SMEs still holding back on e-commerce

An online survey of 100 Midlands-based manufacturing SMEs indicates that these companies may be missing out on the benefits of trading over the web. Only 2% of those surveyed actually had web sites designed to generate a commercial return. The survey, conducted in March this year by West Bromwich-based enterprise (ERP) software supplier JBS Computer Services, also revealed that 52% of firms didn’t have a website at all and 36% had ‘brochureware’ sites (ie sites that simply use static product catalogue pages with no integration to back-office systems). “Very often the decisions regarding the back-office systems [ERP] within a company are made separately from those involving the Internet,” said Colin Boag, MD of JBS. “It’s only if these two parts are integrated completely that the real business benefits start to be achieved.” He continued: “If a company’s core systems aren’t up to scratch then the best website in the world won’t deliver benefit… Companies should begin with a carefully documented e-commerce strategy so that even if the first step is an information-based website, migration to integrated e-commerce can be undertaken without losing the value of their Internet or ERP investments to date.”