Building Ecommerce Applications & Infrastructure H essa AL- Subaie, D ina Nassar A isha AL-Omani, B ashayer Abdulallah D alal Al- Qatami

Building Building

Ecommerce Ecommerce

Applications & Applications &

InfrastructureInfrastructure

Hessa AL- Subaie, Dina Nassar

Aisha AL-Omani, Bashayer Abdulallah

Dalal Al- Qatami

► Developing EC site.Developing EC site. ComponentsComponents LanguageLanguage ASP (Application service provider)= A company ASP (Application service provider)= A company

that provides business applications to users for a that provides business applications to users for a small monthly fee. small monthly fee.

The Development process

►Step 1Step 1 Creating an EC Architecture= a plan for organizing Creating an EC Architecture= a plan for organizing

the underlying infrastructure & applications of site.the underlying infrastructure & applications of site.►Business Goals Business Goals ►Business Vision Business Vision ►Application ModulesApplication Modules►Hardware / softwareHardware / software►Security / reliability requiredSecurity / reliability required►HR & procedures for implementing the HR & procedures for implementing the

architecturearchitecture

Steps of Development process

►Step 2Step 2 Selecting a development optionSelecting a development option

►In-houseIn-house►OutsourceOutsource►Combination of bothCombination of both


►Step 3Step 3 InstallingInstalling TestingTesting

►Unit testingUnit testing►Integration testingIntegration testing►Usability testingUsability testing►Acceptance testingAcceptance testing

Deploying EC applicationsDeploying EC applications


►Step 4Step 4 Operation and maintenanceOperation and maintenance

►Site continually updatedSite continually updated►Study usage patterns and performanceStudy usage patterns and performance


The Major EC Applications & The Major EC Applications & their functionalitiestheir functionalities

► B2C storefrontsB2C storefrontsAn Electronic storefront need to offer buyers the An Electronic storefront need to offer buyers the

abilityability

to:-to:- Discover, search, evaluate, compare.Discover, search, evaluate, compare. Select, negotiateSelect, negotiate Place an orderPlace an order PayPay Confirm an orderConfirm an order Track ordersTrack orders

► On the other hand, the merchant needs to:-On the other hand, the merchant needs to:- Provide access to current catalogsProvide access to current catalogs Provide E-shopping cartProvide E-shopping cart Verify customer’s creditVerify customer’s credit Process ordersProcess orders Arrange product deliveryArrange product delivery Track shipmentsTrack shipments Provide registrationsProvide registrations Provide FAQProvide FAQ Analyze purchasesAnalyze purchases Provide language translationProvide language translation Measure & analyze traffic at the siteMeasure & analyze traffic at the site

The Major EC Applications & their functionalities


► The 3 inter-related subsystems:The 3 inter-related subsystems:1.1. Catalog, products, prices, Catalog, products, prices,

promotions, shopping cartpromotions, shopping cart

2.2. Transaction systemTransaction system

3.3. Payment gatewayPayment gateway


►Supplier Sell-side B2B sitesSupplier Sell-side B2B sites Similar to B2C but has additional Similar to B2C but has additional

features:-features:-►Personalized catalogs & web-pages Personalized catalogs & web-pages ►B2B payment gatewayB2B payment gateway►Electronic contract negotiation featuresElectronic contract negotiation features►Product configuration by customersProduct configuration by customers►Affiliate program capabilitiesAffiliate program capabilities►Business alertsBusiness alerts


► E-Procurement siteE-Procurement site Is an online intermediary that offers businesses Is an online intermediary that offers businesses

access to hundreds of parts & services provided by access to hundreds of parts & services provided by suppliers.suppliers.

► Aggregating Catalogs sitesAggregating Catalogs sites Some specialized requirements for this type Some specialized requirements for this type

of site:-of site:-►Search engineSearch engine►Comparison engineComparison engine►Ordering mechanismOrdering mechanism►Budget & authorization featuresBudget & authorization features►Usage comparisonUsage comparison►Payment mechanismPayment mechanism


►Reverse Auctions sitesReverse Auctions sites Sites of this sort provides:-Sites of this sort provides:-

►Catalog of items content managementCatalog of items content management►Search engineSearch engine►Personalized pagesPersonalized pages►Reverse auction mechanismReverse auction mechanism►Ability to bid dynamicallyAbility to bid dynamically►Automatic vendor approval & workflowAutomatic vendor approval & workflow►Electronic collaboration with trading partners.Electronic collaboration with trading partners.


► Online Exchange sitesOnline Exchange sites An e-market place tying many buyers to many An e-market place tying many buyers to many

supplierssuppliers Combines functions of buy-side, e-procurement, Combines functions of buy-side, e-procurement,

auction sites, in addition to:-auction sites, in addition to:-►Collaboration servicesCollaboration services►Community servicesCommunity services►Data mining, customer behavior trackingData mining, customer behavior tracking►Transaction flow managers Transaction flow managers ►Negotiation mechanismNegotiation mechanism►Language translationLanguage translation►Comprehensive links to related resourcesComprehensive links to related resources

Development Development Options for EC Options for EC ApplicationsApplications

Development Options for EC Development Options for EC ApplicationsApplications

► In sourcingIn sourcing

►OutsourcingOutsourcing

►LeasingLeasing

►Other OptionsOther Options

In SourcingIn Sourcing

►Done using “Web Scripting Languages”Done using “Web Scripting Languages”

►Benefits:Benefits: Better fit organization’s strategyBetter fit organization’s strategy

Differentiate it from competitionDifferentiate it from competition

►Short comes:Short comes: Time consumingTime consuming

CostlyCostly

Outsourcing: Turnkey Outsourcing: Turnkey ApproachApproach

► Offers standard features required by Offers standard features required by ECEC

► Involves:Involves:1.1. Buying commercial applicationBuying commercial application

2.2. Installing itInstalling it

3.3. Start it upStart it up

Outsourcing: Turnkey Outsourcing: Turnkey Approach (Cont.)Approach (Cont.)

►Benefits:Benefits:

Many different types availableMany different types available

Save time/moneySave time/money

Outsourcing: Turnkey Outsourcing: Turnkey Approach (Cont.)Approach (Cont.)

►Short comes:Short comes:

May not fully fit company’s needsMay not fully fit company’s needs

Difficult to modifyDifficult to modify

Loss of control over new versionsLoss of control over new versions

Difficult to be integrated with existing systemsDifficult to be integrated with existing systems

Vendors my drop products/quit businessVendors my drop products/quit business

LeasingLeasing

►Lease application from outsourcer and Lease application from outsourcer and install itinstall it

►Lease it from ASP that hosts the Lease it from ASP that hosts the applications at its datacenterapplications at its datacenter

2 ways to do it:2 ways to do it:

Benefits & Risks of Using ASPBenefits & Risks of Using ASP

BusinessBusiness TechnicalTechnical EconomicEconomic

• Reduce need to IT Professionals

• Concentrate on strategic use of IT

Benefits: Benefits:

• Loss of Control & Dependence on Vendor

Risks: Risks:


BusinessBusiness



• Fast & Easy Application

Deployment

• Simplified Maintenance & Training

Benefits: Benefits:


TechnicalTechnical

• Insufficient customization & legacy Applications Integration

• Low capability to deal with Security Issues

Risks: Risks:



• Low total cost of ownership

• Improved cost control (Predictable

Cost)

Benefits: Benefits:


EconomicEconomic

• Price change of updating by

vendor

Risks: Risks:

Other Development OptionsOther Development Options

►E-marketplaces, Exchanges, E-E-marketplaces, Exchanges, E-

AuctionsAuctions

► Joint Venture & ConsortiaJoint Venture & Consortia

►E-MallsE-Malls

► ISPsISPs

►Telecommunication CompaniesTelecommunication Companies

Which Which Approach?Approach?

Criteria to select Criteria to select development development approachapproach

Criteria for Selecting a Criteria for Selecting a Development Approach Development Approach

SelectingSelecting►FlexibilityFlexibility

►User FriendlinessUser Friendliness

►ReliabilityReliability

►SecuritySecurity

►Maintenance ServicesMaintenance Services

►Vendor Quality & Track RecordVendor Quality & Track Record

►Estimating CostsEstimating Costs

►Hardware & software resourcesHardware & software resources

Criteria for Selecting a Criteria for Selecting a Development Approach Development Approach

Selecting Selecting (Cont.)(Cont.)

Third-Party EC Third-Party EC components and components and

suitessuites

2 types of EC Applications 2 types of EC Applications AvailableAvailable

►Electronics catalogs

►EC Suites.

►Virtual version of traditional product Virtual version of traditional product catalogscatalogs

►Contains:Contains: Product description, Photos, Product description, Photos,

Promotions, Payment methods, Promotions, Payment methods, Discounts, & Delivery channels.Discounts, & Delivery channels.

Electronic CatalogsElectronic Catalogs

Architecture of Electronic Architecture of Electronic CatalogsCatalogs

Electronics catalogs Electronics catalogs featuresfeatures

► Template for creating a storefront pages.Template for creating a storefront pages.► Electronic shopping cart.Electronic shopping cart.► Provide secure purchase process using Provide secure purchase process using

encryption methods.encryption methods.► Database for maintaining the product Database for maintaining the product

descriptions and customers orders.descriptions and customers orders.► Integration with third party software for Integration with third party software for

calculating Taxes and shipping costs.calculating Taxes and shipping costs.

Third-Party EC components Third-Party EC components and suitesand suites

► EC Suites :EC Suites :contains differentcontains different► databases;databases;

Customer databaseCustomer database Order database Order database Catalog databaseCatalog database Payment databasePayment database

Components of an EC SuiteComponents of an EC Suite

Third-Party EC components and Third-Party EC components and suitessuites

►Two major companies provide EC Two major companies provide EC SUITES:SUITES:

InterWorld’s Commerce Suites InterWorld’s Commerce Suites ((interwor.cominterwor.com).).

IBM’s WebSphere Commerce Suite IBM’s WebSphere Commerce Suite ((ibm.comibm.com).).

Connecting To Connecting To Databases and Databases and

OtherOtherEnterprises SystemEnterprises System

►EC Arciticture EC Arciticture ►Consists of 4 tiers:Consists of 4 tiers:

Web BrowserWeb Browser Web ServerWeb Server Applications ServerApplications Server Database ServersDatabase Servers

Multi- Tiered Application Multi- Tiered Application ArchitectureArchitecture

Enterprise Application Integration Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)(EAI)

►Class of software that integrates large Class of software that integrates large systems.systems.

►ExamplesExamples Vitria Technology (vitria.com),Vitria Technology (vitria.com), TIBCO (tibco.com), TIBCO (tibco.com), WebMethods (webmethods.com)WebMethods (webmethods.com)

VENDOR AND SOFTWARE VENDOR AND SOFTWARE SELECTIONSELECTION

6 Steps Process:6 Steps Process:

1.1. Identify Potential Vendors & Identify Potential Vendors & PackagesPackages

2.2. Determine Evaluation CriteriaDetermine Evaluation Criteria

3.3. EvaluateEvaluate

4.4. ChooseChoose

5.5. NegotiateNegotiate

6.6. Establish Service Level Agreement Establish Service Level Agreement

Usage Analysis & Site Usage Analysis & Site ManagementManagement

Monitor what customers do in Monitor what customers do in your web siteyour web site

Log FilesLog Files

► Record kept by Web ServerRecord kept by Web Server► Shows when & what transaction Shows when & what transaction

occurredoccurred► High Volumes >> Hard to High Volumes >> Hard to

AnalyzeAnalyze► Free Software providedFree Software provided

Access LogsAccess Logs

►““text files”text files”►Easy to analyze Easy to analyze ►Easy to compareEasy to compare►Variety of statisticsVariety of statistics► Improve marketing and advertising Improve marketing and advertising

strategiesstrategies

Valuable statisticsValuable statistics

►Page views by time slotPage views by time slot►Page views by customers logging in Page views by customers logging in

statusstatus►Page views by referrersPage views by referrers►Page views by visitors hardware Page views by visitors hardware

platform, operating system and platform, operating system and browserbrowser

►Page views by visitors hostPage views by visitors host

Managing The Web SiteManaging The Web Site

►Must know the performance of a web Must know the performance of a web sitesite

►Time consumingTime consuming

►Tedious administrative taskTedious administrative task

Web Management ToolsWeb Management Tools

►Patrol for e-business management Patrol for e-business management

►Main views for e-business Main views for e-business management management

►Service assurance center for e-Service assurance center for e-businessbusiness

QuestionsQuestions

►Describe the basic elements of a Describe the basic elements of a multitiered application architecture.multitiered application architecture.

►List the ways in which an EC List the ways in which an EC application can be connected to back-application can be connected to back-end databases and other transaction end databases and other transaction processing systems.processing systems.

►List the major steps in selecting an EC List the major steps in selecting an EC application vendor and package.application vendor and package.

Documents

Building Ecommerce Applications & Infrastructure H essa AL- Subaie, D ina Nassar A isha AL-Omani, B ashayer Abdulallah D alal Al- Qatami