Connecting with stakeholders

Summary

This e-business course segment explores the distinction between corporate websites and enterprise portals, emphasizing their roles in connecting internal and external stakeholders. Corporate websites serve as public interfaces, showcasing company information, products, and services, while enterprise portals offer personalized, secure access to business applications and databases for employees and select partners. The lecture highlights the importance of responsive design, fast response times, and user-friendly navigation for corporate websites. It also touches on the use of web analytics to optimize user experience and the integration of various tools like search engines, sitemaps, and blogs to enhance interactivity and decision-making.

Takeaways

• 🔗 The ERP system is crucial for automating internal business processes and connecting with internal stakeholders such as employees, management, and company owners.
• 🌐 An enterprise portal serves as a bridge between internal and some external stakeholders, offering a web-based interface that integrates various technologies like MIS, DSS, and EIS.
• 🏢 The distinction between a corporate website and an enterprise portal is that the former is public-facing, providing company information, while the latter is more internal and personalized for stakeholders.
• 📈 Enterprise portals offer personalized access to data and applications based on an employee's role and needs, enhancing efficiency and security.
• 📊 Corporate websites typically include sections like 'About Us', 'Products and Services', 'Investor Relations', and 'Contact Information' to engage with the public and stakeholders.
• 📱 The importance of responsive design in corporate websites to ensure compatibility with various devices like mobile phones and desktops is highlighted.
• ⏱️ The '30-second rule' in web design emphasizes the need for quick response times to retain visitor interest.
• 🛠️ Corporate websites often feature improved navigation to allow users to find information efficiently, typically within 3-4 clicks.
• 🌟 Personalization of corporate websites can enhance user experience by tailoring content to the preferences of customers and other visitors.
• 👥 The script mentions the use of discussion forums and blogs on corporate websites to engage with customers and gather unstructured data for decision-making.
• 📊 Web analytics tools like Google Analytics are used to measure, collect, and analyze web usage data to optimize web design and user experience.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of an ERP system?

An ERP system, or Enterprise Resource Planning system, is designed to connect all the internal business processes and automate them, thereby facilitating communication and integration among internal stakeholders such as employees, management, and company owners.

What is the difference between a corporate website and an enterprise portal?

A corporate website serves as the company's informational interface to the public, while an enterprise portal is a web-based system that connects both internal stakeholders and selected external stakeholders, providing access to a variety of internal and external business applications and services.

What are the typical features of an enterprise portal?

Enterprise portals typically offer access to email, project websites, discussion forums, human resources web self-services, customer databases, decision support systems, and knowledge management systems. They also integrate with ERP systems to provide additional functionalities beyond what the ERP system offers.

How does an enterprise portal benefit external stakeholders?

Enterprise portals provide external stakeholders with access to industry news, financial services, and links to industry discussion groups. They also facilitate connections with customers and suppliers through internet and extranet websites, depending on the company's permissions.

What is meant by personalization in the context of enterprise portals?

Personalization in enterprise portals refers to the ability of the portal to display selective and relevant information based on the user's role and access permissions within the organization. This ensures that users are presented with data and applications that are specific to their needs and responsibilities.

What are some benefits of using an enterprise portal?

Enterprise portals offer benefits such as providing specific and selective information for individual business users, easy access to corporate intranet resources, direct access to industry and business news, and the ability to allow selected customers, suppliers, and business partners access to company data.

How does an enterprise portal help in managing employee time?

Enterprise portals help manage employee time by providing relevant news items and information specifically for business purposes, reducing the need for employees to browse unrelated content and thus avoiding unnecessary surfing.

What are the typical contents of a corporate website?

Typical contents of a corporate website include the homepage, an 'About Us' section, product and service listings, a people section with biographical information, a news section, an investor relations section, a list of key clients, special interest group pages, and contact information.

Why is website responsiveness important for corporate websites?

Website responsiveness is crucial because it ensures that the website's content is displayed appropriately based on the nature and size of the output device, whether it's a mobile phone, desktop, or any other reading device.

What is the 30-second rule in the context of corporate websites?

The 30-second rule refers to the industry standard that if a website's response time is more than 30 seconds, it is likely that the user will leave the site. This emphasizes the importance of quick response times for corporate websites to retain visitors.

How does web analytics help in understanding web user experience?

Web analytics involves measuring, collecting, analyzing, and reporting web usage data to understand and optimize web design, thereby improving the experience of web users. It provides metrics such as the number of hits, page views, visits, sessions, click paths, and traffic sources.