Papers & Presentations
E-Commerce for Non-government Organisations: A How To Guide
Michelle Scott, Acting Director, Community Access, National Office for the Information Economy
E-commerce is a buzzword of the nineties. E-commerce is being touted as being the means by which businesses can increase efficiency, provide better service and improve profits. And - when implemented effectively - it can do all those things.
But the internet does not have to be just about commerce. The key tools of e-commerce, namely networked information technology, can also be effectively applied to the non-profit sector. In doing so, both small and large organisations can - like business - increase efficiency, provide better service and optimise outcomes for their members or clients. And the majority of non-profit organisations are well placed to assist their clients and members to achieve similar personal benefits by assisting them to use networked IT.
It is crucial to remember, though, that the internet is simply a tool. As part of a well thought out and effectively implemented strategy, networked IT can help your organisation to do its core business better, to the benefit of all concerned.
Biography
Michelle has, from a Commonwealth perspective, worked to provide communities and community groups with access to the internet since 1994. Her current role involves targeting the community sector, and that sector's clients, to increase uptake of online services. Michelle currently leads the Community Access and Opportunity Section within the National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE). NOIE is, in turn, part of the Commonwealth Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. She previously worked for the Networking the Nation regional telecommunications funding program, and for the then Department of Social Security's Community Information Network action research project.