EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ImagePrint is a family owned and operated printing company established in 1988 to provide printing and related services for all sizes and types of businesses in Singapore.  The business also offers online printing and multimedia services such as graphic design and plotting.  ImagePrint has 5 branches and offices Island wide and employs 33 full time employees.

Managing Director Dave Tan realized that e-commerce was vital in ImagePrint's drive towards a position of market leadership.  The inherent marketing opportunities of the Internet and client demand for e-commerce convinced Dave that online business processes were the way of the future.  He aimed to take advantage of business opportunities arising from customer demand for e-commerce as it was quickly developing as a prerequisite to winning tenders.  Dave also required a more convenient method for file and data exchange between branches/offices and with customers.  He believed that e-commerce would provide customers with the option of emailing their job requests in various file formats instead of post or courier.  It would also enable different ImagePrint branches and offices to exchange jobs and access resources electronically, simplifying administrative processes.

ImagePrint decided to move its entire operation online with an automated electronic system based on the Internet.  The main goal of the system was to create an online value chain with clients and suppliers.  The Company enlisted the services of an IT consultant to help develop the electronic value chain.

ImagePrint was careful to develop their e-commerce initiative incrementally.  The staged process would ensure the implementation was both suc ...