Manufacturers gain an e-business education

E-business goes beyond the physical limits of local advertising or county and state borders, and offers more potential customers, suppliers and product information than ever before. It is a paperless world and a different way of doing business, and many small and medium-sized Iowa manufacturers are relying on trusted relationships with Iowa State University Extension and the Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) for help.

"I went to Extension looking for help setting up a Web page for our business, LL King," said Lorne Koenig. "They put me in touch with Paul Gormley of CIRAS and he has helped me start building a Web page, teaching me how to write the text and know what text to put in. He's teaching me 'how to fish.'"

Vendors found the conference to be a great place to network with others interested in e-business, and a way to expand their knowledge as they, too, listened to the speakers.

Gormley, a CIRAS e-business specialist, is teaching his clients to use a new set of computer-based tools, while they continue to do routine business functions. He starts with the basics -- defining terms, creating a familiarity with Web abilities and explaining how to create and use virtual brochures as a marketing tool. That's the first level of e-business; at the fifth level, a business has everything done by computer, from customers browsing merchandise and purchasing on a Web site, to computer-generated production and shipping of ordered items.

Gormley also took the lead organizing the Midwest E-business Conference at ISU in September and plans to hold a similar event in September 2001.

"The conference was an opportunity to educate, enlighten and connect small and medium-sized manufacturers in Iowa with experts from around the country -- local e-business consultants and resources they need to step into the world of e-business," he said. "We were able to take people who were nowhere in e-business to a place where they felt familiar and empowered with the tools of success. At the same time, we gave those who were somewhere along the e-business path a better understanding of how the tools work, what options exist and the thought process behind these options." 

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• Last update: Dec. 28, 2000