Business Systems and Knowledge Modelling Lab

Media Release

Putting the 'h' into e-business

We've had 'the end of history' and now - thanks to digital technology and the burgeoning use of the internet - we are confronted by 'the death of distance'.

At a time of such rapid change, it is a breath of fresh air to find the words 'human-centred' before 'electronic-business' in a new book co-authored by La Trobe University's Rajiv Khosla.

Professor Smith and Dr Khosla

Launching Human-Centered e-Business on La Trobe's main Melbourne campus at Bundoora, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Fred Smith said the book 'is a truly international collaboration with Rajiv's co-authors Ernesto Damiani from Italy and William Grosky from the US.

It deals with the analysis, design and development of human-centred e-business systems in areas ranging from human resource management, marketing, banking and finance to customer relationship management. These systems have a vast array of uses, from handling e-recruitment applications and the customisation of web sites to profiling the transaction behaviours of internet banking customers.

The book highlights the enormous growth of the internet and e-business, - which the OECD anticipates will grow to US$1 trillion in 2003/4 - and predictions that this will lead to the 'death of distance', the 'digitisation of almost everything, and improvement in the information content of product and services'.

'However,' Professor Smith said, 'there is a danger that this process can lead to a serious breakdown at the human-computer interface.

'This book contrasts the technology-centred approach - where the software development is driven by the technology - and the human-centred approach - where the needs of the user are central to the development.' Professor Smith said the human-centred approach involves three things: the modelling of software based on how people go about solving problems; its development based on the needs of the user; and recognition of the context in which the problem is to be solved. 'The "Human-Centred Virtual Machine" integrates these criteria with the necessary technology.'

Dr Khosla said that customer orientation, service and global reach have become competitive imperatives.

'Deregulation of telecommunication industry and other industries, single currency zones and ever-changing business boundaries have further increased the potential for e-business. These changes have led to high customer sophistication and expectation.'

Human-Centered e-Business is published by Kluwer Academic Press.

- La Trobe Bulletin, October 2003