Gary Maller. This Digital Life.
Reprinted from The Range News

More than 71% of Australia's tourism operators have a website and while the sector is an early adopter of the internet, it remains to be seen whether small operators remain competitive as savvy innovators implement systems to win a greater share of Australia's total e-commerce market - forecast 30% of GDP by 2010, up from 8% this year.

Websites deliver enquiries online, but although many operators have sites, in most cases these are not integrated into core processes, so at the back-end the business is reliant on manual processes such as fax, telephone, and hand written forms. More costly than automated processing, manual processes also soak up resources which should be directed at optimizing guest experience at a globally competitive price.

Modern e-business processing provides database driven websites, and also allows internal processes to be managed through the site as well. Sometimes called "enterprise portals" these platforms allow most aspects of the business to be managed from one spot.  At the front-end applications provide a dynamically managed website, while the back-end, which staff and management can access with suitable permissions, the platform provides key business functions and the ability use these with others in real time.  Functions can be set up to improve or automate just about any process you need including HR, event, marketing, customer database, document, procedures, supplier, and bookings management.

Dynamic websites also create a richer visitor and guest experience. Owners can easily update their sites on a daily basis to feature seasonal events or offers, while guests can record their experiences, provide testimonials, join an online brand community, and book and pay online. Previously only affordable to businesses with deep pockets, recent developments now bring "enterprise portals" within the reach of any small business.    For more information about e-business practice contact Gary on 54296888 or email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it