Successes and Pitfalls of an E-commerce Implementation: The BHP Steel experience

The BHP Steel has been long recognised as one of the leaders in Australian E-commerce initiatives. This paper examines the E-commerce implementation process within this organisation and draws conclusions about ways in which large companies can optimise their E-commerce implementations. The findings from BHP Steel’s four major E-commerce projects over a significant period from the mid-1980s to the present suggest that the E-commerce implementation process is not straightforward, but rather a learning process. Through a number of years, the company has learnt to handle the technology, management and, more importantly, the business aspects of the implementation. This paper concludes by suggesting that although there are both technical and organisational factors which play a role in the success of Ecommerce implementation in large companies, the willingness and cooperation of both parties involved in the E-commerce implementation process are the key indicators of the success of the implementation.