This assignment relates to all of the course objectives but more specifically to your practical understanding and evaluation of the key issues in relation to the development of the infrastructure for a digital e-commerce enterprise.

Assignment 3 specifications

This Assignment 3 builds on the analysis and investigation conducted in Assignment 2.

Assignment 3 consists of TWO tasks.

TASK 1

Develop and populate the prototype e-commerce website for which you conducted an environmental analysis in Assignment 2.

Your e-commerce website should contain, at a minimum, the following:

1. An aesthetically pleasing, easy- to-use interface

2. A product catalogue

3. A shopping cart

4. An order form and payment interface

5. Customer registration

6. Discussion forum

7. Business policy statements on security, privacy, confidentiality and refunds and returns

Study the online guide, Joomla! 1.7 Beginner's Guide by Hagen Graf (available from the CIS8100 Study Desk) and any other related resources, and using the Joomla! CMS.

Task 1 will be assessed for completeness and functionality based on an inspection of your website (you are required to provide the URL of the site).

TASK 2

You are required to provide a business case and reflective report on the e-commerce strategy you have adopted for your organization and the experiences and insight arising from the development of the website in terms of the following:

1. Describe the website features and functionality you have implement in Task 1.

2. Describe how you have addressed security and privacy issues in your website

3. List and briefly describe the hardware and software requirements

4. Describe how you would address backend integration and legacy systems

5. Identify and describe the expected benefits that will arise from implementing your website

6. Provide a table of the estimated costs (hardware, software, human resources, ongoing maintenance, etc.)

7. Provide and justify a timescale and implementation plan

8. Provide a site map

9. Briefly describe the challenges encountered in using Joomla! and the development environment

10. List any additional features incorporated over and above the basic requirements

11. List any essential features not implemented and any major deviations from your original plans as described in Assignment 2

12. Features you would likely implement in the next phase of the development process to further enhance the usability and functionality of the site, and why and how you would use the CMS to further this.

13. List and briefly describe any links and resources that you have used to research and build the site.