Microsoft .NET 2.0 Showcase Business Scenario.
The ‘Online Website Book Buddy System’
www.OnlineBookBuddy.ie or www.OnlineBookBudd.ie
Book Suppliers Debit / Credit Card
Book Suppliers Book Suppliers Book Suppliers Courier
Global Online Authorisation
Small Medium Large Companies Companies
Book Suppliers
SOAP / XML Webservices Connectivity 24x7
The Online Book
Buddy Website
Customers
The online website is dedicated to helping their online customers select the right
book and get them delivered at competitive prices, with easy tracking services:-
They don’t carry any stock? (Someone else does!)
They don’t have a warehouse? (Someone else does!)
They don’t even deliver? (Someone else does!)
So what do they do?
They save their customers money
They make their partners money
They even make a small profit margin for themselves!
They simply are ‘the nice guys’ helping the customer whilst integrating with
existing (and competing businesses) in based central Dublin city.
o and their customers love them!
Specialist Books like Specialist Computer Book can cost on average €50 to €60 each.
This Commodity is very unique because no matter which Book Supplier you
purchase it from if you purchase a book based on its ISBN Number then 99.9% of
the time it’s the same item, no matter how many levels of Middle Services
Companies have got involved in the process.
Also any given book in Dublin there may be a total of 30 copies sat in 9 different
book suppliers at 9 different prices, this covers small through to large book
suppliers and additionally there may be an average of 2 alternative Global Online
Book Suppliers which each may carry an additional 3 copies each in stock.
www.OnlineBookBuddy.ie has collected the World Wide list of ISBN listed books
into their local database system.
They have researched all the available Book Suppliers and offered to Partner with
them in their Online Business Venture which was very successful in New York
(sorry I made this up - it could be true?)
The majority of Book Suppliers already have online computer systems at each store
location and have agreed (if they are not already internet enabled) the Business
Risk/Cost of €300 for a single year Broadband connectivity to the internet.
Furthermore the Book Suppliers more they have agreed to make necessary changes
to their existing computer systems by making them ‘XML Webservice Enabled’ by
requesting:-
Existing online computer system suppliers to XML Webservice enable them
Or use internal staff or temporarily consultants to XML Webservice Enable
existing internal systems
They have researched the local couriers (Cycle, Motorbike etc) and found 5 different
‘Delivery Partners’ who have existing systems that already have internet
connectivity and can easily have their systems XML Webservice Enabled
The basic model is that the Book Buddy Website gets discounts on books from its
partners and that when an order is placed, instructions are sent to the Book Suppliers
to package up the item and either :-
Post ‘same-day’
Or await pickup from an appointed delivery company
From the Customer point of view:-
They simply get the required items in the post by the selected delivery
preference
They can easily pay online using Credit / Debit card
They can ‘most’ times get the items delivered cheaper than they can walk into
the a traditional book store
They can subscribe to newsletters and new release information
From the Online Book Buddy Website point of view:-
They provide a complete Book Store without the start-up overhead costs
They have the ability to switch the Debit / Credit Card Authorisation
Companies to minimise costs
They have the ability to switch the Courier Companies to minimise costs
They have the ability to introduce more partners to their solution
From the Book Supplier (Small / Medium / Large) point of view:-
They simple make more sales
They like the simplicity of getting the electronic requests
They minimise ‘in-stock’ enquiries via the telephone
From the Global Online Book Suppliers point of view:-
They have the ability to make sales to their competitors whilst still making a
profit
From the Courier Company point of view:-
Via XML Webservices they get given assignments
They like the simplicity of getting the electronic requests
They have the edge over non-online Courier Companies
From the Debit / Credit card Authorisation Companies point of view:-
They simple provide their services at their ‘Service’ costs
They are more in competition (although we all know these companies make
enough money already!!!)