What's in it for me if I take this course?
Students taking this course can add the designation “e-business coach” to their resume.
Many firms are trying many different things – often without much real direction -- to experiment with e-business. Some focused experiments are working beyond earlier expectations. On the other hand, many firms have decided since the recent “dot bomb” in the early 2000's to basically stick with a Website – and do very little else.
In this course students will learn a proven, seven-step approach for building a portfolio-based e-business strategy, utilizing a scheme developed by Dr. Amir Hartman, former director of internet initiatives at Cisco. This approach leads to a balanced set of initiatives, which takes advantage of activities with quick short-term impact, as well as “stretching” the organization to do a few things with potentially very large impact.
Using this methods firms have been successfully coached to do “first things first” and save money, but also to go beyond that to “push the envelope” with a carefully constructed set of experiments enabling a firm to see how digital/networked technologies can improve their bottom line.
As you move into a firm or are in an interview situation, and want to pull out some of the things that are unique about you – and your brand – you’ll be able to say that you bring to the ball game proven tools, techniques, tips, traps and tricks for building practical and profitable e-business strategies – even in today’s markets.
Why take this course - now?
After all, the dot.coms have fallen, "e" is "out", a widely asked question generally is "can anyone make money in eBusiness"? The economy is as turbulent as it has ever been. Investors have run away from the entire field.
But - the powerful impact of digital/networked technologies continues - for all businesses and markets. eBusiness - and digital business design is more important now than ever! Michael Dell was asked the question: "Was there anything you thought about in the early days of the Internet which didn't work out quite as you expected?"
Michael answered, "We're still in the early days of the internet."
The early noise that surrounded the impact of Internet technologies on the world of business is subsiding - and the real understanding of the use of digital tools for creating unique new value, dissolving boundaries, building market place efficiency, and transforming business is just now coming to light. It might not have the "glamour" of the rise and fall of billion dollar valuation dot.coms. But it's happening.
This course is building "Coaches for the Converging Economy".
- Whether your career takes you into an existing "brick and mortar" firm just beginning to experiment with an eBusiness strategy, or…
- Whether you decide to start your own "dot.com" The tools, techniques, templates, cases, and examples will better enable you to be an instigator, coach, change agent, and profitable manager or eBusiness initiatives.
In watching 70 member firms that are members of the Institute for the Study of Business Markets, the prediction of the instructor is that professional MBAs equipped with these tools, skills, and practice will become very valuable to firms of all sizes, and of all make-ups. Firms must get on with exploring the potentials of digital technologies in their markets and for their customers. Students taking this course - and the eBusiness portfolio - will be extremely valuable to their employers in the future.
This site is for educational purposes and for the advancement of Business to Business Practices. © Ralph Oliva, 2003