A firm-level framework for electronic commerce information systems planning

Electronic commerce (EC) has the potential to offer new business opportunities to both firms and customers. In the emerging EC environment, marked by globalization of trade and competition, a firm needs a set of electronic commerce information systems (ECIS) to embark on EC. Though information is a vital organizational resource, most firms, to date, have not adequately planned for their ECIS. One possible reason is the lack of a framework that could support a firm's ECIS planning.;This dissertation undertakes the development of the ECIS framework as a conceptual and analytical process. That process involves a synthesis of the major themes of major IS planning frameworks, a consolidation of recent IS/IT and management concepts based on a comprehensive business perspective. The ECIS framework helps focus management attention on EC issues under six framework components, and facilitates a thorough analysis of the impacts of these issues on the organization and the firm's ECIS planning.;A firm needs firm-specific methods for ECIS planning. The ECIS framework can support the development of such firm-specific methods. This dissertation demonstrates the utility of the framework through three case studies of Dell Computer Corporation, Charles Schwab and eBay. In each case study, the ECIS planning method is individually appropriate for the firm, incorporates the components and concepts of the ECIS framework, and yields satisfactory ECIS solutions.;Another utility of the ECIS framework is support for development of new strategic tools. Wiseman's strategic option generator is a conceptual instrument used for identifying a firm's IS strategic options. In the context of EC, this tool needs rethinking and reevaluation. Based on the components and concepts of the ECIS framework, a major modification of Wiseman's tool results in EC strategy generator. The ability of the new tool to analyze a firm's EC strategy is demonstrated with ample illustrations.