Critical Success Factors to Adopt E-commerce for SMEs in China

Abstract

Summary form only given. E-commerce is gaining importance as a new way of doing business worldwide. The drivers for E-commerce are both digital revolution and business environment oriented. B2B E-commerce provides SMEs a good platform to enhance their competitive position. After examining the current situation of E-commerce adoption in 2005, the author finds that the application of E-commerce for SMEs in China is still in the initial stage. The key drivers are promotion for their specific products and services, searching for the information over the Internet, selling and procurement. The reasons that some managers of the SMEs do not know clearly the direct benefits of E-commerce or do not know how to integrate their current business with E-commerce become major challenges to be faced to build up critical mass of E- commerce users. On the whole, integrated with market strategy, support from the top manager and government are the critical success factors that are relevant to adopt E-commerce for SMEs in China.