The e-commerce industry has shown robust growth and is projected to reach a healthy USD 10 Billion mark by 2015. E-tailing which is the B2C side of e-commerce, involving the direct customers, is expected to touch USD 2 Billion. At an individual company level in the e-commerce segment, the growth rate in many cases touches the 3 digit range.
The e-commerce cycle includes, creating a web presence and attracting customers and engaging them through the full cycle; delivering the product and services; and collection of money. Each of these requires special knowledge and experience. Digital Marketing, Communication, Website design, software development, e-commerce infrastructure, digital payment systems, warehousing /supply chain and logistics, customer relationship and engagement, analytics/Big data Management, legal are some of the roles involved in e-commerce.
It’s not only important to have in-depth knowledge on the above topics, but also to have a broad understanding about the dynamics of the e-commerce industry as a whole. Someone with experience in warehousing or retail for example, will soon realise that warehousing in the context of e-commerce works very differently – the same applies to marketing, commercial, IT and the other functions. While the industry has a growing need for talent with ready skills in the above areas, most undergraduate and post graduate programmes do not cater to these skill sets.
Therefore, some of the programmes offered by industry bodies such as the Internet and Marketing association of India and similar organisations are in great demand among the job seekers as well as the employers.
What makes the e-commerce sector interesting is the constantly evolving technology, business models and new forms of collaborations within and across industry. Innovation and spirit of entrepreneurship fuels this digital economy. High penetration of mobile, evolution of 4G and smart phones will further transform e-commerce into the world of m-commerce, adding yet another dimension to the already volatile field.
To succeed in e-commerce one therefore needs to have a strong foundation in business domain, business acumen, entrepreneurial spirit, personal leadership, team working, creativity/innovativeness, adaptability, good understanding of internet and related technologies and deep understanding and the ability to continuously track the ever changing nature of e-commerce.
It is therefore quite apparent that irrespective of the academic background and experience, in order to succeed one must successfully go through formal course or certification programmes covering all aspects of e-commerce.
(The writer is Dean-IT/Innovation and Business Design, WeSchool)
