Customer Web Portal example essay topic

The Problem with the Existing Architecture: The company has multiple standalone computing solutions and applications which it acquired through the purchase of provider companies. These systems are not fully integrated and are not compatible. They do not share data in real time making communication, access, and interoperability difficult. The current system does not provide a well designed and unified solution for customers. The different provider companies that XYZCorp has acquired currently have their own customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

Currently, it is not possible to have inter connectivity and functionality between providers and external sources, causing customers to be unable to take advantage of and fully benefit from the range of services the company has to offer. Also, web technologies are not being used to their potential and back end applications are not integrated. A customer web portal, which can help to integrate services such as buying, selling, delivery, payment and overall customer support, is non-existent and a deterrent to overall consumer satisfaction and business growth. What is a web portal? In terms of defining exactly what a web portal is, it is important to understand its significance and role in business and technology. A portal can be thought of as a single, main gateway into an assortment of content.

More specifically, a web portal is often the main starting point for an online user / web surfer. Web portals often consist of a collection of loosely integrated features with many resources and links to different services. They have become commonplace in today's technology-driven lifestyle whereby web surfers utilize portals such as web or web These websites are solid examples of web sites that have expanded to become a point of entry onto the information superhighway. These sites, just like many others that fall into the same category of "web portal", provide a user with a number of features, content, and resources, such as links to information, news, and people as well as the ability to search the web. Businesses can benefit from this kind of technology by providing a web portal as the chief starting point for customer exploration and contact. Furthermore, a web portal is vital for a corporation that utilizes e-commerce.

E-commerce refers to the retail, service, and business to business industries that make use of the web to facilitate the exchange of products and services between businesses, consumers, and manufacturers. A web portal can act as the starting point for a company that has introduced e-commerce into the way they do business. A web portal can also be beneficial in terms of customer relationship management or CRM. The main purpose of the portal is to give the customer a sense of the different products and services available. Also, the portal should serve to provide a means to access other features such as support that the company provides which the customer is quite possibly completely unaware of. Web portals are useful and extraordinarily beneficial for a multi-faceted company attempting to make its way into e-commerce and establish a base for customer relationship management.

XYZCorp & Implementation of a Web Portal XYZCorp can benefit from the creation of a customer relationship management (CRM) portal. This portal will act as a single point of contact for all customers. The purpose of the XYZCorp portal is to provide a common integrated view of the entire corporation. Since XYZCorp has purchased and acquired several other companies, they now provide a number of different services and sell numerous products. These "provider" companies collectively provide the overall services of XYZCorp. These provider companies within the corporation include a customer contact center where customers can call-in or visit to get information and service on purchased products, an e-shop that allows users to go on-line and buy products, a financial institution center that issues credit cards and financing options, and several manufacturing plants.

Through growth and expansion, XYZCorp has purchased these "providers", but there is no integrated solution available for customers to take advantage of crossover functionalities. For instance, if a customer were to purchase a product on-line from the e-shop, there currently is no way for her to know whether or not there is financing available from the appropriate financial institution center. The development of a CRM portal is mainly to provide customers with the information necessary for them to take advantage of all the products and services offered by the company alongside integrating front and back-end systems.