Objectives of knowledge management

clicks-only
’ as opposed to a ‘
 bricks-and-mortar’ 
or
 multichannel business
’. A pureplay 
typically has no retail distribution network. It may have phone- based customer service, as is 
the case with office supplier Euroffice (
www.euroffice.co.uk
), or not, as is the case with finan-
cial services provider Zopa (
www.zopa.com
), or it may offer phone service for more valuable 
customers, as is the case with hardware provider dabs.com (
www.dabs.com
).
 Dot- coms
Businesses whose main 
trading presence is on the 
Internet.
Bricks and mortar 
or multichannel 
business
A traditional organisation 
with limited online 
presence.
 Clicks- only or 
Internet pureplay
An organisation with 
principally an online 
presence.
Online start-up companies
Focus on
38
Part 1
Introduction
7 
Consumer adoption of the digital technology is limited by lack of imperative, cost 
of access and security fears. Business adoption tends to be restricted by percep-
tions of cost, making return on investment difficult to quantify.
8 
Introducing new technology is not all that is required for success in introducing 
e-commerce and digital business. Clearly defined objectives, creating the right cul-
ture for change, mix of skills, partnerships and organisational structure are arguably 
more important.
Exercises
Answers to these exercises are available online at 
www.pearsoned.co.uk/chaffey