Electronic Commerce (Programming) Syllabus - BCIS (PU)

Course Description:

The increased commercial use of Information and Communication Technologies by individuals, business, and government makes it essential for students to understand the fundamental concept of electronic commerce (E-Commerce). There is a radical change in all kinds of organizations and the way they do business. Consumers have rapid access to better information increasing pricing and service pressure on competing firms. Workers are more production, further helping organizations to keep prices low.

The course would cover distinct areas including E-Commerce business models and concepts, E-Commerce infrastructure, building E-Commerce website, e-security and payment systems, marketing concepts and communications, ethical, social and political E-Commerce issues, online retailing, services, content and media, social networks, B2B E-Commerce.

Course Objectives:

The objectives of the course are to introduce the concept of electronic commerce, and to understand how electronic commerce is affecting business enterprises, governments, consumers and people in general.

The course would help students

• To acquaint students with the understanding of the content and framework of E-Commerce, architecture, and major E-Commerce activities and mechanism.
• Understand marketplaces and list of their components.
• Understand the fundamentals of social commerce, its drivers and landscape.
• Understand the factors that affect customer behavior online in E-Commerce systems
• Understand the foundation of digital marketing.
• Understand the legal, social, and ethical issues in E-Commerce.
• Understand the players and their roles in E-Commerce payment systems.
• Understand the fundamentals of mobile commerce infrastructure that supports mobile commerce.

Course Outcomes:

At the end of course, students is expected to

• Explain the components, categories and role of E-Commerce environment.
• Explain different E-Commerce business models and their impact on businesses.
• Discuss the evolution of web 2.0 and its commercialization
• Explain different technologies related to E-Commerce platform and explain client server platform
• Describe E-Commerce payment systems.
• Explain different kind of security risks and their mitigations.
• Describe the approach of digital marketing, digital marketing techniques.
• Describe different legal, ethical, political issues related to E-Commerce.
• Explain different real world cases of E-Commerce implementation

Course Contents:

Unit-1: Overview of Electronic Commerce                                                3 hours

E-Business vs. E-Commerce; Growth of Internet and Web;   E-Commerce and its various categories; unique features of e-commerce technologies; Web 2.0; origins and growth of E-Commerce

Unit-2: E-Commerce Business Models and Concepts                               3 hours

Key elements of business models; B2B business models; B2C business models; C2C and P2P business models; M-commerce business models; Internet and its impact on business strategy, structure and process.

Unit-3: E-Commerce Technology Infrastructure                                      4 hours

Internet technology; Internet Today and Future infrastructure; The world wide web; Features of Internet and Web; Web 2.0 features and services

Unit-4: Building E-Commerce Systems                                                      4 hours

Planning, analysis, design, building and implementing E-Commerce systems; E-Commerce software –web server, application server, merchant software components; Concept of self service web store; Tools for managing E-Commerce systems, CGI, ASP, JSP, Ajax, JavaScript

Unit-5: E-Commerce Security and Fraud Protection                               4 hours

Scope of security in E-Commerce systems; security threats in E-Commerce environment; Technology solutions for implementing security in E-Commerce systems; management policies, business procedures and laws supporting security in E-Commerce systems; electronic transaction act (Nepal)

Unit-6: Payment Systems in E-Commerce systems                                   4 hours

Concept of electronic fund transfer (EFT); online credit card, online wallet, stored value account, digital checking payment system; electronic bill presentment and payment; mobile technology for E-Commerce payment; cases on payment system in Nepal

Unit-7: E-Commerce and Digital marketing                                             4 hours

Internet audience and consumer behavior; Internet marketing technologies and techniques; B2B and B2C marketing strategies using E-Commerce technologies; marketing communications; challenges with digital marketing strategies; SEO, affiliate site marketing, social media marketing, push/pull digital marketing

Unit-8: B2B E-Commerce and supply chain management                       6 hours

Procurement process and supply chain management; supply chain management systems; Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), XML and XBRLfor B2B exchanges; net market places; private industrial networks;

Unit-9: Ethical, Social, Political and Legal Issues with E-Commerce     4 hours

Basic ethical concepts related to E-Commerce; Privacy and information rights; Intellectual property rights; governance

Project Activity:

Students would take up an individual/group project to study the E-Commerce system related to one of the area that includes online content, online publishing; online entertainment; social networks and online communities; online auctions; online advertisement, B2B exchanges; e-government etc. The project activity would relate the theoretical aspects of this course with the practical implementation in the above mentioned project areas.

Text Books:                                                                                                           

• Laudon, Kenneth C., and Carol Guercio Traver, E-Commerce: Business, Technology, Society, 5^th Edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall

Reference Books:

• Efraim Turban, David King, Judy Lang, Linda (CON) Lai, Judy (CON) McKay, Introduction to Electronic Commerce, 2nd edition Prentice Hall, 2008
• Nicholas D. Evans, Business Innovation and Disruptive Technology: Harnessing the Power of Breakthrough Technology for Competitive Advantage, 1/E, Prentice Hall