The content of this course was developed by Dr Marc Bowles of The Institute foe Working Futures. The conversion into the mobile environment was completed by Adam Maxwell of Aptitude Media.

 

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Introduction

This chapter reviews how mobile and wireless applications and technology will affect e-commence. The merger of mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) in e-commerce has resulted in a field of endeavour known as mobile commerce or m-commerce.

As is the case with many aspects of e-commerce, one needs firstly to dispel the myth that m-commerce processes and tools in any way so different that they require managers to discard good business or e-business practices. E-commerce, and as a component, m-commerce will not provide a substitute for business practices that

  • attract and retain customers
  • generate revenue and, more importantly, profit
  • provide effective and competent leadership and management
  • create sustainable competitive advantage
  • stimulate organisational adaptiveness and continuous improvement process that satisfy emerging market and customer demands

Nevertheless, this module confirms why managers need to be at least aware of the emerging presence of m-commerce. Subtly, m-commerce is already shaping business supply chains and the ways in which some companies are providing services to customers more efficiently and effectively. What is apparent is the general inability of managers, particularly in Australia, to adequately appreciate the immediate impact m-commerce applications and technology will have on operations and competitiveness. This seems to be due to two inherent problems:

  • m-commerce, like e-commerce and e-business before, is surrounded by a dense level of hype and noise promoted by vendors and 'experts'
  • m-commerce involves technology and a set of terminologies that fall outside the usual educational and experiential frameworks managers possess.

Basically, m-commerce is noisy and hard to understand!

In Module 4 of this course we closely examined the mobile, wireless and satellite networks technologies that underpin m-commerce. This module is focused on removing the noise and hype surrounding m-commerce and concentrates on how its use can improve business outcomes.

While we will examine how mobile devices can impact business operations and the overall supply chain, this is a emphasis secondary to the primary focus of enabling you to isolate how m-commerce can advantage specific transport and logistics businesses. Of necessity, this study is restricted. We cannot examine all the likely business opportunities or the emerging mobile ICTs that may affect e-commerce.

The aim is for this chapter to present sufficient learning that you can become an advocate for the 'common sense' adoption of m-commerce where it can be of advantage to a business.

Learning objectives

At the completion of this module you should be able to:

  • define the parameters, dimensions and approaches to mobile commerce
  • confirm the impact of mobile applications and approaches on transport and logistics operations
  • explain the impact mobile applications and approaches can have on customers
  • analyse the relevance of mobile commerce applications to current transport and logistics operations
  • explain the role of specific information and communication technologies on m-commerce
  • review the emerging trends and likely affect m-commerce will have on e-business models

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