NCB to host E-Commerce Summit for SMEs
05 Mar 2016
In the age of the smartphone and globalised customer expectations, e-commerce represents the future of shopping in Jamaica. However many local companies, especially Small and Medium Enterprises are not outfitted with the capabilities for electronic commerce. The National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB) hopes to change this statistic and help SMEs transition, with the staging of its E-Commerce Summit West, to be held at the Montego Bay Conference Centre on Tuesday, March 8. The event is expected to equip SMEs with the knowledge to develop, manage and maintain their business’ commerce online. “Very soon the line between conventional and electronic commerce will become blurred as more and more businesses move sections of their operations online. Already we are seeing companies increasingly relying on digital payments via websites, mobile apps and connected devices. And with good reason, since executing these transactions electronically provide vast competitive advantages being cheaper and faster than traditional methods. Globally e-commerce is a trillion dollar industry but local businesses are not cashing in on,” Claudette Rodriquez – Assistant General Manager, for NCB’s Payment Services Unit explained. In its inaugural staging last year, the NCB E-Commerce Summit saw more than 150 SMEs in attendance gaining valuable insights on utilising e-commerce to increase profitability. Taking the event to the West, this year the organisers say the agenda will include getting set-up with Ecommerce Blueprint, Ecommerce Security and Digital Marketing Tools for Targeting Online Shoppers. Among the expert presenters are Alicia Lytlle - Director, Internet Income, Richard Patterson, NCB Risk Management and Security Officer and Rasheed Girvan - Digital Manager, Global Industries. “At NCB we believe SMEs are the future of Jamaica. As a result we are committed to investing in SMEs through the provision of opportunities for training, and the development products and services aligned with their needs toward creating sustainable and profitable businesses. NCB recently launched Business Edge, a new credit card for it business customers offering access to more funds, longer payment periods and numerous additional benefits. Also, as a part of the Group’s current Digitisation thrust, the company is slated to rollout NCB Remote Cheque Deposit Capture this month. The new solution enables business customers to deposit cheques from their office by scanning and uploading to the NCB’s Business Online portal for processing with your account is updated within two hours. The NCB E-Commerce Summit West is free and open to the public.