Broadway Caf E-Business - Assignment Example

?Running head: E-Business E-Business Insert Insert Insert 14 February, E-Business Introduction Broadway Cafeneeds to integrate useful strategies in various facets of business such as marketing, finance, accounting, sales, customer service, and human resources in order to succeed. Technological advancement through internet facilitates easier communication and hence business transactions. Generally, organizations that incorporate e-business strategies reap several benefits, as they are able to reach a wide and variant market, while the costs of operation are relevantly low. Moreover, the internet is essential to businesses that want to grow their capacity, hence their revenue and profits. Importantly, an organization is able to collect feedback from its customers; hence, a business is informed of its customer’s needs, feedback, and concerns. This paper will develop e-business strategies for Broadway Cafe that will promote its competitiveness over its rivals. Communication The response to the children’s story hour concern would be that the cafe appreciates all customers regardless of their ages and it is committed to meeting the needs of each group of customers. Nevertheless, the cafe will make changes to ease the co-existing aspect of both parties by providing separate sections without interference with children and their activities. That response is given since the cafe does not wish to lose customers who hate children interference. At the same time, the children’s story hour will remain an essential marketing strategy. Moreover, the management had noted with concern that children event resulted to a lot of disturbance for customers who wished to a have a quite and relaxed atmosphere. The cafe can promote communication by making responses to all concerns raised in the website. Further, the cafe can issues incentive to encourage responses and reviews of the cafe. Importantly, well-trained customer service employees can be used to address arising issues in professional manner without denting the image of the cafe. E-business strategies In order to improve the profitability and competitive advantage, Broadway cafe would have to incorporate proper e-business strategies. Knowledge management system can be utilized to source power over the cafe’s competitors. This strategy provides decision makers in management of the cafe with the necessary insights when developing and making major decisions concerning the firm. Moreover, the system identifies trends in the market; hence, allowing employment of sound marketing strategies. Subsequently, the firm gains edge that is more competitive over its rivals firms (Thierauf, 1999, p.5). Further, the system stores crucial information and data concerning the firm. Therefore, the management can surely keep their recipes, ingredients, and algorithms of producing their meals. This information can be used to train new staff or used when there is need to review their menus or algorithms. Generally, knowledge management system facilitates the management to make sound decisions that promote the wellbeing of the firm. Customer Relationship Management system enhances communication between the firm and its customers. Through this strategy, the firm is able to collect information and feedback from its employees regarding its service and products offered. The system helps the management when making decisions, hence allowing the firm to meet the needs of clientele. Moreover, it is an essential tool to attract and retain customers. Further, the system can be used to profile customers in order to identify buying trends, as well as goods that are more purchased. Additionally, the system can help to identify peak seasons for proper allocation of staff and production of highly ordered menus. Overall, the system can be used to track purchasing of individual to reward in the loyalty program. Another e-business strategy tool is the use of a website, which informs customers of the products offered by the cafe and the various locations of cafes. Additionally, the site should also provide an interaction with customers to give feedback and reviews regarding menus and services offered; this will also involve offer suggestions. Further, the website should provide an interface where customers can order various products and pay conveniently. The various metrics that would be tracked on the website are order placed; number of visitors to the website, categories of menus order, areas where customers are located and the time orders are placed. A portal assists the cafe to meet its human resource strategy, as it empowers individuals with self-service access, enabling employees to control their work and life tasks. Moreover, it keeps all the staff updated with the firm’s strategies, while important resources material can be relayed through the portal to increase the competences of the employees. A portal helps the staff to connect with other staff in other branches of the cafe; hence, it aggregates all practices in all branches. Moreover, it cuts the costs of communication as it eliminates information intermediaries (Gitman and McDaniel, 2008). The cafe should provide kiosks in its facilities to cater for customers who would like to surf the internet. This marketing strategy provides competitive advantage over other competitors, more so because it targets provision of services to customers who do not have access to laptops and other gargets. Moreover, the cafe facilities should also provide hot spots with free internet access for customers that wish to use their laptops to be connected in the cafe. Indeed, this is a good incentive to customers, while the Broadway cafe can earn additional revenue through advertisement placed on the browser. Marketing and sales Firstly, the buyer power of the cafe clientele is very high, as there are many cafe and restaurants offering similar products. In order to attract more customers, the business needs to create a customer loyalty member club. Through the loyalty members club, the cafe will establish loyal customers, and at the same time, customers can benefit from special rates or discounts. The program should be easy to join and it should be designed in a manner to encourage customers to consumer products from the cafe. The main advantage of this strategy is that it ensures retention of the cafe’s clientele while at the same time it is a marketing strategy. Further, Broadway cafe can differentiate its meals and menus from other restaurants, hence creating and increasing its customers. Additionally, the cafe can increase its customers by creating a virtue outlet. Therefore, customers can order the cafe’s products from offices, homes, or parks and they are delivered in good time. Importantly, the delivery service must be prompt and efficient so as to satisfy all customers and ensure retention. Furthermore, modes of payment for goods and services can be facilitated by online payment schemes that are efficient to the clientele. The firm can also market its products through emailing or adverts on the social media networks, which are a relatively cheap and efficient mode of reaching new markets. Suppliers Importantly, the cafe needs technology to search quality and cost friendly supplies for their cafe. The cafe’s can obtain fresh and cheap supplies from different suppliers. Moreover, the cafe can get discounts and price negotiation through cheap internet communication i.e. emailing. Through technology, the cafe can pay their supplier with easier and convenient modes. To maintain business intelligence, the management should only inform parties in the firm that should know the strategies being employed (Miller, 2000, p.175). Moreover, the employees should be bound by employee confidentiality agreement not to diverge any secrets to other competitors. In the event the cafe’s rivals recognize that Broadway is making change, they are likely to put in place strategies to increase competition. Conclusion Broadway cafe should incorporate e-business strategies to grow its consumer base and increase its profitability. The strategies used should be geared at promoting and marketing goods and services offered at the cafe. E-business is essential as it enhances productivity, maximize convenience, and improve communications globally. Additionally, provisions of kiosks and free internet access through unsecured Wi-Fi can be good incentive to retain and draw new customers. Subsequently, the use of employees’ portal facilitates provision of information and interactions of employees to promote competency. Importantly business strategies should be kept secret from competitors. References Gitman, L. J. & McDaniel, C. (2008). The Future of Business: the Essentials. OH: Cengage Learning. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=vUdFCfnJYu4C&pg=PA354&dq=How+could+a+portal+help+business+employees&hl=en&ei=MudYTdrvOcrUrQfSgvS9Bw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEYQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=How%20could%20a%20portal%20help%20business%20employees&f=false Miller, J. (2000). Millennium Intelligence: Understanding and Conducting Competitive Intelligence in the Digital Age. NY: Information Today, Inc. retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=0EkDl0JGBDMC&pg=PA175&dq=secrecy+of+business+intelligence&hl=en&ei=YPFYTemDBMi4rAf4pMzxBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=secrecy%20of%20business%20intelligence&f=false. Thierauf, R. J. (1999). Knowledge Management System for Business. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=5Dv82411J-AC&printsec=frontcover&dq=A+Knowledge+Management+System&hl=en&ei=GdhYTb2tAsHprAfs9cnXBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=A%20Knowledge%20Management%20System&f=false. Read More