Search capabilities make, break, e-commerce efforts, study shows
By Staff -- Plant Engineering, 10/1/1999
Successful e-commerce requires two essential components to maximize return on investment, a recent study shows. Granada Research, electronic commerce consultants based in Half Moon Bay, CA, reports that complete, high-quality content and information usable by a broad range of employee expertise levels are the essential ingredients for a competitive advantage.The caliber of commerce-ready content and easy-to-use search technology in an electronic procurement system define how effectively companies can increase purchasing efficiency and reduce purchasing and processing costs, the study reports. It also encourages users to seek software that meets the demands of content-driven e-commerce.
According to Granada's Torrey Byles, "An e-procurement system is like a lens: It allows those who purchase to focus exclusively on the company's strategic suppliers...to allow smart and controlled purchasing throughout the enterprise and to ensure that purchasable goods and services are easily located, a catalog of commerce-ready, consistently classified and unified content, and an advanced finding engine must work hand-in-hand."
The study also shows that successful e-procurement systems must accommodate casual end users as well as procurement professionals. It also indi- cates that online procurement software should include several key elements:
- Product information that is searchable, interoperable, and customizable for each user
- Comprehensive, up-to-date information
- Data classified and organized for rapid finding and reporting
- Search technology that provides easy and accurate access to a unified, self-service catalog.
The study, "The Value and Importance of Product Information Content and Discovery in Corporate Purchasing Processes," was commissioned by Requisite Technology, a provider of electronic catalog technology services.
For more information on the study, contact Granada Research, 614 San Carlos Ave., El Granada, CA 94018; 650-726-3002; fax: 650-712-9570.
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