E-Commerce System for Distance Learning: SWOT Analysis, Objectives, and Performance Indicators

Leicester College proposes to invest in distance learning services using e-commerce technologies. This article presents a SWOT analysis, objectives, performance indicators, and recommendations for the e-learning platform. It also discusses the changes required for the college website to increase trust and address cultural issues.

Running head: E-Commerce System
E-COMMERCE SYSTEM
By (Student's Name)
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Teacher
Name of the School
City
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INTRODUCTION
Distance learning remains one of the most important current phenomena that is being
adopted by many learning institutions globally. With the development of e-learning platforms
enhanced by e-commerce knowledge, distance learning is an alternative learning service that
colleges and other institutions use to reach students internationally. Leicester College is one of
further education institution within the United Kingdom has a future prospect for investing in
distant learning services. The college has, therefore, proposed to venture in distant learning
service for long distance learning and international students. In order to realize this strategy,
there are many different factors that the college can consider. Adoption of the e-learning
platform is an alternative that can assist the college to reach its ultimate goal of providing distant
learning services. The following paper presents various aspects of the e-learning platform that is
proposed by Leicester College for the college’s distance learning platform.
PART ONE
SWOT Analysis
Offering distance learning is an important step that comes with various associated factors
determines the success of the college proposal. Analysis of the distance learning marketplace
reveals various strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). The strength of the
college that befits the international distance learning process show some findings. Firstly, the
college is one of the largest institutions within the United Kingdom with the number of students
2600 enabling the college to compete favorably in distance learning marketplace. A large
number of students and staffs make the college strategically able to manage distance learning.
Secondly, the college has made several achievements that are making the institution stand tall in

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the further education industry of the country and internationally. For instance, the college is
boasting of co-founding National Academy for Retail which is backed by the government.
Thirdly, the college’s association with De Montfort University, Leicester shows that it had all the
necessary connection to offer distance learning at the international level. Lastly, financial
analysis of the college shows that the college has an annual budget of £51 million that indicate
the college has the capacity to invest in distance learning (Power 2013).
Weaknesses of the college also play an important role in the success of the college's
distance learning strategy. Firstly, the college has shown a limited international connection in the
past with only students coming from other countries recruited. This shows that the college has
not put in place strategies to invest in the international learning process. Secondly, being
associated with De Montfort University, Leicester makes the university directly linked to
international learning market as compared to the college. The university is capable of offering
distance learning to students on behalf of the college where it is not the college offering services
(Kawa 2017).
There are some opportunities that are present for future prospects for the college venture
in distant learning strategy. Firstly, having international students present an opportunity for the
college to start connecting students through distant learning services. Secondly, the college has
the opportunity presented with resources that enable the college to reach other students through
international or distant learning (Laudon & Guercio 2014).
The college has threats that are also presented by various factors in the distant learning
marketplace. Firstly, the college is facing threat from various larger institutions that are currently
offering services. Secondly, the lack of infrastructure and necessary connections that act as a
linkage for getting students or logistics for distance learning is a threat to offering distance

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learning. This makes the college limit its ability to offer distance learning education services to
students overseas (Walsh 2011).
SWOT Analysis Diagram for Leicester College
Internal
External
Strength
 The high number of students of
about 26000
 The college has made several
achievements that are making one
of the best institutions with the UK
 association with De Montfort
University, Leicester give the
college the necessary connection
 college’s budget shows college
has the capacity to invest in
distance learning
Weaknesses
 The college has shown the
limited international
connection in the past
 Montfort University,
Leicester can do
international learning
 The college has no past
international venues for
learning
Opportunities
 Having international students
present an opportunity for the
college
 The resources that the college has
can be utilize to reach distance
learning objective
Threats
 Stiff completion from the
various larger institutions
that are currently offering
services
 Lack of infrastructure
and necessary
connections that act as
linkage for getting
students or logistics for
distance learning

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Recommendations
There are some recommendations that can help the college improve on its weaknesses
and threats while maximizing on its ability to invest in distant learning. Firstly, the college can
invest in e-commerce technologies that assist in the distant learning process. Secondly, the
college needs to forms international and long distant linkages to assist in offering service to
many students internationally. Lastly, the college should start developing the infrastructure
needed for distant learning education services (Vaughan 2010).
Part Two
There are e-commerce software that assists many institutions to offer online and distance
services, particularly for learning services. One example of e-commerce that college can use is a
virtual collage that assists in e-learning solutions.
Angherns’ ICDT model analysis
Angherns’ ICDT model analysis presents various external situation analysis of e-business
that is important for the e-commerce platform. The Angherns’ ICDT model analysis provides
analysis of information space, communication space, distribution space, and transaction space.
Firstly, the information space describes the space for the organization to market and share
information with customers, for instance, the college requires e-commerce system that provides
space for building confidence for students that are the major stakeholders. Secondly,
communication space is another aspect of the model that shows online communication tools that

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the college can use to communicate with students and college staffs. For instance, e-commerce
should provide communication tools such as emails, chats and other communication tools
necessary for sharing information with stakeholders. Thirdly, distribution space explains the
distribution channels for college to facilitate e-learning for distance learning services. Lastly,
transaction space is the last aspect of the model that provides the various transaction platforms of
e-commerce. The transaction aspect of e-commerce enables the e-commerce platform enhancing
distance learning service to provides additional services and information more than just college
information (Nguyen 2015).
Objectives of the e-learning platform
Based on the analysis of the e-commerce requirement using Angherns’ ICDT model
analysis there are some objectives that can help facilitate the selection and adoption of e-
commerce for the distance learning process. Firstly, the e-learning platform will enable
collaborative distance learning services for international students. A good quality of e-learning is
engraved on the communicative space aspect of the e-commerce that aims at creating a social
platform of the learning system. Secondly, the e-learning platform should provide various
distant learning portal for enhancing the information space. The student and staff portal is
important for communication and provision of information to students and college staffs.
Thirdly, e-learning platform will enhance distribution of learning materials to students from
tutors that are necessary for digital learning. Fourthly, the e-learning platform needs to facilitate
the business transaction for students that enable payment processing (Dron & Anderson 2014).
Success factors for the e-learning platform

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Objectives of the distance learning platform have some success factors that will
determine the achievement of the objectives. Firstly, staying ahead in terms of technologies
determines the success of the platform that the college will implement. E-Commerce is a
changing business system that needs continuous updating to the current technologies like this
help stay ahead in the competition (Saba 2011). Secondly, maintaining the quality of the system
and the information passed on the platform is important for the success of the e-learning system.
Quality educational material and learning system that emphasis on quality rather than quantity
will help the college realize its objective. Thirdly, optimizing for more portable device
applications will help the organization achieve the organization’s proposal. With the current
waves of the customer changing to more portable apps such as mobile apps that help the college
reach a more current audience. Fourthly, stakeholders satisfaction being a top priority is another
area that determines the success of the platform. Making the stakeholders that are majorly
students and tutors happy with service is number one factor that will ensure that the college to
realize its objectives (Kaplan & Haenlein 2016).
Performance indicators
There are some performance indicators that will help in the determination of the level of
achievement of the objectives. Firstly, the number of students that are registered in the portal is
an important indicator of measuring the achievement of objectives of the e-learning platform.
Secondly, the number of transactions is another performance indicator for the e-commerce that
the college will use to determines the success of the platform. Thirdly, the conversion rate of the
site visitors to the number that is recruited is a performance indicator for achieving the
objectives. Fourthly, the market share of the college within the international academic platform

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is another important performance indicator for measuring the performance of objectives (Lee
2008).
Competencies and resources
Competencies and resources that are required to ensure that the e-learning platform is
successful when implemented. Firstly, the competencies of e-commerce will be based on the
technologies, efficiencies and success strategies. The technologies and software used are some
competencies that will help the platform compete effectively within the e-learning market
especially with other with other renowned institutions (Tabor 2007). Secondly, there are several
resources that will be used to implements the proposed e-learning platform for distance learning.
Infrastructure resources are needed that include computer systems that host the e-commerce
system. In addition, e-commerce requires human resources that will help in maintaining system
and software updates. Computer software is also an important resource that is critical for
security, effective usage and reporting of the progress of the strategy (Kohli 2016).
E-learning competition and demand
The distance learning that is currently offered through numerous e-learning or e-
commerce platforms has attracted a stiff competition. Most of the major academics institutions
within the United Kingdom are currently offering the distance learning service to their
international students (Lederman 2013). The competition is high and each learning institution is
currently offering the distance learning service for their international students. College is one of
the major academic institutions within the country with more than 26000 students need to have
distance learning platform. There is high demand for the service as many students that majorly
coming from other countries need to learning without traveling to the institution. In addition, the

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college through its outreach strategies justifies the need for adoption and implementation of the
distance learning offered through e-commerce platform (Eisingerich & Kretschmer 2008).
Changes that are required
In order for the college to implement e-learning platform, the college has to effect some
changes within the organization. Firstly, the college has to re-organize its human resource to
include those staffs that will be managing the distance learning department. Some of the staffs
will maintain the e-learning system while others will be offering learning services (Teriz 2011).
Secondly, the college will have to create another department particularly dedicated to distance
learning that will help ensure that the department works effectively. Financial changes will have
to be implemented that include finance resources for establishing e-learning system and
resources that are used to maintain the platform. Other changes that need to be done include
changing the online presence that is mainly offered through the college website as the e-
commerce platform will be added to the website (Januszkiewicz, Parker, Hayes & Gill 2017).
Part Three
There are some changes the college need make on its website to increase its trust among
clients and address cultural issues that are facing higher education. Firstly, the college needs to
intensify the website security through the installation of security checks and firewalls that are
essential for trust (Kohli 2016). Firewalls that are installed within the website help reduce the
possibility of attackers and hackers that may affect online utilization website. Secondly, the
college needs to install anti-discrimination complaint form that will help students and other
website users to report cultural discriminations to the institution. Various cultural issues can also
be discussed through interactive platforms that are installed on the college website. Thirdly, the

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college can incorporate e-commerce software with its website to assist in various transactions as
this will increase the website’s usability for distance learning. Many online users like getting
services at their closest level possible that can be the college website (Garrison 2011).
The college can use various available online communication tools to connect and reach
many potential young people that form an important aspect of the audience. Firstly, the college
can use social media that is a major communication tool currently used for online
communications. The college can install various social media modules that are connected to
social media platforms for reaching young people that are the major users (Zhaolin 2015).
Secondly, the college can use online chat tools that are installed within the website to increase
customer service and online discussions. For instance, HipChat is software that enhances
communication online with people across the website. Thirdly, the college can use much online
collaboration for effective learning and teamwork purposes. The collaborative software is
installed on its website and allow collaboration between the college team and visitors coming to
the website. For instance, the collaborative communication tool that assists sharing information
during e-learning (Humeau & Jung 2013).
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Leicester College has equal opportunity to invest in distance learning
enhanced by application of e-commerce software. The college can improve on its website to
enhance e-learning process for distance learning students. Communication tools have the
potential of making the college reach its many potential audiences available online. There are
various internal and external factors that determine the adoption, implementation, and success of
the distance learning strategy.

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