Rich Internet Applications
In order to understand Rich Internet Applications, we must examine the evolutionary history of computing. In the beginning, only large organizations had the resources to integrate mainframe computing. Smaller organizations could not afford to compete. Although there were many benefits to using this technology - and it still has its place, there were many issues with mainframes, including the enormous costs.
Then along came personal computing and the concept of networking. The market switched from "centralized" mainframes to the decentralized "client-server" model. The notion was to provide rich user interfaces on local computers that talked to a central database. The experience was great; with well designed interfaces, and fast access to data. Everyone was happy. Well not quite everyone. The IT / IS department was not happy as they were tasked with upgrading these decentralized applications every time a new feature was added. They also had to keep each operating system up to date in order to support these features. This all added up to a lot of additional costs that made business managers question the bottom line.
One other area that was lacking at this stage of the evolution was that it was difficult to allow customers, partners and other stakeholders in an organization to easily access data or conduct business. Now the applications were literally localized inside the organization's walls. Ultimately, this was the greatest downfall of this stage of evolution.
Next came along this thing called the "Internet". It changed everything. Who would have thought that it would have swept up every level of business and industry into the wake of its Tornado? Organizations everywhere started to switch their communications and business applications to the Internet. During the early years the innovators and pioneers struggled; some won and some lost. But today, the concept of conducting business on the Internet is more and more the business standard. The Internet has become "mainstream".
Let's define Rich Internet Applications: Rich Internet Applications combine the functionality of desktop software applications with the broad reach and low-cost deployment of web applications, resulting in significantly more intuitive, responsive, and effective user experiences (taken from Macromedia.com). In other words, Rich Internet Applications are a hybrid of the best features from the mainframe and Internet worlds.
What does this mean to the average marketing, technology, or communications manager? It means the average web site that performs some business process may not be optimally designed in terms of the user experience it delivers. A Rich Experience means (your customers, partners, and employees) having the ability to perform that business process in the easiest, most inviting and intuitive way. This translates into not having to scroll or jump through 10 pages of a registration form. Rather, the entire process can be displayed within one well-designed screen.
Building a web site that includes a Rich Internet Application means that you are placing a value on that business process. By investing in the solution, you are investing in the long term value that tool will provide your organization. Rich Internet Applications are the top of the evolution chain of computer technology for medium-sized organizations. They provide the biggest bang for the buck because they are:
- Easy to maintain
- Able to release features as your customers and partners demand them
- Adaptable as your business climate changes
This will have a profound effect on your customers and partners as they will have a direct, real time link into your organization for accurate, up to date data. Understanding Rich Internet Applications is easiest if we consider the different managers in your organization.
Marketing/Sales Manager
Marketing managers are directly responsible for the promotion, distribution and servicing of your organization's customers and partners. Today, they are pushed to produce higher results with less budget and human resources. They understand the need to leverage the Internet to accomplish organizational goals and objectives. A few of the ways marketing managers will benefit from Rich Internet Applications are listed below:
Increase Customer & Partner productivity
A single screen interface reduces steps, eliminates multiple page-loads, and offers users a single application view. This results in improved user productivity and satisfaction. You may also have your sales team use the exact same tools that are present on your web site. That way, customers will understand they can engage your organization in the same manner as calling your sales team.
Increased Loyalty and Re-ordering
A secure section of your organization's web site can be set-up to allow customers and partners to engage support, manage account information, check order status, and allow quick re-ordering and many other critical touch points for marketing managers.
Increased New Customers
Increasing the friendliness of how you conduct business will lead to increased new sales. Word will get out that it is easier to conduct business with your organization.
IS / IT Manager
Technology managers are ultimately concerned with the operations of the organization's applications, systems, and networks. In 2004, they are being asked to be more like business managers in addition to technology managers. This was recently noted by Andrew Wahl, senior technology writer at Canadian Business Magazine in the article " IT's identity crisis " (January 2004) . IS / IT managers are concerned with the following points:
Improve developer productivity
Maximize the productivity of the entire development team through approachable tools, pre-built templates and components, and rapid application development using server and client-side scripting languages.
Leverage existing IT environment
Native support for leading Internet industry standards, such as Java and .NET, reduces business and development risks. It also decreases the risk of selecting a professional Internet services firm as your IT partner.
Lower operational costs
Reduce bandwidth usage and server load by moving processing to the web browser, resulting in fewer server requests and compressed data transfers.
Business Managers & Leaders
Business managers strive for profits, growth, and return on investment. They accomplish this by either increasing their customer base, increasing existing customer sales, decreasing operating expenses - or the Holy Grail - all of the above. Marketing managers and technology managers must provide the ROI behind building new Internet applications, web sites, Extranets, etc. Professional Internet services firms help business managers to understand that financial calculations on ROI are only part of the foundation of information needed to ensure business value from technology. Here are a few points on ROI:
Assess Organizational Readiness
Is your organization ready to take on new technology? Do you need to ramp up on your network, Internet connection, web hosting, or staff training?
Take a Phased Approach
Identify benefits that will be realized in the short term and long term. Don't build to cross the finish line. This is not the 100 metre dash; your business is in a marathon. When you complete this process of identifying the benefits to your business in the short and long term, project funding decisions will be easier to make and you will find that more projects will succeed.
Business Opportunity / Trade-off
Business leaders must understand the gap between the opportunity that Rich Internet Applications will bring to your organization and the trade-off of not moving forward. We often realize our current processes are outdated but fail to weigh the benefits of solving that issue against the cost of implementing a new process like a Rich Internet Application. Costs will vary, but typically the highest cost is the opportunity cost of your team's time. How will this affect your business? Understanding this gap will help create an awareness of ROI and ultimately the project budget required to promote long term business value.
Risks, Training & Adoption
Business managers must identify the risks of adopting technology. Many web companies talk about how great technology is and how it can solve all of your problems, but when was the last time any one of these shops talked to you about limitations? Here is an example: You decide to place your entire ordering system on-line and your front-end web site cannot talk to your back-end accounting or manufacturing database? Or you decide that all customer information will be accessible to your sales staff on the road, but you fail to invest in your web hosting infrastructure. The more your applications become critical to your daily processes, the more you need to have someone develop a 360-degree picture of the potential impact of technology on your organization.
Technology training for staff using a new system will undoubtedly present some issues which will require attention. Change management and ease of adoption are critical factors to the success of any new application. Was the application ultimately developed with the end user in mind? Are they fully trained or have you not budgeted properly for this part of the project rollout? Or worse, are some departments not interested in adapting and using the new tools? If so, the data that you wish to collect may never make it there. Did your staff fully participate in the testing phase with real data? Do you have a proper roll-out plan to help your staff cope with the adoption of the new technology and the new, more efficient way of doing business?
Conclusion
Rich Internet Applications will provide your organization with a Return on Investment by providing exceptional user experiences, optimizing business processes, and leveraging existing technology wherever possible. All stakeholders inside your organization will win when you approach your project with the right frame of mind, and set clear, attainable objectives and goals. A professional Internet services firm will work to place your business before technology. Ultimately, as your business runs its marathon, they will bring you up to speed, monitor your progress and make suggestions for improvement. Most importantly, they will provide the energy, support and water that is necessary to get you closer to that finish line.
