Electronic Business Solutions and e-commerce are buzzwords thrown around regarding every aspect of modern business. Chances are you have used some of these systems as a common retail consumer. This assignment will have three sections, the first two will cover E-Business Systems, especially common e-business systems you will likely encounter in your future professional endeavors. The third section will deal with your personal experience regarding e-commerce in daily life. Each section should contain at least a page of single space text. Cite your sources. Due 11/18/14

Section #1: ERP Applications

The text discusses how companies use advanced ERP products without giving many detailed examples of the developers (such as SAP, PeopleSoft/Oracle, Microsoft, etc.). Compare the standard product platform of a major ERP manufacturer with the offerings of at least a single competitor. Outline any differences and similarities between the different companies. Also include a table comparing the basic features such as system requirements, cost, etc. One of the main reasons SAP is the market leader in ERP software is their ability to custom tailor their product based on customer specifications, give examples of this.

Section #2: CRM/SCM

As the textbook stresses, CRM and SCM applications are very common in the current business world. They offer easier access to more information as well as cost savings to many contemporary systems. Have you already or do you see yourself using such applications as a regular business tool for work and how do you see them being needed in the future? Describe how such applications apply to your desired major. Also give examples of product offerings (SAP, CITRIX, Sales force, ACT, Microsoft, etc.) and industry market leaders for these types of applications, especially for your future field.

Section #3: E-Commerce

Discuss how and where you use e-commerce most often, such as personal B2C transactions or B2B commerce at your workplace. Even if you are not directly involved, it is quite likely that you have worked somewhere that utilizes B2B transactions for daily operations. If not, do you know of any areas where a company could be improved through e-commerce? As Google spreads into other areas of business such as marketing, do you see any other new trends or areas that need improvement in the realm of e-commerce? For example more regulation to limit monopolies, give traditional brick and mortar retailers a chance to compete, new tax standards to offset the revenue lost by state and local governments, etc.