Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

The rapid evolution of Generative AI has transformed the way organizations design, deploy, and manage e-commerce platforms. As institutions seek to modernize legacy processes, Generative AI offers new opportunities to improve service delivery, reduce manual overhead, and respond more effectively to user needs.

In practice, however, adoption of generative AI within e-commerce platforms has been uneven, and its actual impact on decision support is not yet well understood in a rigorous, evaluable way — a gap this study is positioned to address.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Current e-commerce platforms in many organizations struggle with inadequate decision support, often relying on manual processes or outdated architectures that were not designed for today's operating environment. Without a structured approach to integrating generative AI, these limitations are likely to persist, exposing organizations to inefficiency, risk, and a poor user experience. This study is motivated by the need to design and evaluate a generative AI-based approach to addressing this problem.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To design and implement a generative AI-based approach to improving decision support in e-commerce platforms.
2. To evaluate the effectiveness of Generative AI in enhancing decision support within e-commerce platforms.
3. To identify the key requirements and constraints relevant to deploying generative AI in this context.
4. To assess user and stakeholder perception of the resulting system.

1.4 Research Questions

1. How can generative AI be applied to improve decision support in e-commerce platforms?
2. How effective is Generative AI at enhancing decision support within e-commerce platforms?
3. What requirements and constraints are relevant to deploying generative AI in this context?
4. How do users and stakeholders perceive the resulting system?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to software developers and system architects seeking practical guidance on applying Generative AI within e-commerce platforms. It is equally relevant to organizations that rely on these systems, offering a reference point for evaluating whether such an investment is justified, and it adds to the growing body of work on generative AI applications in software technology / IT.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to the design, implementation, and evaluation of a generative AI-based approach to improving decision support within e-commerce platforms. Reflecting its clearly defined scope, it does not extend to a full commercial rollout or long-term post-implementation review beyond the study period.