Title: An e-business design and evaluation framework based on entrepreneurial, technical and operational considerations

Authors: Philip Joyce, Graham W. Winch

Addresses: School of Information Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Johns Street, Melbourne 3122, Australia. ' The University of Plymouth Business School, Plymouth University, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK

Abstract: The development of business models for e-business has become increasing popular within both the academic and business arenas. However, it can be argued that many of the business models for e-business are static in nature and only provide a historical view. Such models are helpful in helping researchers and practitioners organise their thoughts about different e-business options, but are of limited value in providing guidance as to how to link the broad strategic concept with the detail of the required business processes in the operating e-business. This paper draws upon the emergent knowledge of e-business models together with traditional strategy theory to provide a simple integrating framework for the evaluation and assessment of business models for e-business. The framework reflects concurrent top-down and bottom-up perspectives, with an entrepreneurial view based on the identification of a market need or business opportunity triggering the search for appropriate delivery mechanisms, and a technical view which builds up from an internal review of business process and ICT resources and capabilities which could suggest new electronically-based business options. The framework points to a set of design and evaluation sequences for the development of a new business starting with either perspective.

Keywords: business models; e-business modelling; business strategy; design framework; e-commerce; electronic commerce; electronic business; entrepreneurship; business process modelling; operations management; technology management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEB.2005.006910

International Journal of Electronic Business, 2005 Vol.3 No.2, pp.198 - 214

Published online: 21 Apr 2005 *

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