Successfully eEnabled SME’s – What Have They Got in Common?

This paper investigates factors that contribute to the successful use of e-commerce by SMEs. Three main sets of factors are investigated – organizational characteristics, management issues and implementation issues. The research investigates these factors within successful e-commerce organizations- all of the 25 companies used in this research have been recognized publicly as successful implementers of e-commerce. The method of research used was in-depth personal interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. The research reveals that the organizational factors that contribute to success include previous organizational IT expertise, previous experience with logistics and the suitability of the product for sale on the web. The management factors that have a positive influence on success include the existence of a champion, having an e-commerce strategy, and integrating the web presence into the existing business. The implementation issues Successfully eEnabled SME’s – What Have They Got in Common? 553 that contribute to success include planning the web presence, usability of the web site, the existence of security features on the web site, outsourcing elements of the e-commerce project and marketing the web site. 1