Critical Appraisal of the Design Process - Essay Example

Design and Technology Lecturer Overview and specification of a business process According to Teece , most companies are currently deploying online departments as the main space where much of the sale of wide-range products will take place. Most among them have had long established warehouse and logistics and they can therefore advance their wholesales target and attract retailer outlets and other key customers to order their products in bulk or a single item. However, most of them have continued to use departmental retail stores to distribute their products in order to complement the upcoming online distribution. All the departments including head office support, accounts, warehouse and HR are all integrated under a single management. The companies also need to have well developed brands and correct product range from the customers’ viewpoint. In the recent adapted online stores, sales and marketing are the focus where a single product is developed within an emerging e-commerce platform. The online tools promote sales by contacting geographically dispersed customers. Together with its exceptional distribution, appalling packaging and radical re-branding, e-commerce has made huge impacts on the business. Companies have invested much on wooing customers to increase new sales. Companies have operated by accepting customer most-preferred brands, services or any other modification needed. The way the company operates in this new model can be visualized through an overview of the organizational structure in dig. 2.0. There are three main process that support the company’s e-commerce business including the management, operational and supporting processes. The directors deal with strategic management with the assistance of other staffs. They focus on the front-end of the business by planning, controlling, organizing and leading the execution of any type of activity and project in line with the company needs. They are involved in online project management processes where they plan, execute, monitor and evaluate software projects in different departments to improve services, sales or respond to changing business environment (Attaran 2004). Being at the top of the company, they play a central role in management and ensuring accountability among the managers, departments and the whole workforce. As Zott & Amit (2010) points out, operational processes consist of the core business processes that create primary value. These include purchasing, sales and marketing, research and development and logistics like shipping and distribution. Most of the business objectives are integrated under operational processes where sub-processes are well defined to map activities and increase effectiveness in each area. As Ha & Stoel (2009) points out, each department has capacity to ensure commitment through established procedures for productive activities and use of e-commerce tools. Most of the company’s operations, process and procedures are documented to avoid numerous ways of doing activities that might lead to failure of a new sales and marketing system or lack of defined objectives. A standardized approach is promoted through significant management and coordination from the management. 2. A set of requirements for the process Sales and marketing Department Sales and marketing workforce are not directly involved with the internal functioning of the business even though they work within the organization. The department has integrated research and development (R & D) and uses both manuals and automated technologies in their activities. Recently, the department is concentrating on technological development, performance of products and design features for sales. Most of the IT supports activities have target the ever changing needs in sales and marketing department. Ultimately, most companies are in the verge of fully integrating electronic communications, data sharing, external communications, online customer tracking, support and electronic transactions. The business process in the department has adopted both the department store sales and is now adapting to online stores. However, as Loudon & Loudon (2011) observes, in the mean time, the size and scale of the business, activities, type of customers, the needs of customers and preferences are some major factors that have promoted the use of traditional sales and marketing strategies. The directors concentrate on sales force by implementing new sales processes. Electronic data sharing methods such as the use of e-mails, online tools, internet alerts and online transactions are used and particularly with long-established customers. Sales aids have been upgraded continuously through the use of sales aids and quality literature. Sales force creates and distributes information online for long established customers as in dig. 1.0 Below. Dig. 1.0 Promoted e-commerce in sales and marketing department As Ha & Stole (2009) observes, Website- Where visitors constantly send and receive information over internet from personal computer to company web server. An online transaction sends credit card data for a transaction. SSL Certificate- Ensures that the credit card data transmitted is safely unlike where most data flow freely. Encryption ensures that credit card data is safe from prying eyes and SSL Certificate accomplishes this task. Online Gateway- The gateway allows a website to transmit data to the merchant account. The credit card data is sent by the website to Authorize.net. Merchant Account- The merchant account allows company’s business to accept customers’ credit cards. Bank Account-Payment is deposited to the company’s bank account after a few days. Cooperation and communications Communication process creates cooperation, engagement and allows the company to develop network within the organization. The new online technological tools have to start by creating logistic details, email and virtual meetings to promote continued communication within and among departments. In the delivery of the company’s activities, most responsibilities will then be carried out by experienced personnel. Where multiple functions are expected to be carried out, responsibilities should be assigned to different individuals working in functional departments. There are links between the functional areas with an approach of promoting single working premises in order to realize the overall aims as well as the objectives. Ultimately, cooperation and good communication is a requirement for the operation of these departments. Administration is the central part of the company where other departments like HR, finance, R & D, marketing, IT, sales and operations are connected. Human resource is one of the most important departments in the company dealing with work force performance. It can support online operations through the structured compensation, organized training, development and promotion. Finance department is concerned with future plans and money. They prepare and manage accounts, prepare wages and salaries, obtain capital and resources for expansion and pay for resources like materials and equipment. Administration and IT function together and deals with clerical work like record keeping, mail, office supplies, security, facility and maintenance, supporting software application, electronic transactions and communications (Reiser & Dempsey 2011). Operations of core business activities in online space need to support marketing and sales so that the company can be able to deal with customer needs, market research and promotion. Customer services offer information, give advice, deliver goods, provide after-sales services and provide credit facilities. 3. Flow diagrams: Organizational Structure According to Hrastinski (2009), e-commerce business has to adopt an organizational structure with minimal hierarchies to make business operation faster. The organizational structure promotes performance, efficiency, direct interaction of all levels of the organization and decision-making processes in online and departmental stores’ marketing. The cycle of activities and processes targets on promoting organizational output and customer satisfaction through quality services. There are key results areas that e-commerce will improve within the company. These include the company’s capacity, service, quality, productivity, assets, employee performance and income. Dig. 2.0: Company’s Organizational Structure for managing and directing operations Vision and power Strategic leadership articulates the function of an organization and chat the course on how to get there (Zott & Amit 2010). One of the forms in which the corporation leadership promotes vision is by providing focus and new attention through communicating. Both implicit and explicit information is needed for the workers to understand where they are and where they are heading to. That way, they keep on challenging or consolidating the previously held knowledge and particularly in the new online environment. Vision attracts the workforce and influences some critical areas. There are broad roles that the leaders deal with including; economic role of leading the company and addressing the stakeholders by expressing the new policy to follow. However, vision creation involves all the part of the organization. First, it starts with the responsibility of gathering information on total; internal and external environment. The directors and the managers conceive the vision in an ongoing process by gathering information from customers, workforce, competitors and range of people with interests in the organization. The information gathered is analyzed and continuously processed to make sense of the environment, shape communication and provide the right focus to the members. The leaders also possess the power that is essential to achieve the company’s objectives (Österle, et al 2010). Administration department Apart from offering the general services to the other departments, administration is centrally involved with information storage. The compiled software makes it easy to manage, share, store, retrieve and get rid of data by the department staffs. Dig. 3.0: Company’s internal processes working with e-commerce tools Mani, Barua & Whinston (2010) observes that, supporting processes are carried out within the business to support the core processes. There are relatively a number of sectors that deal with support including the accounting/finance, human resources and recruitment, customer services, administration, IT and technical support departments. Support staffs promote efficiency by organizing policy and describing the right way for the company to deal with its workforce, resources and methods applicable for every situation. The staffs promote quality and align functions with the tactical, operational and strategic policy. They are not involved with specific element or issue in the company but offer support across all the processes. Support staffs offer the company an improved leverage of expertise standardizes internal functions, limit activities that might be detrimental, ensure continuous improvement of internal services, consolidate experience and offer a prior test of cost and operations. Steps and actors Customers’ services According to Chang & Chen (2009), customer services provide services to established as well as new customers before, during and after purchase, use of goods and services. To increase sales and ensure competitive company viability, customer-facing staffs promote services that meet the customers’ expectations. In the company, customer service staffs are highly required to develop enduring bonds with customers who potentially lead to long-term relationships. The relationship promotes business and customer advantages. At customers’ service desk, all kinds of relevant electronic manuals, poster, bill-boards and booklets that pertain to company’s operations and new services set to meet the needs of the customers ought to be provided. These aid the customers that have not carried out transaction online or those who are not in the business for long leading to continuous company’s growth. The needs of such customers are attended to or forwarded to the necessary department. In most case, customer care deal with customers’ orders and invoices and directly deals with accounts department to confirm approval of orders. They also collaborate with the warehouse to communicate the time for new stock delivery, dispatch date and order confirmation. Österle, et al (2010) observes that, the company must have an approach of working on customers’ viewpoints and implementing better services. There need to be consistent investment to deliver standardized services and this has been promoted by customer service automation technology. Automated services promote simplified customer interaction, improved efficiency, customer experience and ultimately added revenue potential, reduced operation costs in the department and customer retention. Improved productivity is enhanced by improved call quality, training time, call time, reduced errors in data entry and enhanced customer experience. The department staffs including the head of department and staffs at the customer care desk also need continuous training to know the emerging needs in the online services (Chang & Chen (2009). Accounts department E-commerce provides the account department with a new way of operation where transactions are carried out online through credit cards. The accounts department creates accessible platform for payment and ensure that transactions are completed before issuing assurance to deliver the products. They also deal with financial management by planning and running the financial assets of the company. The department co-work with almost all the others in supplying and monitoring the use of funds in an appropriate manner and finding various sources to raise funds for the business. The main roles of the department are to plan and promote the success of the enterprise, acquire funding at minimal cost, plan a proper utilization and allotment of funds, winning sound economic decisions, improve profitability and increase investment. As the department plays a central role for the company, activities are automated to allow the customer to pay, develop and communicate financial and operational information. Online access to sales trend helps in decision-making for sales and company improvement. As Hrastinski (2009) observes, instead of traditional ways where quarterly report are produced by accounts department, online platform make it easy to measure the resulting economic activities and convey the information to the management, customers and employees. The department is guided by the accounts manager who broadly deals with auditing, managing accounting, financial accounting, tax accounting and reporting. Automated processes allow the department staffs to share information, have a real-time access to updates, compare targets and milestones and promote faster decision making processes. The accounts department links with the warehouse to work on invoice for the products in stock and prices. Warehouse department Warehouse staffs work as a team to update manuals and electronic files for the Goods In, pick and loading. There should be a manager who takes the full responsibility of the department, mange other staffs for greater team performance. Being one of the main departments supporting online sales, the products, quality, quantity and prices have to be updated around the clock to provide information to customers who access the company’s website at any time. The information updates plays a crucial role in the company by ensuring massive distribution of information as well as smooth and efficient internal operation. Warehouse should be designed to offer the right customer experience and fastest services and avoid delays by grouping products under a single category (Chang & Chen 2009). Specialized platforms with different navigational tool should guide to the stock and products that are later distributed to wholesalers, retailers and individual customers. The order processing and fulfillment process must go through all the necessary process before the goods are distributed. In the warehouse, they handle packaging to ensure that certain customers’ requests are met. Analysis Details All the above process have been analyzed by reflection of the most important aspects of a company including the environment; with opportunities and threats, the way it affect the company’s customers, competitors and suppliers. The company structure was important in the analysis as it helped to determine how power and influence work within the company and over processes. Operations comprise of key activities, resources, customer, customer segments and channels. The aspects of operations such as innovation, flexibility, cost and quality were analyzed. Knowledge management involving people, databases, resource planning, programs, operations and structure also allowed tracing the productivity, operational priorities and plans towards improvement. Similarly, the company’s strategy was also analyzed to identify the market opportunities, market access, customer base and niches that promote competitive advantage (Reiser & Dempsey 2011). 4. Give a critical appraisal of the design process A number of company’s activities can be carried out through online tools. Most of the activities carried through the intranet type functions have been developed. There are improved services with new online marketing and sales tools key among them includes customer support and education, training of employees, advertising, marketing and building public relations. It has shown effectiveness in inventory control functions, meeting information gathering and sharing among employees. The benefits of an electric form are presented by improving many of the areas. E-commerce can increase the competitive viability of a company as it is a unified information infrastructure and therefore promote real-time access to inventories (Mani, Barua & Whinston 2010). However, one area that is intriguing is how they deliver quality customer services without face to face interactions with the customers. E-commerce is channels that ensure goods are delivered directly to the customers. However, there quality concerns and shipping issues seem like a big challenge to e-commerce. Information back-up issue also makes e-commerce an intriguing activity since any failure in any of the databases may affect the whole process of transactions (Attaran 2004). References Attaran, M 2004, Exploring the relationship between information technology and business process reengineering. Information & Management, 41(5), 585-596. Chang, H H, & Chen, S W 2009, Consumer perception of interface quality, security, and loyalty in electronic commerce. Information & Management, 46(7), 411-417. Ha, S, & Stoel, L 2009, Consumer e-shopping acceptance: antecedents in a technology acceptance model. Journal of Business Research, 62(5), 565-571. Hrastinski, S 2009, A theory of online learning as online participation.Computers & Education, 52(1), 78-82. 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