CIS8100 E-commerce Implementation Paper Editing Service

CIS8100 E-commerce Implementation Paper Editing Service

Letter of Transmittal

May 14, 2017

XYZ

Department of Business Studies

USQ

Subject: Submission of e-commerce implementation report

Respected Sir/Ma’am,

It is a completely pleasant experience to have got the opportunity to submit this assignment to you. This assignment is a research report based on the implementation of e-commerce. This report also includes the facts about the prototype website. Making the prototype website and preparing assignment was a very challenging task. I have completed both the tasks with utmost dedication, hard work, and sincerity. I would also like to thank you for it could not have been possible without your incredible support and constant motivation.

Thanking you.

Yours Sincerely,

Student name

Executive Summary

This report is primarily based on the concept of making an e-commerce presence. Here, the business that is being considered is a business of toys. Both the advantages and the disadvantages of the e-commerce are discussed in the report. The definition and meaning of SDLC are also explained.Various ways of implementing a Software development life cycle(SDLC) model are discussed. Numerous benefits, as well as the risks associated with venturing a new e-commerce business, are included in the later sections of the assignment. The major concern of an e-commerce environment is its security issues. Therefore, a separate part of the report concerns only with the security issues and the ways to deal with them or combat them. Conclusively, this report covers all the necessary factors related to e-commerce implementation (for a toys business ).

Introduction

The incredible growth in the market of smartphones has truly made the concept of online businesses a compulsion. The usage of online market has made it very convenient for all the customers. Today, it has become a necessity for every business to have an online presence for their respective offline stores. The main purpose of the report is basically to consider all the important factors regarding venturing an online presence. That is the e-commerce presence of an offline business. The business that is being considered here is the toys business. A website prototype of the business of toys is also prepared. The link of the prototype of the website ishttp://usq0061084951.cloudaccess.host.

As of now, the website mainly has the following pages:

1. Home: The home page will direct the user to the list of products and categories of toys. In order to not waste any time of the customer or the user, the home page of the website is the list of all the available products.

2. List of products: This will have the list of products.

3. Blog/Discussion forum: The important factor of the prototype is the blog or the discussion forum as it enables simplicity.

4. Add to cart: This will help the user to have clarity about the items selected.

5. Payment: Payment gateways and other ways will be used to implement it.

Various ways of implementing a Software development life cycle(SDLC) model are discussed. Numerous benefits, as well as the risks associated with venturing a new e-commerce business, are included in the later sections of the assignment. The major concern of an e-commerce environment is its security issues. Therefore, a separate part of the report concerns only with the security issues and the ways to deal with them or combat them.The importance of strengthened roots cannot be overlooked. Therefore, the main idea of the business should be crystal clear at all levels. Every business has a distinctive quality and the essence of which cannot be dissipated. Therefore, this is also discussed in the report.Conclusively, this report covers all the necessary factors related to e-commerce implementation (for a toys business).

Implementation Plan for the system                       

The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a methodology to understand the business objectives of information systems and to design appropriate information systems. SDLC is basically an abbreviation used for Systems life cycle or Systems Development Life Cycle. It is a series of steps required in the development of a system. A system can be composed of software or hardware or even both software and hardware. The SDLC for an e-commerce site involves five major steps: Systems analysis, systems design, building the system, testing the system and continuing maintenance of the system.

The various processes that a system undergoes to reach the final deployment are mentioned thoroughly in the Systems development life cycle. The business category in concern will follow the simple approach of the SDLC model that is the waterfall model approach. The life cycle of the model being followed involves the following six steps:

System Analysis

In this phase, the system that is to be prepared will be kept into consideration. Also, the whole development phase is planned and evaluated. In other words, the requirements of the final product, the expectations of the management of the product will be noted in this step. In the business category of retail toys, affordability, compatibility, user friendliness, availability and some other such factors were listed. The intended users of the application would not be technically sound, so the need to keep the system look attractive along with an easy interface is high. Also, usage of latest technologies would raise the cost at the company end which will eventually result in increased price of the products. Therefore, to make the website cost effective, it is necessary to monitor the technologies used.

System Design/Structure

In this phase, the design of the system architecture is made. The flow diagrams are also made. The specifications of the system and the time required in each unit is documented and included in the design of the system. Methodologies like logical data modeling, data flow modeling, entity even modeling, etc. along with data flow diagrams were designed. The design of the e-commerce application is decided. For the website in consideration, home page, a list of products, add to cart and payment were the main pages of the design. Now, in accordance with the designed user interface, technical specifications are listed.

This means that the technical widgets and themes that will be used in implementing the design are theoretically noted(or listed in the form of different types of DFD’s). Widgets like buttons, tabs, lists, navigation, image galleries etc. are some of the features that were used and therefore, listed in the design of the website. The software and the hardware requirements of the system were also considered while preparing the design

Building the system

In this phase, the actual development is implemented. The documents and the designs are put to use in this phase. The product starts getting built. This is an essential step of the whole life cycle. This is because the implementation of the concepts is practically applied here. Because of this step, a final product is actually prepared.

Integration (of the modules) and Testing the system

The development phase of the life cycle prepares the product in separate modules. The final product is segregated into various parts and then they are prepared. But, the final product cannot be presented to the user in numerous parts. Therefore, all the modules need to be integrated into one single product. In this phase, different modules of the product are integrated together to make the final product. After integrating the product, it goes through various testing phases to make sure that the product does not have any flaws. The product is tested whether it incorporates all the user requirements or not.

Deployment of the system

In this phase, the tested product is finally presented to the intended user. But the website is not custom prepared for one particular user. Therefore, it is not possible to deploy it to a particular user. For the e-commerce website for our business, deployment of the system will simply mean that the publishing of the website. Publishing of a website is exactly similar to making the website live. In this way, it can be made visible and accessible by everyone.

Maintenance of the system

This is the last phase of the systems development life cycle or software development life cycle (SDLC). This phase is not carried out for a particular period of time. This means that maintenance phase of any system is not time bounded. This is because maintenance and customer support is required by a user as long as the product is being used. Therefore, it is necessary to provide maintenance and support to the user such that the services of the product can be used unhampered. In this phase, maintenance of the product is provided for better user experience. After the product is deployed in the market, the product is maintained based on feedback from the customer. If this step is not provided by any company or a business, then the user is likely to lose faith in the organization.

SDLC is a series of steps required in the development of a system. As far as a business of toys is concerned waterfall model for SDLC( software development lifecycle) is a supremely satisfactory option.

Mobile Web Presence

Just as the name suggests, the mobile web presence of an online business is the presence or accessibility of the online business for users over the web. This means that any source that makes a business accessible to every user that has an internet connection is called as mobile web presence of an online business. There are numerous ways to start an online presence. Some of the most common ways are social accounts, mobile website, mobile applications, etc. Social accounts are the easiest and the cheapest way to give an outlet for their business. They serve as a great medium for marketing, brand building, and user interaction. Updates on new offers, pictures of products and store, sales, customer linking, etc. can be easily done through a social account.

Factors of the mobile platform that must be considered by the online business are as follows:

1. The essence of the business:

It is clear that the present era is the technological area. It is upon us and has changed and, moreover, revolutionized the markets incredible. The only businesses that last are the ones which keep up with the changes. The physical presence of the toys store is not enough. Consequently, we(as in the owners of a toys business) have decided to open an e-commerce presence of the business. The equivalent website will be made keeping in mind the vibe of our current retail store for toys. It will contain virtual tour of our vivacious place, an exact list of toys with the updated versions, customer feedback and experiences, offers and schemes, and every other important detail. The main idea is to reach a larger audience and spread awareness about our outstanding restaurant. The present customer relationship we hold will be monitored and will be used to build an even bigger chain by spreading the word through our e-commerce presence. It will ensure that more and more people get to know about the one-of-a-kind service that we provide.

The idea is basically to open a retail store which provides toys of all categories. It includes soft toys, games, gaming gadgets and what not. Everything of the business and the store is prepared to keep the requirements of the children in mind. This is because the main target audience of the toys' business is toddlers and mostly young. Therefore, it becomes a necessity to keep the list of products according to them and their requirements. Not only the items and toys are customized but also the decor of the store. The ambiance and decor of the place are exceptionally well and is taken care of by professionals by keeping children in mind. The list of toys and products is regularly revised according to the results of the surveys being conducted. It includes recent demands of the children and other audiences. In this way, the needs of the customer are valued and considered. This makes the customer feel important as their views are respected which is reflected by the improvements we make in the toys and the store after considering the user feedback and surveys.

2. Investment and seed fund of the business:

Many ways were considered about managing the investment of the e-commerce business. The following few ways are going to be considered for raising funds:

(a)Sponsorship:Creating reputation in the market and trust among the potential customers is the only way of getting sponsors for the business. The fact that the business of toys is physically present and successfully running over the past several years has helped it gain a reliable image in the market. Finding a sponsor is a difficult task. Various business owners and other sponsors are aware of the services we provide and the customers we've gained. This will help in understanding the kind of sponsors that will be willing to invest in our business so that it eventually helps them in building their name once the website starts.

(b)Crowdfunding:In order to attract the crowd for crowdfunding, we will eventually reach the masses and promote the business. Crowdfunding is the most feasible and appropriate option for raising money. This will definitely be a time-taking process but will help us in making the people aware of the restaurant and the upcoming website. It will be a package deal for both promotion and get money for promoting. It just couldn't get any better.

E-commerce security environment

Possible threats for E-commerce

E-commerce is basically the concept of making your business commercially available over the internet. More and more people are using the same network, which also results in causing hindrance in the network. The data is exchanged and accessed through the internet, which makes it much more vulnerable to fraud and other threats. Before finding ways to deal with the threats, it is very important to know all the possible threats properly. It will help us get a better understanding of the threats we’re planning on dealing with and, hence, will help us make better decisions about the ways to prevent them. The e-commerce environment holds threats for both consumers and business owners, such as malicious code, phishing and identity theft, hacking, cyber vandalism and data breaches. The terms are further explained clearly.

Malicious code:It is a harmful piece of code which intends to damage the important files, documents or anything on the system.  It makes the network and the system prone to attacks and other thefts by introducing viruses or any unwanted files. Malicious code is generally injected in a hidden format and, therefore, cannot be detected by general antivirus software.  

Phishing:Phishing is the practice of accessing unauthorized information for illicit purposes. It is done by fooling the user into thinking that the information is genuinely required by a reliable source whereas the fact is that it is a fraud being conducted in order to fetch your personal information.  

Identity theft:If an unauthorized user tries to access an account, it is termed as identity theft. Phishing is one way of performing identity theft. As the information can be collected by phishing and identity theft can be performed with it.

Cybervandalism:It is more of a cyber or web related threat. In this, the data on the web is manipulated in an inappropriate and unwanted manner. This can affect the credibility of an organization and can have an adverse effect on the brand name.

Data breaches:A data breach is a process of leaking important information on an unreliable network to an unauthorized user. 

Measures to achieve a secure e-commerce environment

The following ways can be adopted to avoid threats and achieve a secure e-commerce environment.

Strong authentication:

Multiple layers of authentication enable better security and lesser are the chances of the system being accessed by an unauthorized user. ‘Digital Signature’ is one way of enabling better and safer authentication.  Only the intended user will have the ability to provide the digital signature or even a password. Thus, making the account and the personal information more secure.

Avoiding sensitive data storage:

The main reason for these threats is mainly because of the fact that the e-commerce sites keep important, sensitive and confidential data on the network. Although it is not possible to keep absolutely no important information on the network, it can be easily avoided on a huge level. This method would not eradicate all the threats but will reduce them largely. It basically does not make the system secure, instead, kills the purpose of misuse.

Use secure connection and e-commerce platform:

Selecting a secure and reliable e-commerce platform is a wise decision. Many platforms offer multiple authentications and even block unauthorized users and harmful content. There are numerous ways to make the connection secure. Security protocols make the connection safe and allow safe transactions over the internet. Various types of security protocols available are:

1.Secure Socket Layer(SSL)

2.Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol(HTTP)

3.Secure electronic transaction

Implementing these protocols can prove to be really good for achieving a secure connection.

Providing security training:

Whenever a cause is being supported or a problem is being dealt with, it works best if we start at the ground level. In any business, employees handle mostly everything. Of course, there exists a hierarchy of it but so to speak workers or employees control an organization. If they work better organization will benefit. If they work poorly organization will suffer. If they work cautiously organization will remain safe. If they work carelessly, the organization will suffer. But what if they do not have the required training or the knowledge of how to be safe? It will prove to be dangerous not only for them but also for the whole organization. Phishing practices work excellently on such people.

Encryption:

Various encryption algorithms are available for encrypting the data in order to make it more secure. It will not make the system completely safe but it will definitely make it very difficult for the hacker to break into the system and access the information.

Information privacy in social media

Following listed are some challenges(along with them, their remedial ways are also included.) that can be faced while venturing into an online business: Security threats can be avoided by adopting a few safety measures. The main reason for these threats is mainly because of the fact that the e-commerce sites keep important, sensitive and confidential data on the network. If they do not keep such data, the main purpose of these threats would die and, eventually, so would they. Although it is not possible to keep absolutely no important information on the network, it can be easily avoided on a huge level. Opting for a secure platform and making the connection more secure by incorporating safety protocols will enable better security. Many platforms offer multiple authentications and even block unauthorized users and harmful content. There are numerous ways to make the connection secure. Security protocols make the connection safe and allow safe transactions over the internet. All the ways are properly discussed in the separate headings below. The following ways can be adopted to ensure the privacy of information on social media:

Monitoring traffic:

This is also a very important factor while managing an online store or any e-commerce business. Huge traffic shuts down the well-working servers of large organizations. So for the well-being of the online store, it is crucial to regularly monitor traffic on the website and adjust accordingly.

Keeping rival companies in check:

The e-commerce industry is a humongous industry to compete with. The existing businesses are already on a hike and have gained customer's faith and a considerable fan base. To fight with that, it truly raises the difficulty level. An offline channel does not deal with this amount of competition. It only has rivals in the nearby locality. But e-commerce industry is very huge as compared to the offline stores. You are compared with almost every contender business on the web, which makes it even more intense for the business to survive.

Managing logistics:

Unlike offline sales channel, online stores need to be technically sound for them to excel. Not only the product but also the technical features need to work well because the customer interaction starts first with your e-commerce website and then your service or the product. If the website is lagging then it will automatically be a flaw for your brand and the company.

Securing data:

The main factor of all security hacks is that important data is exposed. If the data will be made secure and inaccessible then threats will be automatically saved. Therefore, encryption can be used to make the important data of the business secured. In this way, security threats can be hugely avoided. Various encryption algorithms are available for encrypting the data in order to make it more secure. It will not make the system completely safe but it will definitely make it very difficult for the hacker to break into the system and access the information. Also, Multiple layers of authentication enable better security and lesser are the chances of the system being accessed by an unauthorized user. ‘Digital Signature' is one way of enabling better and safer authentication.  Only the intended user will have the ability to provide the digital signature or even a password. Thus, making the account and the personal information more secure.

Providing training:

The users/customers employees of the product or website are most vulnerable to security hacks and breaches. To avoid such situations, it is better to make the employees understand as to what should be done and what should be avoided. For instance, passing sensitive information (like passwords or any other account details) via mail can be unsafe. So, it is essential to provide training to the employees for them and the company to remain safe.

Staying updated:

Information is the driving force on the digital media. So, obviously, staying updated on the information is very crucial to make the best of it. For instance, if a new product with better features is been launched by a rival company, it is very important for your company to know about that. A little delay can result in a loss. This can be avoided by having a strong technical team and managing its timely operations.

Conclusion

The purpose of this report was to conduct a research on e-commerce and discuss various aspects of it. It starts with introducing the concept of starting an e-commerce presence for a toys business. It includes the details about the business of toys and the upcoming website of the same. Also, the software development life cycle model that will be followed for development is also mentioned in detail. System life cycle is the series of steps that are followed in the development of a system or a software. The second section of the report deals with the importance and introduction of mobile web presence of an online system. Different ways to make online presence are also listed. This is because not every business has a huge budget. Therefore, it is important to consider both cheap and expensive ways to start an online presence for a business. It states important factors to be considered before starting an online channel of sales for a business. The risks associated with starting an e-commerce business were also pondered upon. Including that, the ways to overcome the possible risks were mentioned too. It would be appropriate to say that nowadays every business requires an e-commerce presence to compete and survive within the market. Hence, a detailed study has been conducted and important factors related the starting of e-commerce are included in this report.

Recommendations

Based on the research that I went through to make this report, I have truly gained a better insight into the venturing of e-commerce. Though it was a very challenging and a patience-requiring task but definitely worthwhile and has surely become a necessity these days. As far as a business of toys is concerned waterfall model for SDLC( software development lifecycle) is a supremely satisfactory option. It will ensure an easy yet effective way to conduct development life cycle. Considering saving funds for the website(or the e-commerce) will definitely be a smart decision. Security threats can be avoided by adopting a few safety measures. Opting for a secure platform and making the connection more secure by incorporating safety protocols will enable better security.

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