An internet retailing data framework for supporting consumers and business processes

Abstract.  This paper describes an action research case study dealing with the development of an internet retail store with advanced capabilities. The research focuses on the exploitation of information generated through consumer–system interaction by the virtual retailer (i.e. sales, navigation and personal consumer data). The results effectively support the business processes, consumers and product suppliers. To that end, an internet retailing data framework was developed during the user requirements capturing phase of the ACTIVE (Advertising and Commerce Through the Internet in the context of the Virtual Enterprise) project, as a means of structuring the system's information requirements and data processing mechanisms. The purpose of this framework is to describe in detail what consumer information the system needs to collect and to advise the virtual retailer (i.e. ACTIVE's administrator) how to use the available software components to exploit this information in order to effectively support consumers and business processes. Despite the fact that the proposed framework is tailored to the ACTIVE characteristics and needs, it can also be utilized by other virtual retailers to effectively support their key stakeholders (i.e. customers and suppliers).