Hi there helpful people,

This is a re-post (apologies) as I didn't get much response in the other forum and thought putting here might be more visible. The replies I had were very helpful but it would be great to get some more views.

We are a small online retail brand who have run out of patience with our antiquated e-commerce platform. The front end website has progressed enormously in recent years but the platform behind it no longer keeping up and needs to be replaced by something fit for purpose.

My main question is; who would typically be responsible for sourcing and implementing such a system? We are a small company so have no internal IT department. We have a Head of E-commerce, who is responsible for everything front-end online currently - online acquisition including all campaigns, online conversion including web development, user experience, analytics etc.

We also have a Head of Service Delivery, who is currently looking after the external supplier who supply our back-end e-commerce system, i.e. the customer and order database and payment system. This person also looks after logistics and warehousing/despatch. This person also looks after our internal IT, and the external company who we contract to do our IT support and networks.

These two individuals seem the most likely candidates to source and implement this system. However, this is a SYSTEM and the Head of E-commerce role is not a systems role. Also however, all of the requirements for the system come from the Head of E-commerce, who defines how we service our customers online.

We are really stuck on where this project lies, and where the ongoing development and maintenance of the system lies. Is this e-commerce? Is this IT? Is this service delivery? Is this something else?

Would be really grateful for any thoughts and experience you can offer.

Many thanks,
Gareth