One full-time employee provides IT support for the network and applications, with other IT support provided by consultant services. Divegear has a web site with information about its products, but no e-commerce capabilities. This site is maintained by a service company that updates it as needed with product information changes for an hourly fee. Divegear s dealer orders are received via FAX or phone, either directly or through regional sales representatives. Orders are then entered manually into the billing and accounts receivable system.
Inventory is tracked through a separate system.
Eventually they want their dealers to submit merchandise returns and check account status online. The driving force is not only customer satisfaction and lower cost, but the fact that one of Divegear s closest competitors recently implemented an e-commerce solution which is being used by the same dealers. Additionally, the company s culture and potential resistance to e-commerce by the sales force must be addressed. Because of these requirements, we recommend a hosted e-commerce solution. A hosted solution can allow Divegear to leave problems such as ongoing hardware maintenace, software maintenance, and security to the host.