A Special Issue on Statistical Challenges and Opportunities in Electronic Commerce Research

This special issue is a product of the First Interdisciplinary Symposium on Statistical Challenges and Opportunities in Electronic Commerce Research, which took place on May 22--23, 2005, at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, College Park (\url{www.smith.umd.edu/dit/statschallenges/}). The symposium brought together, for the first time, researchers from statistics, information systems, and related fields, all of whom work or are interested in empirical research related to electronic commerce. The goal of the symposium was to cross the borders, discuss joint research opportunities, expose this field and its statistical challenges, and promote collaboration between the different fields.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/088342306000000178 in the Statistical Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Introducing the transport impacts of E-business project

E-Business is expected to dramatically change the way business is conducted internationally, nationally, within states and at the local area level. Moreover, these changes are very likely to happen well within the planning time frames required for provision of transport infrastructure and services. This paper introduces a study to investigate: how will the transport task change; what will be affected; and how can the transport system respond? The work, a joint initiative of the National Transport Secretariat [NTS], and the CSIRO/QUT Built Environment Research Alliance, in collaboration with Queensland Department of Public Works, is intended to assist Australian business and government pro-actively address the transport issues arising from e-business. E-commerce is growing exponentially: worldwide e-commerce revenues are estimated to reach $US1300 billion by 2003. Growth in electronic communications within companies which, together with e-commerce between companies, B2B, or between business and consumers, B2C, make up e-business, is even more significant. The magnitude and speed of both these changes increase the urgency of planning, for their impacts provide forecasting challenges. A study approach is described to consider direct impacts from e-business on Australian transport, derived demand for travel or delivery as other businesses prosper and transport related constraints to e-business in the next five to ten years. Base line information collection: includes a review of literature and information about trends in e-business then transport and e-Business; interviews with stakeholder/experts in planning agencies, e-business companies and transport/logistics firms across Australia; appraisal of data available for on-going assessment; and contact with international experts. Trends and impact assessment: National trends will be estimated and very important impacts or very urgent impacts selected via a ranking and rating process. Transport related productivity gains will be assessed; trends in regional Australia and international trends and experience will be reported with a final assessment of opportunities and threats for Australia. Outputs: A series of working papers and final reports; a user friendly database of contacts, publications and data availability information for update; a research framework for identification of policy and planning levers to maximise benefits to Australia from national and global e-business activity

A Method for DEVS Simulation of E-Commerce Processes for Integrated Business and Technology Evaluation

The object of this work is to present a discrete event modelization and simulation method for evaluating performance of electronic commerce transactions at business and computational resources levels in order to predict behaviors and changes in system configuration to optimize investment.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

A Method for DEVS Simulation of E-Commerce Processes for Integrated Business and Technology Evaluation

The object of this work is to present a discrete event modelization and simulation method for evaluating performance of electronic commerce transactions at business and computational resources levels in order to predict behaviors and changes in system configuration to optimize investment.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Information Technology and the QS Practice

The paper examines how Quantity Surveying practices can improve their business performance, market share and profit levels by embracing and evolving with the latest technological developments in electronic business practices and data/information analysis and exchange in the construction industry. Firms in the new millenium will need towork smarterto gain competitive advantage and electronic commerce provides probably the greatest scope for this to be achieved. More importantly, current project procurement trends strongly indicate that firms not able to communicating electronically at all levels with project participants will find it increasingly difficult to secure work. The results of three nationwide surveys of the Australian Quantity Surveying profession spanning from 1995 to 1999 are used to identify current business practices and technology utilisation by Quantity Surveying firms and to analyse whether firms are positioning themselves to meet future industryrequirements. The paper concludes with a range of Information Technology strategies aimed at improving business opportunities and performance for Quantity Surveying firms

IT supported business process negotiation, reconciliation and execution for cross-organisational e-business collaboration

In modern enterprises, workflow technology is commonly used for business process automation. Established business processes represent successful business practice and become a crucial part of corporate assets. In the Internet era, electronic business is chosen by more and more organisations as a preferred way of conducting business practice. In response to the increasing demands for cross-organisational business automation, especially those raised by the B2B electronic commerce community, the concept of collaboration between automated business processes, i.e. workflow collaboration, is emerging. Otherwise, automation would be confined within individual organisations and cross-organisational collaboration would still have to be carried out manually. However, much of the previous research work overlooks the acquisition of the compatible workflows at build time and simply assumes that compatibility is achieved through face-toface negotiation followed by a design from scratch approach that creates collaborative workflows based on the agreement resulted from the negotiation. The resource-intensive and error-prone approach can hardly keep up with the pace of today’s marketplace with increasing transaction volume and complexity. This thesis identifies the requirements for cross-organisational workflow collaboration (COWCO) through an integrated approach, proposes a comprehensive supporting framework, explains the key enabling techniques of the framework, and implements and evaluates them in the form of a prototype system – COWCO-Guru. With the support of such a framework, cross-organisational workflow collaboration can be managed and conducted with reduced human effort, which will further facilitate cross-organisational e-business, especially B2B e-commerce practices

A Qualitative Evaluation of the Factors Influencing the Adoption of Electronic Payment Systems (SMEs) by SMEs in Nigeria

No nation can compete in a global market without developing a versatile and veritable platform for competition especially in trade and commerce through electronic business (e-business) and electronic commerce (e-commerce). Not too long ago, the Nigerian government enacted a visionary policy code-named PSV20:2020 targeted at adopting information and communication technology (ICT) for proper management of the Nigerian economy as part of its effort to become a member of the twenty most economically developed countries in the world by the year 2020. To achieve this, the Nigerian government created the policy of a cashless economy in which all payments for goods and services especially in government businesses have to be done electronically. To make this policy work particularly among the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria, this study examines those factors that influence the adoption and use of electronic payment systems (EPS). A qualitative analytical approach has been adopted in this study. 4 Small and Medium Enterprise owners/managers and 2 officials of two different Banks – the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and United Bank for Africa (UBA) – were interviewed. Data collected from the interview were processed and analysed. Few recommendations were made

Electronic commerce and logistics: the last mile dilemma reference framework and simulation

The electronic commerce companies that are involved in BtoC business and physical goods delivery have to deal with the Last Mile Logistics Dilemma, looking for the most apropriate solutions according to the characteristics of business models and service concepts proposed. To provide some useful suggestions to this dilemma, the article is aimed at: a) highlighting the crucial relationship between such e-commerce aproaches and logistics planning, in which the management of physical flows plays a fundamental role in providing profitability to the business; b) proposing a reference model to underly the relevant costs in the trade off between home delivery and delivery to a shop or pick-up point; c) linking those relevant costs to the main design and management leverages that can be used to define an apropriate and coherent solution to the problem; d)showing the risk of the “e-commerce trap”, that occurs when click and mortar companies have to manage multiple delivery processes and related costs.The work offers an analytical aproach to the last mile logistics design and the implementation of main alternatives. The final section reports a simulation of the final delivery process for “family durable products” showing how the described framework can be put in practice and how the different variables identified can influence the economics of the distribution process.The electronic commerce companies that are involved in BtoC business and physical goods delivery have to deal with the Last Mile Logistics Dilemma, looking for the most apropriate solutions according to the characteristics of business models and service concepts proposed. To provide some useful suggestions to this dilemma, the article is aimed at: a) highlighting the crucial relationship between such e-commerce aproaches and logistics planning, in which the management of physical flows plays a fundamental role in providing profitability to the business; b) proposing a reference model to underly the relevant costs in the trade off between home delivery and delivery to a shop or pick-up point; c) linking those relevant costs to the main design and management leverages that can be used to define an apropriate and coherent solution to the problem; d)showing the risk of the “e-commerce trap”, that occurs when click and mortar companies have to manage multiple delivery processes and related costs.The work offers an analytical aproach to the last mile logistics design and the implementation of main alternatives. The final section reports a simulation of the final delivery process for “family durable products” showing how the described framework can be put in practice and how the different variables identified can influence the economics of the distribution process

A macro-economic perspective on electronic commerce policy and strategy in government, corporate, small, medium and micro enterprises sectors : an exploratory analysis

M.Comm.This study aims to provide information on the macroeconomic impact of electronic commerce and its effects on business, consumer and government sectors. Electronic commerce as a new phenomenon has the potential to bring substantial benefits to government, businesses and consumers. Developed countries such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have had an experience of electronic commerce for the last ten years. Electronic commerce is the catchall phrase for many advances in technology centred on the Internet, and heralds fundamental changes for the world economy. The expansion of the Internet globally has made it an ideal means to conduct commercial transactions. The Internet is being used more and more to advertise and sell goods and service globally. Electronic commerce is an instrument that is handy to globalise trade among countries and nations. It has become highly possible to conduct business transactions with all parts of the world that have access to Internet, without being physically there. The transactions take place technologically. The use of Internet and the World Wide Web is creating a revolution in the manner in which business transactions are conducted. The increase in the number of users is taking place at a rapid pace, especially in the developed economies. It is estimated that there are now more than 150 million users, and the figure increases by more than 50 000 on a daily basis (UNCTAD, 1999:55). More than half of the current user population is located in the United States of America, but the geographical spread is fast diversifying. Even developing countries are now having an access to the Internet. Revenue attributed to electronic commerce is still relatively small though it is projected to grow over the years. Empirical evidence about the use of electronic commerce is largely confined to developed countries, though developing countries are now using it. It shows that in several sectors, which include financial services, tourism, books, music and entertainment industry, the digital revolution is spreading rapidly. This also shows that many aspects of governments' dealings with communities, international project management and consultancy work are increasingly being facilitated by electronic operations. The United States has developed the Global Information Infrastructure, which is seen as a global marketplace, to enable it to reach every comer of the globe on trade. This development is based on the following principles:- • Private sector leadership The private sector is leading the development of electronic commerce and the Internet, though the government assisted with bulk financing. Innovation, expanded services, broader participation, and lower prices will arise in a market-driven arena, not in an environment that operates as a regulated industry. The American government is encouraging industry self-regulation whenever appropriate, and supports all initiatives and efforts of the private sector to develop mechanisms to facilitate the successful operation of the Internet and electronic commerce. • Government to avoid undue restrictions on electronic commerce The government has not intervened when business transactions on goods and services are effected across the Internet. The government is of the view that intervention and unnecessary regulation of commercial activities will distort the development of an electronic marketplace by decreasing supply and raising the cost of goods and services for consumers globally. The United States government has further undertaken to refrain from imposing new regulations, bureaucratic procedures, or taxes and tariffs on commercial activities that take place via the Internet. • Minimum government intervention when necessary The government will intervene to support and enforce a predictable, consistent and simple legal environment for commerce. In some areas it will be necessary for government to play a minimal role where consumers have to be protected

Legal regulation and general overview of e-commerce in the Republic of North Macedona

Electronic commerce in past years has made a kind of revolution in the global way of trading and in consumer habits. The health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19 has led to a change in the consumer habits of the population and a drastic increase in online shopping. As a consequence of this situation in the Republic of North Macedonia, more and more companies are appearing that work on a business model that is based exclusively on online sales, without any physical presence, and at the same time the number of companies that, in addition to physical presence, use the Internet as an additional sales channel is also increasing, communication and promotion and for digital products simultaneously for delivery. It inevitably opened up the need to create a legal framework in which the regime of business transactions will be regulated - the legal framework of electronic commerce. In the framework of the paper, we will address on the legal regulation of electronic commerce in the Republic of North Macedonia. First we will focus on the theoretical aspects of electronic commerce (definition, historical development and classification), the legal regulation of electronic commerce and finally we will give a general overview of the development of e-commerce in the Republic of North Macedonia after the COVID pandemic