bay gh(e commerce)

i

REGENT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Managing E-Business Assignment

Group Members

NAME OF STUDENT INDEX NUMBER

David Offei Obuobi 2850208

Vida Mensah 2840208

3/2/2012

A formal Report on two E-Commerce/e-business in a company in Ghana that are

into e-business, either internet-based or non-internet-based e-business

Managing E-Business

A review of Baygh.com and elifegh.com sites 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NAME OF STUDENT ............................................................................................................... i

INDEX NUMBER ...................................................................................................................... i

David Offei Obuobi .................................................................................................................... i

2850208....................................................................................................................................... i

Vida Mensah ............................................................................................................................... i

2840208....................................................................................................................................... i

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1

Baygh (Web Market Place) C2C E-Commerce Model .............................................................. 1

Brief of the Business .............................................................................................................. 1

Contact Information ............................................................................................................... 2

What form of E-Business Are they Operating: ...................................................................... 2

What the nature of Product or Service provided by the site................................................... 3

Description of Business Process. ........................................................................................... 4

Seller on the Platform, ........................................................................................................ 5

Buyer on the Platform......................................................................................................... 6

Description of how deliveries of Service are achieved. ......................................................... 6

Challenges and Recommendations......................................................................................... 7

Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 7

Elifegh.Com (B2B2C2) M-Commerce Model .......................................................................... 7

Technologies and Networks Adopted .................................................................................... 9

Main Technologies Adopted by Elifeghana ......................................................................... 10

SMS .................................................................................................................................. 10

Third party merchant websites (WEB) ............................................................................. 10

Mobile Web Browser (WAP) ........................................................................................... 10

Managing E-Business


POS Machines / Terminals : ............................................................................................. 12

SMS Vending: .................................................................................................................. 12

Bank ATMs: ..................................................................................................................... 12

Some Problems Associated with their Services and Recommendations.............................. 13

References ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 14

1

Introduction

Having surveyed the Ghana we came across these e-business initiative that really impressed

us; the bayGH Web Marketplace, also referred to as “bayGH” is the identified e-commerce

market place I will used for this assignment. They operate the site http://www.baygh.com and

online and offline payments solutions provider called eTranzact who operates the site

http://www.etranzact.com.

We have critically review the two companies with concentration on their

background

The companies – brief history, products/service produced, location,

Give the company (ies) website, show a picture of the site.

Defined the e-business activity identified.

Described how the e-business activity that takes place on the website works

If the e-business activity does not take place on the internet, then describe how it takes

place on the company’s private networks

Baygh (Web Market Place) C2C E-Commerce Model

BayGH Web Marketplace is a service provided by BayGH is an online business marketplace

offering a web market platform for individual/business sellers and buyers in Ghana and

Africa to sell and trade products and services.

Baygh web market was created to help boost buying and selling in the various communities

of the African Continent. They aim to dominate many African countries to offer such vast

creative ideas which will bring sellers and buyers together.

BayGH gives you the opportunity to buy and sell your products/services and unwanted

personal items online for free, which means your business/products and items are seen all

over the African continent and the world. (Icy Network Systems, 2012).

Brief of the Business

- A seller lists an item on bayGH web marketplace. The seller gives the description and price

of the item.

http://www.baygh.com/

http://www.etranzact.com/

Managing E-Business


- If a buyer wishes to purchase the item, he/she logs in to bayGH and finds the seller's phone

number. The buyer will then communicate with the seller, meet at a safe place where the

buyer can make payment for the item and collect their item.

- Due to security reasons, bayGH strongly recommends that both seller and buyer meet in

public places where payment and collection of items could be made safely.

Buyers and Sellers are also advised to leave FEEDBACK comment for each other after a

successful transaction.

Receiving feedbacks on bayGH for every successful transaction you make will convince

other people that you are genuine, hence they will enjoy buying from you or selling to you.-

The webpage of the Baygh.com:Home

Contact Information

Icy Network System (Registered in Ghana. Reg Number: BN-69,786D)

PMB, Accra,

Ghana

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: (+233)-24-318-0071

What form of E-Business Are they Operating:

The type of E-commerce they are operating in this case is the consumer to consumer form of

E-commerce.

Managing E-Business


Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) (or citizen-to-citizen) electronic commerce involves the

electronically enabled transactions between consumers through some third party. A common

example is the online auction, in which a consumer posts an item for sale and other

consumers bid to purchase it; the third party generally charges a flat fee or commission. The

sites are only intermediaries, just there to match consumers. They do not have to check

quality of the products being offered (Wikipedia.com, 2012).

Consumer to Consumer or C2C deals with goods or services among people. The beginning of

the new economy has helped to generate a very individualistic and independent society.

Consumers today no longer rely completely on corporations. They are increasingly looking to

conduct their own business transactions through Consumer to Consumer e-commerce.

The propagation of Consumer to Consumer business model is evident from the research on

small businesses, which has doubled in the last decades. With increasing transactions

between and amongst consumers, it has redefined the traditional structure of business. Small

firms and individuals are getting the same opportunity as multi-national corporations. One

will come across many individuals establishing online organizations that encourages and

promotes Consumer to Consumer type of e-commerce.

The most famed and flourishing example of Consumer to Consumer business model is Ebay,

that helps facilitates the trade of privately owned items between individuals. Anyone can

trade practically anything at Ebay. Founded in 1995 by Pierre Omidyar, the company has

continued to develop both in size and popularity. Today, it is considered to be the most

successful Consumer to Consumer e-businesses ever.

Some other good examples of Consumer to Consumer e-commerce applications are

Monster.com, Seek.com.au and CareerOne.com which mainly focus on services. They offer

valuable service to consumers looking for jobs. Employers advertise on these websites and

the potential job seekers get in touch with their organization for an interview.

What the nature of Product or Service provided by the site

Automobiles & Bikes, Books, Comics & Magazines, Building Materials, Business Industrial,

Clothing & Accessories, Coins & Currencies, Computers & Networking, Cosmetics, Beauty

Products, Electronics, Furniture, Gaming, Health & Pharmacy, Jewellery & Watches, Music,

Phones & Mobiles are some of the products they allow consumers to list.

These form of products they provide makes them operates a partial E-commerce system also

Managing E-Business


known as Click and Mortar E-Business.

Description of Business Process.

BayGH provides an online business marketplace offering a web market platform for

individual/business sellers and buyers in Ghana and Africa to sell and trade products and

services.

Baygh web market was created to help boost buying and selling in the various communities

of the African Continent especially Ghana. They bring sellers and buyers together.

BayGH gives you the opportunity to buy and sell your products/services and unwanted

personal items online for free, which means your business/products and items are seen all

over the African continent and the world. The site adapts E-Auctions

An auction is a competitive process in which either a seller solicits consecutive bids from

buyers or a buyer solicits bids from sellers. The primary characteristic of auctions, whether

offline or online, is that prices are determined dynamically by competitive bidding. Auctions

have been an established method of commerce for generations, and they are well-suited to

deal with products and services for which conventional marketing channels are ineffective or

inefficient. Electronic auctions generally increase revenues for sellers by broadening the

customer base and shortening the cycle time of the auction. Buyers generally benefit from e-

auctions by the opportunity to bargain for lower prices and the convenience of not having to

travel to an auction siteto “attend” the auction.

The Internet provides an efficient infrastructure for executing auctions at lower

administrative cost and with many more involved sellers and buyers (see Kambil and van

Heck, 2002). Individual consumers and corporations alike can participate in this rapidly

growing form of e-commerce. There are several types of electronic auctions, each with its

motives and procedures. Auctions are divided here into two major types: forward auctions

and reverse auctions.

FORWARD AUCTIONS. Forward auctions are auctions that sellers use as a selling channel

to many potential buyers. Usually, items are placed at a special site for auction, and buyers

will bid continuously for the items. The highest bidder wins the items. Sellers and buyers can

be individuals or businesses. The popular auction site eBay.com is conducting mostly

forward auctions.

One is to liquidate existing inventory, the other one is to increase marketing efficiency.

Managing E-Business


Customers in the first type seek the lowest price on widely available

Electronic Auctions (E-Auctions) goods or services; customers in the second type seek access

to unique products or services. Online File W4.3 graphically demonstrates these two types of

for-ward auctions.

REVERSE AUCTIONS. In reverse auctions, there is one buyer, usually an organization,

which wants to buy a product or a service. Suppliers are invited to submit bids. Online

bidding is much faster than conventional bidding, and it usually attracts many more bidders.

The reverse auction is the most common auction model for large purchases (in terms of either

quantities or price). Every-thing else being equal, the lowest-price bidder wins the auction.

Governments and large corporations frequently mandate this approach, which may provide

considerable savings.

Seller on the Platform,

For a seller, first a user has create a user account that is if he is not a user already on their

website, this gives the user a chance for the user to either list a product or create an electronic

store which he/she can displays whatever he all she is selling online.

The e-store is a personalized page on the website which allows a user on the website to

display his personal items or operate his own store via the website. This allows users who

visit the website to view sites of other users as if it’s their own website to sell their own

products.

The site after creating a username allows you to also list your own product and services for

sales. The site also gives the chance for a consumer to either auction the product or put on it’s

on a fixed sale price.

Online auctions are one of the fastest growing segments of online business today. Millions of

people buy and sell all types of goods on consumer auction sites each year. Although the

online auction business is changing rapidly as it grows, three broad categories of auction Web

sites have emerged: general consumer auctions, specialty consumer auctions, and business-to-

business auctions. Some industry analysts consider the two types of consumer auctions to be

business-to-consumer electronic commerce. Other analysts believe that a more appropriate

term for the electronic commerce that occurs in general consumer auctions is consumer-to-

consumer or even consumer-to-business (because the bidders at a general consumer auction

might be businesses but in this case the bidders can be both business and individuals who

patronize the site.

Managing E-Business


Picture: Showing a Personalized page for one of the Users of the site

Buyer on the Platform

Like a seller, a buyer has to create a user account to be able to view detailed information

about listed products as well to be able to contact the owner, when a buyer spots a product

he/she is interested in; he/she proceeds to buy the product, an email is then sent the users mail

which contains a link to view the sellers contact information which he can use to contact the

seller physically to conclude what they have started online.

Description of how deliveries of Service are achieved.

Delivery of service on the site is partially done online and the rest concluded physically.

Sellers and buyers can negotiate to sell finally off the site and they act as just the medium of

meeting. Because bayGH eliminates middlemen and lowers barriers to buying and selling,

people in Ghana and all over Africa can sell hand-made goods directly and inexpensively to a

massive global audience. This brings new economic opportunities to developing areas and

increases cultural understanding between populations.

Managing E-Business


Challenges and Recommendations

BayGH operates a partial E-commerce. To effective digitising their service can be achieved if

they don’t only allow customers to view information about the product and then contact the

seller to finish with the deal; they should intermediate in the process of buying and selling till

the buyer is able to receive the goods.

Secondly, they should operates Electronic payment and E-Wallet systems so as both buyers

can pay for items they are interested and Sellers can receive money for their items sold. This

will not only increase their day to day activity but also will fetch them revenue because they

can take a commission from all sales activities.

One other thing, I recognised on their site is that the site is dormant and most items listed

were all done in 2009, 2010, this means that they are not promoting the site enough to drive

traffic to the site and they can do so by using affiliate marketing programmes, social

marketing and search engine optimization (SEO).

Conclusion

The BayGH operates a marketplace for sellers and buyers to meet; they allow sellers to list

and buyers to auction for the prices of the Goods. This is what can be classified under E-

commerce as Consumer to Consumer (C2C) e-commerce model. And in the situation where

the business process cannot be fully made online it is termed partial play or Click and Mortar.

Elifegh.Com (B2B2C2) M-Commerce Model

e-life Ghana is a Business to Business (B2B2C) venture promoted by K-Net, an undisputed

leader in communication and networking industry. They offer services both offline and online

using several mobile commerce technologies.

e-life Ghana is a brand promoted by K-Net which has got pretty large business presence

across West African region for various business activities including the managed and internet

solutions for many Banks, Telecom operators and other categories of prestigious customers.

K-Net started out as KCS Ltd, in 1996 which was specialized on supplies, installation and

maintenance of computer hardware systems and accessories. Since 1999 K-Net is fully

Managing E-Business


licensed by the National Communications Authority for provisioning of data and internet

services nationwide. K-Net today employs over 200 personnel and is present in several West

African countries.

K-Net is the one stop shop for all managed network and internet solutions within the West

African sub-region, using different products according to the needs, peculiarities, preference

and location of clients. We tailor specific solutions for you and manage your network as well

as the internet access.

Home page of elifegh.com

Accreditations from many reputable manufacturers have enabled K-Net Ltd to create a

comprehensive yet flexible portfolio of solutions. With our networking expertise

complemented by our proficiency in sales, design, installation and maintenance, leading

Manufacturers - such as those below - trust us time after time to facilitate distribution of their

products and services.

Managing E-Business


Products and Services

1. Mobile Top up

2. Mobile wallet

3. Bill Payments

4. Mobile Remittances

5. Micro Banking services

6. Value added services such as

Additionally Many web based services are provided by us, like Railway booking, Air

travel tickets, Bus ticketing, Movie tickets & Utility Payments.

Technologies and Networks Adopted

e-life Ghana provides a fast, convenient, safe and inexpensive way to transfer money using

your personal mobile phone. e-life Ghana lets you send or get money from a loved one or

friend, instantly when they need it most. Paying your utility bills and recharging your mobile

phone are just a few of the exciting possibilities of using e-life Ghana . As the first mobile

payment service created exclusively for the mobile phone, e-life Ghana works on any mobile

phone and with any wireless carrier to provide consumers the security and convenience of

mobile payments.

e-life Ghana uses a proven, secured and reliable payment transaction platform that is

currently deployed in several countries. The robust transaction engine interacts with various

devices: mobile phones, ATMs, third party merchant network systems, prepaid platforms, bill

payment systems, and various other service providers.

At the core of the system is a core application and payment system running in a secured and

highly scalable, industrial strength servers. It provides streamlined authentication,

authorization, wallet and payment services to consumers and value-added business partners

like leading banks, mobile operators, utility companies, merchants, and event organizers. It

serves as a major hub for businesses and consumers alike to transact and settle payments

conveniently.

Managing E-Business


Key features of the system:

Real-time and highly scalable transaction management system.

Capable of handling un-banked customers, increase efficiency on payment process

and collections.

User-friendly interface for customers, administrators, and business partners.

Specialized interface with external systems that give the business partner the ability to

extend data services to its current and prospective customers.

For the mobile operators, provides a reliable real time prepaid e-Top up solution

without the production of expensive physical prepaid cards or vouchers.

Allows real-time point-to-point payments and funds transfer with instant confirmation

& transaction updating at the service providers system.

Complies with stringent banking operation and audit requirements.

Provides a dynamic platform for merchants and financial institutions to cross sell and

market products to prospective customers.

Choice of payment options viz. cash, debit or account transfers.

Clear and easy-to-use report interface for consumers and business partners.

Main Technologies Adopted by Elifeghana

SMS

This option is simple and convenient for all users. You can use e-life Ghana with the most

basic mobile phone by sending an SMS to. e-life Ghana Application. The e-life Ghana

Application represents the easiest way to use e-life Ghana.

Third party merchant websites (WEB)

You just need to login on the website of the third party merchants who are integrated with e-

life Ghana system online and can use the products available on the website of these

merchants.

Mobile Web Browser (WAP)

Elifegh offers the ease and convenience of their Applications but with no download, one

simply use his phone to access the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) With similar

features to the e-life Ghana Application, WAP takes users step-by-step through all transaction

Managing E-Business


requests. This system works on most phone's internet browser.

Their Business Focus

Elifegh is a retailing portal and a complete pilot for mobile top-up, microfinance and other

products which are ideal for banks and service providers who wish to attract more foot-falls

in their business and increase revenue by e- life partners.

Banks and Insurance service providers.

Telecom operators.

Merchant partners like Non- banking financial companies and other categories.

Channel partners like post office, oil marketing companies and non-conventional

stores.

Delivery Process

Electronic distribution on Mobile, websites, third party or direct e-life Ghana merchant

outlets. e-life Ghana’s POS terminal or Web Connect comes loaded with proprietary software

that enables any Retailer to perform transactions-both online as well as offline. Third party

delivery on website, SMS, ATM, Bank branches,Delivery Medium Internet, SMS & Bank

ATM , Web Vending/Internet Vending:

Retailers with internet connections (like cyber cafes) can subscribe to their propriety product

(PC client and web client) to sell thier services through their net connected PC's. All one need

to do is to install our pc client on the retailers net connected PC and he can start off.

Alternatively, one can also access elifegh web client to use/sell their services online.

Managing E-Business


The login Page to Retailers Portal

POS Machines / Terminals :

e-life Ghana ’s POS terminal comes loaded with our proprietary software that enables any

Retailer to perform transactions-both online as well as offline. The retailer can download

prepaid PIN'S in bulk with a single telephone call and then can sell it offline as per the

requirement. The PIN'S remains stored in the memory and are invisible and secure till printed

out for sale.

SMS Vending:

To provide prepaid services through small and residential entrepreneurs, who do not have

easy access to a telephone line. e-life Ghana, also has a product (SMS client) to cater to its

consumers through this non-traditional channel. Any person with a mobile handset can

register with them as a retailer to sell our services/products through SMS. The retailer will

have to SMS them the request for the prepaid PIN's which will be sent back on the retailer

mobile phone through return SMS.

Bank ATMs:

This convenient service enables a customer to recharge his prepaid mobile on an ATM

Managing E-Business


machine. The service is currently available with all banks across Ghana.

Some Problems Associated with their Services and Recommendations

Issues about security are the main challenge or problem associated with their business

activity. Users of mobile-payments and such online payments solutions are most concerned

about their security on the sites and on the applications as whether someone somewhere is not

phishing, their pins and other details. But the site and their applications as indicated earlier

their systems are highly secured against all forms of security threats.

I found out they are not doing much in terms of marketing and promotions of their sites, the

last time the site was updated was in 2010, though they claim they have a lot of customers,

One may wonder why they don’t update the site. They don’t have any company profile on

linked in, facebook, twitter which has become one of the best platforms for business

promotions in the online business industry.

I strongly recommends that they embark on massive both online and offline marketing

activities to sell the site and their services in general. Facebook has become a platform for

marketing and advertising and hence they can embrace it for their advertisement and

marketing activities. The site should be updated frequently to ensure that security of users are

ensured.

Managing E-Business


References

Wikipedia Organisation. (2002 , December 16). Retrieved Febuary 24, 2012, from The

Online Encyclopedae: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-commerce

Wikipedia Organisation. (2009, June ). Retrieved February 24, 2012, from The Online

Encyclopedae: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_to_customer

Icy Network Systems. (2012, Jun 24). Retrieved Febuary 24, 2012, from BayGH Web Site:

http://www.bayGH.com

ElifeGh. (2011). About Us. Retrieved June 20, 2012, from elife Ghana Main Website:

http://www.elifegh.com/index.html

bay gh(e commerce)

Documents

areinto ebusiness

internetbased ebusiness

form of e

idavid offei obuobi

commerce model

ivida mensah

deliveries of service

main technologies