Design and Implementation of Online Electronic Database Driven Marketplace
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The aim of this study is to design and implement a database driven online virtual marketplace with a particular reference to Gboko main market. The web based program developed in this research essentially provides all the necessary marketing services and operations done at Gboko main market which will help increase their operations based on sales and services.
These operations include general sales and marketing management.
In this study therefore, the researchers hope to accomplish the following objective:
- To design a better pricing mechanism in the market
- To solve the problem of geographical location
- To maximize sales
- To help improve customer relationship
- Reduces pressures mounted on sellers
- Increases management of stock items
- Easy shopping
- Introduces bidding system
- Accommodates more marketers
- To improve quality delivery system
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
THE VIRTUAL MARKET
Electronic commerce is about doing business electronically. It is based on the electronic processing and transmission of data, including text, sound and video. It encompasses many diverse activities including electronic trading of goods and services, online delivery of digital content, electronic fund transfers, electronic share trading, electronic bills of lading, commercial auctions, collaborative design and engineering, on-line sourcing, public procurement, direct consumer marketing, and after-sales service. It involves (e.g. consumer goods, specialized medical equipment) and services (e.g. information services, financial and legal services); traditional activities (e.g. healthcare, education) and new activities (e.g. virtual malls).” (Lincoln, 1997)
Every one of the definitions is quite expansive, including not only the actual commercial transaction between buyer and seller but also the upstream and downstream activities that made that transaction possible. The need for such an expansive definition is a reflection of the embryonic state of electronic commerce today, where it is difficult to quantify the contribution of electronic commerce totally separated from the traditional activities. Most analysts include only transactions actually carried out on the Internet; but many consumers research their purchases online and then buy in some other way.
As a result of different definitions of electronic commerce, the forecasts presented by various analysts are very widely spread. “Only 3% of business-to-business Web sites is designed for direct sales, rather than for marketing and customer service, says (Benjamin, 1997). Even for consumer businesses, only 9% of sites offer online transactions.” Another survey carried out by (Nielsen, 1997) found that “whereas 53% of Internet users in the United States and Canada had used the Internet to reach a decision on a purchase, just 15% carried out the final transaction on the Internet”
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND SYSTEM ANALYSIS
Methodology
A research methodology is a systematic programming approach of well defined procedure that should be followed in carrying out a thorough research project or defined as the analysis of the principles of methods, rules and postulates employed by a discipline. An adequately suitable methodology would ensure a very detailed research work and ensure that a higher degree of accuracy and efficiency is adopted. The research methodology used helps to ensure that a thorough study of the present system is effectively carried out, thus helping the project research team to completely understand the modus operandi of the present existing system so as to know how the new system should be structured and the functionalities needed in it to address the seemingly, existing problems discovered. This helps to know if there should b e a total over hailing of the existing system or if only improvements should be made. Hence, after duly considering the above reasons, out of the whole software engineering standard for transforming ideas into a inference Engine which includes prototyping, experts system methodology and usability Engineering methodology, this work will exploit the step of structured system analysis and design methodology (SSDM). SSDM is a methodology used in the analysis of design stages of system development. The step includes:
- Problem identification
- System design
- System implementation and maintenance.
CHAPTER FOUR
SYSTEM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
Overview of the System Design
Systems design is simply concerned with how to provide an efficient (economical) and effective (relevant and useful) system. It is an integral part of software development which embarked after a detail analysis of the system has been done, and the project feasibility study undertaken. The purpose of the design is to meet the user’s specification of the system software, determine flexible system alternative that will achieve the recommended result and make optimum use of the hardware, software and other processing resources that may be used in implementing the solution for there to be good system design, top-down development was used so as to achieve a structure programming that is directed in developing programmed in orderly way, decomposing the requirement into well specified high level model. The design will be done in modules and then interfaced to a secured site for online marketplace using E-transact facilities. An architectural design is first made to break the system into modules and then a detailed design of all the modules carried out as well as the system development methodology used in this work for developing computer-based information system is popular traditional method called structural analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
As business activities increasingly adopt information technology into their operations, it has become important for them to move their operations and services to a new paradigm by wholly embracing the use of (electronic commerce e-commerce) for handling and processing their transactions. The benefits of such move is substantial and significant in terms of convenience, transaction speed, effectiveness, flexibility, reliability, cost reduction, security among a host of others. Also, since virtual world operations where e-commerce falls are in a continuum, it provides unlimited opportunity for business interaction and helps create instant response by satisfying the unlimited demand of customers for information and services. The deployment of e-commerce solutions to business organizations makes the services offered by staffs very effective and enables customers obtain information in a conducive atmosphere without hustle and bustle.
Conclusion
In Nigeria, electronic commerce (e-commerce) which is a part of information technology is just being embraced and not yet fully utilized. Most business organizations or set-ups of the art equipments need to send their work force on training in order to sati factoring utilize the solutions equipments they have.
Today, however, with the continuing technology breakthrough, coupled with the decline in the longer confers any special advantage any more. What distinguishes a leading business organization from a lagging one is the way and speed with which technology is applied to deliver superior customer services and until e-commerce becomes a natural business partner serving as a twin deliver of value and satisfaction to customers, a business organization will not be able to derive optimum benefits from it. Business organizations need to employ a lot of creativity, right complements of strategies and business processes, people and technology in a sufficiently elastic manner in order to increase profitability and reduce cost while pursuing real growth and this is what e-commerce has come to offer but because many business organization in Nigeria fails short of utilizing his dynamic tool of e-commerce their avenues for profitability and service delivery is underutilized.
Recommendations
Electronic commerce lets people goods and exchange information on business transaction online. The most popular e-commerce channel is the internet, although the internet’s role as business channel is fairly re cent phenomenon, its impact, financial are otherwise has been substantially greater than that of business channel in existence for several decades. The challenges therefore, is for Nigeria business environment is embrace the business to consumer (B2C) business model where payee can make use of electronic means of communication to sell products or services to consumers, typically using credit cards. This will usher in the use of credit card based purchased in the business scene.
The question is how many Nigerian organizations or individuals have access to internet? The percentage must be low; this could be pragmatic approach to minimize our cash based payment system. Government must create the enabling environment to support e-commerce so that organizations or individuals can afford to have access to the internet. We hope that as Nigeria moves from Government to private driven economy, we shall experience a dramatic change in terms of the provision and access to internet.
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