A: Shortlist of technology driven e-Business ideas for strengthening e-commerce
readiness in developing countries
Suppose your group is the management team of a small, technology-oriented company. Write a small
report (max. 3 pages) answering the questions below.
1. Read Chapter 7: ‘Harnessing e-commerce for sustainable development’ of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) report ‘Aid for Trade at a Glance 2017’ and the ECIS 2018 conference
paper titled ‘Firm’s Size Effect in the e-Service Industry: The Case of a Developing Country’ by
Mary Ann Barbour.
2. Choose an innovative technology, which according to you, can be used to build interesting
business models upon for strengthening e-commerce readiness in developing countries.
It is far more interesting for yourselves if you find your own technology, but here is a prototypical
list: WiMax, highly accurate location determination technology (e.g. Galileo), tracking & tracing
technologies (e.g. RFID, TREC), broadband mobile, semantic web, virtualization of IT
infrastructures and applications, grid & cloud computing, …
3. For the selected technology, fill in the following form: (italics is an example)
Technology
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Your company (give an one-liner describing
OntoMap is active in the business of
your company; you may decide on this later
electronic maps
on)
Technology summary (summarize the
With the Global Positioning System (GPS), a
technology, with which your company can
person can accurately determine his person,
potentially make business)
everywhere on earth.
Competing technologies (state competing
GSM triangulation (GSM network must be
technologies that you also may consider, to
available, less accurate), Galileo (not yet in
build similar business)
production).
Unique selling points (state the why (and to
Accurate positioning, independent from
what extend) the technology is really unique.
physical location.
Related technologies (which other
(Mobile) communication networks; to develop
technologies can be thought of to complement location-based services.
the selected technology, e.g. to enlarge your
business).
Technology dependence (are there any other
The availability of GPS depends on a system
technologies needed to use the technology; is of satellites, controlled by DoD of the US.
there dependence on specific regulations,
etc.).
Ready for market (is the technology
Yes. GPS is already widely adopted and used.
sufficiently mature)
4. For the selected technology, develop business ideas by using creativity techniques (divergence),
and plot these ideas in the portfolio matrix (example below).
© Jaap Gordijn 2017, adapted by Sietse Overbeek
Market Opportunity
OPEN
COOPERATIVE
Innovation for New Markets
Traffic jam avoidance
ENVIRONMENT
Route planning
Treasure hunting
COMPETITIVE
CLOSED
Common-ground Basics
CURRENT /
AVAILABLE
Location aware ads
Me-Too Strategies
INTERNAL
COMPETENCY
FUTURE /
TO DEVELOP
5. Prioritize the ideas (convergence) according to the matrix below (example). Explain briefly for
the ideas in upper-right quadrant why they are positioned there (that is: explain why these ideas
have a high priority).
HIGH
Should Have
Quick ‘n Easy Wins
Car collision avoidance Route planning
Traffic jam avoidance
Location aware ads
VALUE
CREATION
POTENTIAL
3 Months
6 Months
Treasure hunting
LOW
9 Months
Money Pits
LOW
Low-hanging Fruit
HIGH
6. Select the two/three most promising ideas and summarize these based on the matrix below:
Idea
Reroute a car based on its current position
and known traffic jams
Required technologies
GPS, mobile data communication (GPRS,
UMTS)
Environment
Customer: car owners driving during rush
hours
Suppliers & partners: Providers of traffic jam
information, mobile operators
Competitors: Route planning providers
Competencies
Existing: Use available maps for rerouting
New: Build software for in cars, provide realtime information
Value creator
Customer: Substantial time saving,
Provider: Selling the maps, perhaps a fee per
re-route
Execution
Easy: Maps are available
Difficult: Initial investment in GPS device per
customer, updating maps in the car
© Jaap Gordijn 2017, adapted by Sietse Overbeek
7. A teaching assistant will select one of your highly ranked ideas for further exploration during the
next assignments.
© Jaap Gordijn 2017, adapted by Sietse Overbeek
E-Business: Grading criteria for Assignment A
Below you can see textual equivalents for numerical grades:
Excellent (10)
Very good (9)
Good (8)
More than sufficient (7)
Sufficient (6)
Mediocre (5)
Unsatisfactory (4)
Very unsatisfactory (3)
Poor (2)
Very poor (1)
Technology form (score from 1 to 10):
- Is the selected technology an innovative technology, which according to you, can be used to build
interesting business models upon for strengthening e-commerce readiness in developing countries?
- Is the company description clear?
- Is the technology with which the proposed company can potentially make business clearly
summarized?
- Are competing technologies to build similar businesses clearly stated?
- Is it clearly stated why and to what extent the technology is really unique (unique selling points)?
- Are other technologies which can be thought of to complement the selected technology clearly
stated?
- Is it clearly stated what other technologies are needed to use the selected technology?
- Is it clearly stated to what extent the selected technology is sufficiently mature (ready to market)?
- Is the form complete?
Portfolio matrix (score from 1 to 10):
- Are the presented business ideas clear?
- Does the positioning of the business ideas make sense?
Idea prioritization matrix (score from 1 to 10):
- Is it briefly explained why the ideas in the upper-right quadrant of the matrix are positioned there?
I.e., is it explained why these ideas have a high priority?
- Does the positioning of the business ideas make sense?
Idea summary matrix (score from 1 to 10):
- Are the two to three most promising ideas correctly summarized based on the idea summary
matrix?
- Is the matrix completely filled out?