Mobile Tecnology Services - Assignment Example

TASK References and sites used for the making of the paper Mobile Technologies website visited: Vodafone Services: Vodafone Passport- Vodafone Passport is our price structure for calls made on Vodafone and partner networks. You take your home tariff abroad and know exactly what the charges will be when you use roaming services. On Vodafone Passport, you can make calls using your domestic tariff, in some cases including free minute bundles, and receive calls at no charge - for a one-off connection fee per call. Usage patterns continue to show that Vodafone Passport customers talk more and pay less per call when abroad. Vodafone email - There is increasing demand for handheld solutions that allow real-time access to email, calendar, contact and other applications. Vodafone Business Email, Windows Mobile Email and Blackberry from Vodafone provide business customers, ranging from small start-up companies to multinational corporates, with wireless access to their enterprise and internet based email. Vodafone live- Vodafone live! is our on-handset communications and multimedia portal, which gives you access to services like games, ringtones, news, sports and information. We are always enhancing and improving Vodafone live! to provide better and richer content and make it easier for you to access it. Vodafone live! is available over our 3G network, enabling far higher quality content and communication services, like news broadcasts, sports highlights, music videos and movie trailers. Content partners include Time Warner, News Corp, NBC, Universal and Sony. The 3G service also supports full-track music downloads. You can use your phone to listen to music, choosing from more than 750,000 music tracks to download. Agreements with Sony BMG Music Entertainment, EMI, Universal Music, Warner Music and independent music labels secure music from some of the world's greatest artists. Vodafone live! also includes useful information services for driving directions, train and flight times and much more. The full Vodafone live! service is included with the latest Vodafone live! mobile handsets. Vodafone to Roll Out Advanced Customer Service Directly on the Handset- The SNAPin service enables customers to navigate an on-screen visual menu of options which customers can use to answer questions or solve their problems right on the handset. Customers also have the option to connect through to the call centre, bypassing traditional IVR menus, or to get an automatic response directly on their phone. The menu can be tailored according to the needs of different customers. Roper Mobile Technology Roper Mobile Technology is the leading provider of fully rugged, highly customizable computer solutions for challenging environments. Designed from the ground up, the Company's full line of rugged mobile computing solutions include lightweight handhelds, Tablets, Ultra Mobile PCs and fixed mount computers. Roper Mobile Technology provides Customer Services through contact of Technical Support inside the website as well as a form to be filled-up by customers known as Returend Materials Authorization (RMA) MYPORTAL EXCHANGE INC. Services Offered: MyGallery - Offers a unique service of creating your own online photo album so that you won't have to consume as much phone memory. If you're the type of person who loves taking picture of just about everything using (just about any form of device but specially) a mobile phone, then you have encountered problems with your phone memory not being enough. In that case, we have the perfect solution for you! MyGallery offers a unique service of creating our own online photo album so that you won't have to consume as much phone memory. With the lastess technology, it has become a lot easier to upload pictures and download them via the Internet or WAP-enabled phones. SchoolConnect- A product that make use of SMS messaging to utilize the network of parents and students and schools. It has a wide-range of service among which are message broadcasting for example sending out to registered parents that there would be a PTA meeting, and information-on-demand for example, parents could ask about their children's grades. The application also incorporates a unique time-in/time-out ID system using swipe cards that primarily tracks a student's attendance. Among the many advantage s that this would bring to the schools are the following: (1) it is very convenient solution to the problems of information disseminations, accordingly, (2) there is faster and real time relay of time-sensitive information; (3) since it would be the school who creates the database, they will have full control of the system and (4) there is authentic source of students information; and (5)it is definitely safe and cost effective. SMSCommunity- We offer to various companies a free SMS service that lets them to send significant information to intended recipients through group message broadcasting and receive timely feedback. It allows field agents or members of the organization to inquire about information relevant to their duties and have the system generated the appropriate response. If your company will acquire this service, it would make information dissemination much easier without sacrificing the authenticity of information you will broadcast. You will have full control of your system, cutting cost along the way, as the application allows for faster, real-time relay sensitive information. This service can also be used for promos like electronic raffle, trivia, mobile coupon and the likes. TxtCircuit- An application that provides interactive audio visual presentation through SMS/MMs Messaging. All messages are projected on one side of the wide screen, While the live video streaming of the event is shown on the other side. There are numerous advantages that comes with this application, namely, (1) it is the first of its kind in the market; (2) it offers faster relay of information for the clients as well as their guest; (3) it utilize SMS messaging wherein the client's guest can view their messages through the wide screen projector; (4) it gives a significant boost to the event organizer's image; (5) clients are given their personal website for six months before and after the event; (6) it is rather cost effective. BabyMine- Provides information-on-demand service thru text messaging for parent or soon to be parents. It will supply everything there is to know about pregnancy and parenting in minimal cost. It is Baby Mine's aim to let parents or expectant mothers interact with each other thru text chat or due date buddies to give each other advices or tips. Parent can also get mobile coupon for discounts or freebies from different establishments or manufacturers for their baby's needs. They can also create a photo album, video or journal of their baby thru SMS which other people can view from BabyMine's site. IT Consulting- We also offer quality services to any organization that would need consultations with regard to information technology. We guarantee that you would receive only the most professional service we can offer. Web Design / Development / Hosting: We at MyPortalExchange do not limit our service to mobile solution alone. We likewise offer web-related solutions for companies who do not have their own. Based on agreed terms, we undertake projects such as developing a website, with all specifications in accordance to the client's wishes, and the hosting of the site as well. Runthered Mobile Enablers Services offered: Wireless Publishing- Our services include the aggregation, hosting, delivery and integration of SMS, MMS, WAP and Java based games, information and applications. Consultancy and analysis on concepts and business models prior to entry into the wireless market Branding and marketing advice Advising on the most appropriate and profitable wireless marketing 'channel' Handling negotiations and agreements with network operators Management and maintenance of products & services purchased or leased on revenue share by mobile operators INNOCOM Services: Expertise in broadband communication Highest availability of products Innovative & experienced engineering support teams Strong quality & reliability support Engineering custom design capability Fast delivery Competitive and affordable prices Efficient after-sales service & technical support Long term customer satisfaction guarantee Fujitsu Siemens Services: Customer References Innovation and design Environmental Care Intel Services: Intel pushes the boundaries of innovation so our work can make people's lives more exciting, fulfilling, and manageable. And our work never stops. We never stop looking for the next leap ahead-in technology, education, culture, manufacturing, and social responsibility. And we never stop collectively delivering better solutions with greater benefits for everyone. Technology & Research At Intel, we're passionate about industry leading processor design and silicon manufacturing. For more than 30 years, Intel's microprocessors have powered the engine of change in our industry, business, and personal lives. Through our relentless pursuit of technology innovations in mobile computing, data center efficiency, and desktop computing, we strive to inspire new computing solutions around the world. http://www.vodafone.com/ http://www.ropermobile.com/ http://www.myportalexchange.com/ http://www.runthered.com/ http://www.innocomtech.com/ http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/aboutus/index.html http://www.intel.com/technology/ References used for TASK 4: McCallum, John S (1997). "The Face Behind Change." Ivey Business Quarterly. http://www.cctbusiness.com/outlines/pdf_flyers/Change_Management.pdf , taken on 9th of April, 2008. References used for TASK 5: Armenakis, A. A., & Bedeian, A. G. (1999). Organizational change: A review of theory and research in the 1990s. Journal of Management, 25, 3, 293-315. Bligh, Philip; Douglas Turk (2004). CRM unplugged - releasing CRM's strategic value. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Connolly, P. I. (2000). Leadership on race in a changing suburban high school. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 36, 407-424. Cross, R., Borgatti, S. P.,&Parker,A. (2002). Making invisiblework visible: Using social network analysis to support strategic collaboration. California Management Review, 44, 25-46. Di Pofi, J. A. (2002). Organizational diagnostics: Integrating qualitative and quantitative methodology. Journal of Organizational Change, 15, 2, 156-158. Foltz, John & Wilson, Christine (2002). Departmentalization: A useful Management Tool for your Firm. WWW.FEEDANDGRAIN.COM - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2002 - FEED & GRAIN Hauck, Cynthia PMP (2007). Collegiate Project Services. How to Choose the Right Project Management Office Structure for Your Organization's Culture. McCallum, John S (1997). "The Face Behind Change." Ivey Business Quarterly. Nelson, R. (1989). The strength of strong ties: Social networks and intergroup conflict in organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 32, 377-401. References used for TASK 7: Bligh, Philip; Douglas Turk (2004). CRM unplugged - releasing CRM's strategic value. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. TASK 2: (This should have been submitted to your tutor prior to this paper) TASK 3: the New Organisation chart for the CS Department allocating the 30 staffs in 3 Technological Products of the Business A new centralized support department based on product departmentalization is proposed. In this new structure, the Customer Support Manager (CSM) manages three supervisory levels based on work specifications: the Sales Supervisor, the Help-desk Supervisor and the Technical Support Supervisor. The CSM is responsible for the over-all decisions in terms of customer services in the mobile technology. He directly reports to the COO for progress and issues that needs attention and resolutions. The second level of the structure directly reports to the CSM. Sales Supervisor who is in-charge of sales as well as manning the loss and gains of the Mobile Company manages the sales support of the three products: Mobile phones, PDAs and CPs. Improvement on sales are the major focus of Sales Supervisor. On the other hand, the Help-desk Supervisor manages the Help-desk team and is responsible for escalating comments of the customers and analyzing the need for improvements of the products. Lastly, the Tech Support Supervisor manages the Tech Support and is responsible to collate data of technical concerns. The last level is comprised of the Sales support, Help-desk and Tech support and is managed by their respective supervisors. Each of the products has its own services per department. Below is the breakdown of staff per product. Mobile phones: 3 Sales Support 3 Help Desk 2 Technical Supports PDAs: 3 Sales Supports 3 Help Desk 3 Technical Supports PCs: 3 Sales Supports 3 Help Desk 2 Technical Supports The Sales Support is responsible for product sales and distribution. They need to ensure the growth of sales of the product they promote. The Help-desk is responsible to answer queries, comments of the customer and to promote retention. The Tech Support responsibility is fully discussed on TASK 6 since this position is currently not present in the previous CS structure. TASK 4: Five Reasons of Staff Resistance to the Change and Methods of counteracting these resistances IMPACT OF RESTRUCTURING THE ORGANIZATION ON THE STAFF Organizations involves human into the system and structure of their system includes the beliefs, worldview, and mental replicas of their co- and members and leaders. Changing organizational structure necessitates modifying the belief system of its people. This development of modifying beliefs is known as learning. For the learning to be effective open and clear communications within the organization is required. Since the world is continuously changed, constant organizational learning is essential to stay updated. This will make the organization non-obsolete. Managers and leaders should regularly study the organizational structure of the company to ensure that it will continuously give an environment for learning. A process of initiating a non aggressive advancement performance appraisal can be a useful organizational learning tool. Having this kind of tool will improve morale and productivity among the staff. It will also reduce personnel turnover which is of great importance; as well as increases the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization. Possible Staff Resistance to Change as discussed: A Company trying to employ a change, whether it is small, should anticipate some resistance from the staff or affected employees within the organization. Resistance to transform is a normal reaction from employees who have become used to a certain way of accomplishing things. Well, certain circumstances or approaches can boost resistance. It is the task of the higher ups to motivate groups, individuals and organizations towards the change they want to implement. The importance of the changes needed to be implemented should be fully discussed as well as how the management will work upon implementing the change for the benefits of both the Company and the employees. Here are five common reasons why people are inclined to resist change. The inclination of employees to become secure with their existing status quo; When change is introduced at a time when employees have a bad relationship with management and are busy, restructuring is resisted; Revelation of change as a shock, because people's reaction is to oppose when they have to deal with a radical and sudden change; or when peer pressure arises, which may lead a group to refuse to accept change due to negative feelings towards the management even if a member does not resist the change. Resistance can also develop out of people's views of how the change will personally affect them. They may oppose due to the reason that they dread of the possibility of losing their jobs or their positions in the company. This is because they are not aware of the purpose of the change, or merely because they have a diverse standpoint on the change than that of the management. Within the Mobile Company, the possibility of employees living far away of the central office will resist the new structure as it will imply a non convenient place for them to work in. Minimizing resistance McCallum (1997) stated that in order to successfully change an organization,; the management necessarily should have prescience, wisdom, communication, energy, training, education, patience, resources, good timing, and the right incentives. He also emphasized that effectively managing and leading change is and will carry on to be a front-burner duty for the company's executives. And he pointed out that prospects are forbidding for organizations that either will not or cannot change. Certainly, no organization member is fairly so welcome as the person that unwaveringly refuses to keep up with the change. The first step the management should do in order to minimize resistance to change is to call for evaluation of changes involving the target for the change or the affected employees. Such step aids to mainly recognize specific areas of resistance, although it cannot guarantee an absolute acceptance of change by organizational staffs, the assessment approach requiring participation can eventually assist evolving groups move forwards a clear institutionalization of change. Providentially, there are various steps that managers can do to help employees to conquer their resistance to change. One effective approach is through communication and education. The staffs can be knowledgeable about both the characteristics of the change and the reason behind it prior to memos, reports, individual discussions or group presentations. Another significant part of overcoming resistance is encouraging employees' involvement and participation in both the planning and execution phases of the structural change. It should be understood that when people are involved in decision making; they tend to understand and to commit to them better. Another promising approach to manage resistance of employees to change is through support and facilitation. Managers should be certain to offer employees with the resources they require to cope with the change (see TASK 7 for the discussion of CRM system as a tool for CS). They also need to be sympathetic of their efforts as well as paying attention to their problems, and recognize that the employees' performances may initially drop until they get accustomed to the implemented change. Another option to overcome resistance to change is through rewards and negotiation. In order to avoid resistance from those employees who need to relocate in order to work at the central office, the management has to give transportation allowance to them. It is also likeable to reward them with a longer vacation leave for them to be with their families. Managers offer employees tangible incentives to make sure of their collaboration. Of course, no approach is suitable to every situation, and methods may be combined as needed. It is reasonable that effective managers imposing changes are well abreast with the different and multiple approaches and able of openly applying them to the existing situation." In www.CCTBusiness.com the Steps That an Effective Manager Can Implement for Change has been enumerated and evaluated. Below are these steps without alteration of the contents. (SOURCE: http://www.cctbusiness.com/outlines/pdf_flyers/Change_Management.pdf , taken on 9th of April, 2008) Do not ignore the people side of "change management." Change Management is a combination of methods used by people (usually management teams) within organizations to ensure organizational transition is completed efficiently and effectively. It is extremely important that management teams consider the "people side" of any organizational change. Effective Change Management needs to be viewed as a human process rather than a technical process. This will come to light when Change Management is described as a series of "approaches" or "processes" an organization follows when moving from its current state to a desired state. Intellectually we know that changes to structures, processes, policies and technology will likely improve efficiencies. The buzz-words used to describe this type of organizational change include: organizational reorganization, corporate restructuring, process reengineering, resource reallocation, etc. For any of these change processes to work, however, the impact they will have on people cannot be overlooked or discounted. If these impacts are ignored, the change initiative will likely fail. Hone interpersonal and communication skills. In the past, managers have been told to focus their efforts on managing resistance to their change initiatives and help their staff overcome the pains associated with chance. A more up-to-date methodology will teach managers the types of interpersonal and management skills needed to help with staff dealing with change. The skills that can help managers "manage change" include: motivational techniques, team building, coaching, feedback, setting priorities, negotiating priorities, stress-management, and dealing with conflict, systematic problem-solving and effective delegation. - Stop thinking of change management as a stand-alone initiative and start accepting it as an everyday reality. Organizational change is inevitable and its pace is quickening. Basic economics dictates that an organization must constantly adapt or risk failure. The introduction of new technologies, new global competitors, new legislation, new management, new customers, new ideas, etc., force organizations to change the way they do business. If organizations do not constantly seek to adapt and keep pace with new demands, or take advantage of efficacies, they run the risks of under-performing in the market and, ultimately, being forced out. - Anticipate what and where the resistance will be and plan for it accordingly. All managers need to realize that resistance to change is normal. Given that change is an ever-present reality in today's work place, it is safe to say that resistant behaviour is inevitable in most organizations. Managers need to identify this behaviour and help staff manage it by utilizing the proper interpersonal and communication skills. To manage a successful organizational change, leaders need to be more proactive in their approach. If the staffs are not prepared for change, they will resist it. Therefore, managers need to minimize resistance by anticipating what and where the resistance will be and plan for it. Ultimately, it's the manager's responsibility to ensure that employees are ready and willing to embrace change. - Become a "Change Promoter." Managing in today's organizations means one must constantly identify when and where change is needed. Managers need to be able to advocate for these transitions to their superior's, their stakeholders, and their staff. In other words, change has to be communicated up, down, and out. This requires a set of skills that may be new to many managers - namely skills related to planning and managing corporate communications. If a manager sees a way for change to improve business, he or she needs to be able to present a briefing to superiors. The briefing must include the effects on employees in the cost/benefit analysis. Success can be enhanced if managers play an active role in both planning and delivering messages about the change initiatives. TASK 5: Power Point Presentation (Please put below in ppt format) 5.1 Reason behind Board's decision to opt for a centralised customer support structure "Today's environment is beginning to threaten today's organizations, finding them seriously deficient in their nervous system design.... The degree of coordination, perception, rational adaptation, etc., which will appear in the next generation of human organizations will drive our present organizational forms, with their clumsy nervous systems, into extinction." -Douglas Engelbart, 1970 This observation of Douglas Engelbart gives enlightenment on the need of restructuring that most companies find applicable. Whether the Company is small or big, this restructuring mostly are through changing the Organization Structures. Cross, Borgatti, &Parker (2002) stated that organizational change, particularly change that engages restructuring, typically executed in terms of observable formal appointments to positions and modifications in official reporting process. But it also happens, frequently at the same time to formal change, in less perceptible changes in the informal systems of grouping within the Company. Also, this less perceptible change is a by-product not only of formal appointments but also of the social changes that take place in reaction to such declarations. Occasionally designed restructuring efforts engross attempts to get employees and groups within organizations to work as one more effectively as argued by Connolly (2000). When this is the objective, the Company managers frequently try to boost formal structural associations between groups and people under the perception that information will run better without restraint, and modern activities will disperse more efficiently in a dense system (Nelson, 1989). With this in mind, the Board of Directors advice a restructuring of the Customer Support function into a centralized organization. This leads on accepting that the trend toward a globalization requires a highly competitive edge in the market for our technological products such as mobile phones, PDAs and PCs to excel in worldwide. As the company proceed with the aims of market expansion; it is important for the Board to grasp the benefits of a centralized department as reasons for restructuring are laid down. 5.2 Summary of the General Advantages of Centralisation The Need for a Centralized CS Department is triggered by the following factors: Improvements of product, technology, services, and organizational culture Evolving and widening of target markets Diversity of global Mobile Technology competitors Personal development and transition of the staffs 5.3 Benefits of the new structure on both the staff and the Company The control and productivity benefits impact of a centralized structure can have an impressive effect on the operations of the Company as well as the services it renders to the customers. Most of the benefits included here are based on the studies done by Hauck (2007). These benefits include: Easy to Manage- Utilizing standardized methods guarantees observance of policies set at a centralized position. It can also optimize risk management through a centralized structure. This centralized structure permits departments to quickly adopt presented methodologies by the management. Improve focus- Since centralized structure allows resolution of issues by escalating directly to the top decision maker, the Customer Support Manager (CSM) gains support through a close working relationship with the staff. The department on a centralized structure only focus towards the goal specifically assigned to the department improving focus of each of the staff. Although, it is important to keep in mind that though this structure presents more authority and responsibility to the CSM, it should not do so at the cost of cooperation and communication within the staff. Also, CSM needs to uphold cooperation across all departments in order to be successful as one unified company. Productivity benefits - Productivity is improved as standardized plans, performance and practices create an efficient operation. Because of these plans, methods can be duplicated throughout the organization and information can be conveyed with ease. However, the centralized structure will only govern on how the management should function. The need to restructure focus in terms of services rendered by the Mobile Technology should be based on Product Departmentalization in lieu of Geographical Departmentalization that it is currently adopting. Product departmentalization organizes the business alongside its products, and is the approach that is well-suited to the customer support department. Since the Company provides products in mobile technology such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants and laptop PCs, the services is then maximize based on these product lines. This provides greater mobile- product line visibility within the company, as the product is more evidently defined, mainly from the standpoint of profit and loss. This approach also advocates the tendency to promote better concern for customer demand, as the demand can easily be traced to a specific department. The need to Departmentalize based on product is brought up by the following benefits as handed by Foltz *& Wilson (2002): Departmentalizing a business into profit centres allows you as the manager to view the firm in a different light, more than just looking at your monthly or quarterly Profit and Loss statement. It delves deeper and shows which product lines are most and which are least profitable. It can help you to better manage those lines that are not generating sufficient profit -either by increasing revenue generated in these departments by adjusting pricing or improving the bottom line by reducing expenses. TASK 6: Job Advertisement Job Title: Technical Support Number of Vacancy: 8 open positions Department: Customer Support Reports To: Technical Support Supervisor Essential Functions include the following. - Maintains, establishes, and monitors a system of problem tracking and requests in order to give a centralized customer support facility that CS Department staffs can get in touch with for the numerous services that the Company provides. -Provides assistance to users in basic office workstation equipment functions and computer terminal. -Communicates with affected users concerning cause and progression of scheduled and non-scheduled computer down time. -Provides guidance and direction in person or over the telephone to user agencies that are having difficulty obtaining the desired service. -Is responsible for developing, securing approval, and implementing procedures relating to improving the services and monitoring services provided by the Customer Support Facility. -Maintains performance records and statistics. -Distinguishes between which service requests or problems need to be handled by the Customer Support Facility and/or other service areas of Management Services. Qualifications Completion of an Associates degree in computer science or with technical on the job experience equivalent with experience in transaction processing, word processing, data base, query and spreadsheet software packages. Four years of technical experience involving computer operations and/or data control. Four years of experience as a Customer Support Technician or experience working in a business office environment that makes use of computer technology with knowledge of the computer applications and hardware devices and their uses to support the business work environment. Hiring Process: On-line advertisement and manpower pooling (initial stage); HR screening and testing (second stage) and Final Interview and skill assessment by the Technical Support Supervisor (last stage) This process will secure the company that only the best candidates will be hired for the position. TASK 7: Key Characteristics of CRM system According to Bligh and Turk (2004), the challenge of the business was to handle customers as the company's assets. Mobile Technology recognized the need to focus in keeping and creating loyal customers. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) thus became a vital business tool that facilitated companies to expand their customer base, manage and build long-term relationships with the customers. CRM can aid the Company in achieving its goal for business stability and growth. CRM can also aid the CS Department in managing the customers. Below are the ways in which CRM help the Customer Support in their tasks. 1. It helps in converting the raw data into customer specific behaviour measurements. 2. It helps companies focus on revenue generation and customer loyalty. 3. It helps in creating 360 degree view of the customer. 4. It helps in detecting customer behaviour patterns, analyzing and choosing channels to market References Armenakis, A. A., & Bedeian, A. G. (1999). Organizational change: A review of theory and research in the 1990s. Journal of Management, 25, 3, 293-315. Bligh, Philip; Douglas Turk (2004). CRM unplugged - releasing CRM's strategic value. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Connolly, P. I. (2000). Leadership on race in a changing suburban high school. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 36, 407-424. Cross, R., Borgatti, S. P.,&Parker,A. (2002). Making invisiblework visible: Using social network analysis to support strategic collaboration. California Management Review, 44, 25-46. Di Pofi, J. A. (2002). Organizational diagnostics: Integrating qualitative and quantitative methodology. Journal of Organizational Change, 15, 2, 156-158. Foltz, John & Wilson, Christine (2002). Departmentalization: A useful Management Tool for your Firm. WWW.FEEDANDGRAIN.COM - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2002 - FEED & GRAIN Hauck, Cynthia PMP (2007). Collegiate Project Services. How to Choose the Right Project Management Office Structure for Your Organization's Culture. McCallum, John S (1997). "The Face Behind Change." Ivey Business Quarterly. Nelson, R. (1989). The strength of strong ties: Social networks and intergroup conflict in organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 32, 377-401. Read More