like family.

E-Commerce Integration Option 2 (Shopify)

The second ecommerce platform that International Plastics should consider is known other than Shopify. This integration tool is very popular amongst businesses today. When compared to other ecommerce integration tools, such as Magento, Shopify is one of the most cost effective and scalable ecommerce instruments around. It has very easy to use customization for complex environments. This is ideal for International plastics as each site is located in different geographical locations. According to shopify.com, “marketing and billing needs are automated in a way that user intervention is truly transparent.” (shopify.com, n.d.) Shopify falls along the lines of search engine optimization. Since marketing is the cornerstone of SEO, using shopify enhances marketing functional requirements and branding outside of the organizations main regions.

The advantages here would be increased customer base and aiding International Plastics in its’ quest to be a worldwide name in plastic products and services. Some of the other capabilities with choosing Shopify include but are not limited to the addition of new areas of interest in regards to sales. This goes back to the scalability functions of Shopify’s software tool and the ability to attract the amount of sales for the company. The tracking of sales, in turn, can be used as trend analysis to track organizational growth. Shopify’s SEO functionality ensures that the organization’s success is measured by their marketing efficiency and service to consumers. The bottom line is that using this ecommerce standard ensures International Plastics, as a whole, would be around to see a better and brighter tomorrow.

E-Commerce Integration Option 3 (BigCommerce)

The third option that should be kept in mind centers on the BigCommerce ecommerce integration tool. The integration package of this tool includes the capability of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and total customization of billing, shipping, and overall management functionalities. Most organizations think of enterprise resource planning as a “behind the scene” type of process that integrates the critical aspects of a business such as human resources, inventory, and finances. According to BigCommerce.com, “this ecommerce instrument also gives the option of listing an organization’s products on well known social medial platforms such as Facebook and Amazon.” (BigCommerce.com, 2018) Basically, BigCommerce uses these social media outlets as an extension for marketing and promoting an organization’s products. It would be to International Plastics advantage to use option 3 as it combines all of the features of the previous options.

This platform also guarantees continuous availability to consumers 24 hours a day. Since it is primarily cloud-based, International Plastics would not have to worry about system maintenance. This would free up needed time, resources, and man hours that the organization can use to focus on other areas of the business. Like option 2, BigCommerce is a very inexpensive and adaptable solution for all types of organizations.

Conclusion

Throughout the paper, a clear proposal was developed that would be incorporate E-Commerce into International Plastics’ business endeavors. The proposal outlined three specific options for the organization’s consideration. Functional requirements were identified in regards to their usage in each option. Last, but not least, justifications were given as to the reason why each of the three options would be a good fit for International Plastics.

References

BigCommerce.com (2018) BigCommerce. Retrieved from

https://www.bigcommerce.com/dm/home

forms.netsuite.com (2018) Oracle + Netsuite. Retrieved from

https://forms.netsuite.com/app/site/crm/externalleadpage.nl/compid.NLCORP/.f?formid=6188&h=AACffht_rU9Tuw8cdhyzzL2dOA26B9yAIsE%3D&leadsource=G5022P62915SS&cid=ppc_g_24ecom&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI25nnnqTE2AIVFZ4bCh3R9wphEAAYASAAEgIhbvD_BwE&redirect_count=1&did_javascript_redirect=T

Logicspot.com (2014) Integrating ecommerce into your business. Retrieved from