The e-comm team in action - successful lessons from the field

In my last newsletter, I related tips that Rich Giltner, network analyst at a large fulfillment house, had for building an e-commerce team. Well, now let's talk about what that team is going to do and how it should function.

Have goals. Giltner says the team should have short-term and long-term goals. A short-term goal could be as simple as adding a new product to the online ordering process, whereas a long-term goal might be to adopt a strategy for bringing all outsourcers online. In order for a team to measure its success or keep on track, it has to have an end point in mind. So make sure you know what the end of the project is. If there are parts that extend past that end, then create another goal -- don't keep extending the original one.

Design a roadmap. For each goal, create a path of things to do along the way. Dave Liederbach, director of marketing for e-commerce at IBM, says this is where your cross-departmental team that you created comes in. Don't create your roadmap in a vacuum. Consult each member of the team about what steps the group needs to accomplish. If the goal is to add a product to the online catalog, then your roadmap should include such steps as understanding the product's order fulfillment process and getting the graphics department to create a virtual image for the product. Each step should be clearly marked on a timeline with an end date stated. Make sure that all team members have a copy of the roadmap, as well as any changes that are made to it along the way.

Develop benchmarks. The project manager should keep track of the group's progress by establishing benchmarks, Liederbach says. For instance, if a product has to be online within a few weeks, then at the end of the first week, the team leader should see whether the graphics group has all the data it needs to create the virtual image. If the goal is to bring outsourcers online, then a benchmark could be for the project manager to meet with them to discuss how the system will work. If the benchmarks aren't met, it's up to the project manager to readjust the timeline. You'll also need to develop benchmarks after the project goes live, Liederbach says. These will determine the project's continued success.

Pilots, pilots, pilots. No one can ever overstate the importance of pilot-testing your e-commerce projects, according to Marty Keller, manager of networks engineering at Logicon, the IT division of Northrop Grumman. Just as you would never send a product straight to the shelves without massive testing, don't let a project go live before you've tested every possible aspect of it. Again, if you're adding a product to your online catalog, make sure that the order system works -- from the time the customer chooses that product online to the time it arrives at the customer's doorstep. You should even test the order-return process as well. Let nothing go unclicked. If you're testing a longer-term goal, such as bringing your outsourcers online, make sure that each one tests their connection to your system separately. Try sending dummy files back and forth and simulate what would happen in a system meltdown. Never assume your system is bulletproof.

Evaluation time. After your goal has seen the light of day, make sure you take time out to conduct an evaluation of how the process went. Look back at your roadmap and see where the team got hung up. Liederbach says here's where your next set of benchmarks comes in. Try and figure out ways to iron out those wrinkles.

Giltner says to take what you learned and create cookie-cutter manuals for the next time you have a similar goal, such as bringing another product online or adding an outsourcer to your system. The more organized you are the first time around, the easier it will be the next.

Now we're done micromanaging. In the next newsletter we'll take a look at the importance of having an e-commerce czar to oversee all your e-commerce efforts.

Sandra Gittlen is managing editor of Network World Fusion. Previously, she was senior reporter covering Internet research and standards. She can be reached at sgittlen@nww.com.

Check out Network World Fusion's e-commerce resources

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Archive of Network World on E-Commerce in the Enterprise newsletters