___________________________________________ Project Title: «Market research for the development of an e-marketplace»
Client: RELATIONAL TECHNOLOGY S.A.
Duration: 2004 ____________________________________________ The purpose of the present project was the market research and the preparation of a business plan related to the provision of the company’s services to its clients through the e-marketplace. Interviews were realized with the appropriate staff of the company using structured and semi-structured questionnaires according to the project stage. The project is comprised by three clear stages.
In the first stage of the project the depiction of the company’s as-is situation was realized related to the products which can be offered through an electronic marketplace and the company’s ability to develop, to maintain and continuously update the e-marketplace was evaluated. During this stage the company’s strategy was recorded related to the provision of services through the e-marketplace setting specific goals.
In the second stage the steps (action plans) that should be taken in order for the company to develop the e-marketplace were recorded. These steps were prioritized under parameters such as cost, feasibility and time (time interrelation). During this stage a five year planning of actions was realized which mostly concerned the following actions:
» Analysis of the electronic markets viability in the Greek business reality
» Analysis of the existing electronic marketplaces in Greece and Europe

» Analysis of the competitors (products, benefits to customers, characteristics of competitors’ electronic marketplaces etc.)
» Conduction of market research related to
The use of electronic marketplaces in Greece
the products and services that are provided electronically in Greece
The level of customer satisfaction per electronic purchase and product
In the third stage the financial planning was realized concerning the growth of the electronic market. The possible financing sources were recorded (e.g. funding programs, development law, retained profits etc.) and boundaries were set for the amount of drawing money per financing source taking into consideration the relative risk (e.g. not approval of the proposal submitted to the development law etc.) having as a result the compilation of financing table based on business risk. A specific billing policy per product (marketable through the electronic marketplace) and per customer was suggested taking into consideration the general strategic tendency of the company which promotes the supply of products through the electronic marketplace (e.g. provision of greater discount for the same product and the same type of customer via electronic purchase in comparison with the conventional provision of the product).
Finally, an analytical catalogue of income and expenses for a five-year period was compiled and a financial evaluation of the investment was made via the net present value, the degree of internal performance and the settlement period.