E-commerce (electronic commerce) is typically associated with for-profit organizations that use the Internet to conduct business and perform transactions. Companies such as eBay and amazon.com have garnered large amounts of media attention as revolutionizing the way in which goods and services are being exchanged, and as posing significant threats to traditional "brick and mortar" stores. Business-to-business transactions actually compose most of the transactions which occur on the World Wide Web, and both nonprofit and for-profit organizations are reaping the benefit of this new technology. The Maryland Food Bank was a pioneer in the use of technology, and its current drive toward using the Internet is consistent with its leadership role in this area. This research considers the food bank's current situation, the key goals identified by staff members, and identifies solutions which can be implemented in whole or in part, and at one time or over a period of time, to help the food bank achieve its goals.
In 1993, the Maryland Food Bank received a grant from the Maryland National Bank which was used to implement a computer system. At that time, the computer system was seen as the first step toward integrating the consolidation of food banks in Maryland, Northern Virginia, Delaware, and parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The goal at that time was to use a single 250,000 square foot warehouse (which could be run at nearly the same cost as a 50,000 square food warehouse) to service all of these states (located within a day's drive) without loss of effectiveness (Ruby, 1993, p. 27).
Today, the Maryland Food Bank distributes more than 9.5 million pounds of food worth more than $14.5 million annually. The food bank was the second such bank established in the United States, and is a member of Second Harvest, a nationwide organization consisting of more than 185 food banks. The food is distributed to food pantries, soup kitchens...