Strategic planning to implement e-commerce in handmade carpet: A SWOT matrix approach

The reliance of Iran´s handmade carpet traders and producers on the traditional business practices and their distrust of the internet and e-commerce is an important cause to blame for the recent decline in the share of the Iranian carpet export in the world market. The paper briefly discusses the importance of e-commerce, outlines its advantages and disadvantages and emphasizes its effects on Persian handmade carpet as one of the main industries of Iran. The research method is based on investigating inter-organizational strengths and weaknesses, and external-organizational opportunities and threats. According to conducted studies, launching business information networks in order to increase carpet exporters awareness of the new e-business practices, motivating carpet producers and exporters through increasing government supports to the carpet industry, reducing custom clearance processes for buyers through Iran membership in WTO, application of advanced technology to enhance the quality of products, using information technology in marketing and internet advertisement, are the most important factors that impact Iranian carpet industry´s success in e-commerce.