NBS8645 : Ecommerce Infrastructure
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Professor Savvas Papagiannidis
- Owning School: Newcastle University Business School
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
Ecommerce platforms and technologies have become an integral part of all retailers’ ICT infrastructure. Considering the growing and evolving nature of electronic commerce there is a need to understand the impact that digital technologies have when it comes to retail operations. Such in-depth knowledge cannot just make it possible to effectively run ecommerce stores, but also design new ones. This module will examine the different building blocks of ecommerce platforms providing students with the practical knowledge required to design their own online stores. Students enrolled to this module will be able to critically evaluate and propose solutions when it comes to setting up an end-to-end online presence (e.g. connected to back-end operations and third parties). The module will consider ecommerce operations and related technologies for a number of different online channels and spaces, such as web stores, mobile/app based stores, social media commerce and metaverse stores. Similarly, the module will consider the similarities and differences between setting up stores for different types of customers (B2C, B2B and C2C).
Outline Of Syllabus
The lectures and demonstrations will cover the following technical and managerial areas of digital commerce for different types of online presence:
1) Designing a retail presence online
2) Setting up the necessary ICT infrastructure
3) Process and project management review
4) Integrating ecommerce platforms to third party merchant databases
5) Selling online via third party marketplaces
6) Online payment methods and transactions
7) Security, trust and customer privacy
8) Optimising customer experience and user journeys
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 8 | 2:00 | 16:00 | Lectures and demonstrations related to end-to-end ecommerce platform development. |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 32:00 | 32:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 25:00 | 25:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Seminars related to the design and practical deployment of ecommerce platforms |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 25:00 | 25:00 | N/A |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
This module has an emphasis on practice. The lectures and seminars will focus on developing student knowledge related to the topics discussed. These will be complemented by relevant examples and demonstrations. Students will be expected to carry out directed reading and independent studies/experimentation with relevant technologies where appropriate.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 1 | M | 90 | In groups, students will be expected to develop an end-to-end ecommerce presence in one or more channels of their choice and explain the rationale with regards to the decisions taken. 2000 words plus deliverables as per the group project requirements. |
| Reflective log | 1 | M | 10 | Individual reflection on practice related to planning and design of ecommerce infrastructure. Up to 500 words. |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 1 | M | Formative feedback will be given throughout the module and during the assignment clinics. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The group report (ecommerce presence and report) will test the students’ grasps of the practical skills and knowledge necessary to develop and deploy an end-to-end ecommerce presence. The assignment expects students to prepare a comprehensive case supporting the development and prototyping of an online store. The individual log will expect students to reflect on their practice and teamwork and on that of others, identifying strong point and areas the further personal development is necessary in order to improve their practice in the future.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NBS8645's Timetable