# E-Marketplace State of the Art and Trends: VR-ZOCO--An Architectural Proposal for the Future
## 2 Electronic Marketplaces
### Current State of E-Marketplace Development
#### 2.2.2 EM Back-End Functionalities
* Site settings allow the administrator to configure key aspects of the site, such as payment options, returns policy, terms and conditions, tax settings, and security settings. * Product catalogue management allows the administrator to manage the type of products sold on the portal, add new categories, subcategories and products, and edit or delete existing products. * Catalogue relationship management allows the administrator to define the relationships between different types of products in the catalogue to enable cross-selling or up-selling. * Payment management and payment methods allows the administrator to manage payments and configure the payment methods available on the gateway. This includes integrating with payment gateways, monitoring transactions, and configuring security options. It ensures a smooth and secure shopping experience for users. * User and store management allows the administrator to manage customers and shops within the portal. This includes creating accounts and managing the information associated with them. This functionality ensures complete control over customer and store accounts in the portal, facilitating efficient management and growth of the online business. * Analytics and reporting provide analysis and reporting tools for the administrator to obtain information on the performance of the portal, including data on sales, inventory, user traffic, and conversions. * Shipping management provides tools for managing shipping logistics, including configuring shipping options, integrating with transport services, managing shipping labels, and tracking shipped packages. * Transaction incident management allows the administrator to manage incidents that may occur during transactions, such as payment problems, order errors, customer complaints, or disputes between buyers and sellers. * Communication between sellers, buyers, and administrator provides integrated communication tools that enable sellers, buyers, and administrators to interact effectively. This includes features such as internal messaging, live chat, support ticket systems, and contact forms that facilitate the resolution of queries, questions, or problems related to products, orders, shipments, or other transactional issues. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a key role in e-commerce portals as it drives the primary goal of increasing sales. Using advanced algorithms and data analytics, AI enhances the user experience through personalized product recommendations, tailored marketing campaigns, and dynamic pricing strategies. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants provide instant customer support, answering questions and resolving issues quickly, improving customer satisfaction and retention. In addition, AI assists with inventory management by predicting demand trends and optimizing stock levels to ensure that popular products are always available. For sellers, AI provides insights into consumer behavior, suggesting improvements to product descriptions, image quality, and promotional strategies, ultimately making their listings more attractive and effective. Through these diverse applications, AI not only streamlines operations but also significantly increases the efficiency and effectiveness of e-commerce platforms in achieving their sales goals.