Information Management of Abercrombie & Fitch - Case Study Example

Abercrombie & Fitch Affiliation Abercrombie & Fitch Abercrombie & Fitch was founded in 1892, in New York,and the store was known for its elite outfitter of excursion and sporting goods, especially expensive fishing boats, tents, and shotguns. Today, A&F sells clothes for the youths where its retailing has been described as niche as an inspiring “Casual Luxury” lifestyle brand. A&F has a high profile in the public because of its ways of marketing such as advertising and corporate social responsibility. The store has ensured that its customers are satisfied by providing the goods that they want, as well as, satisfying the design and branding needs. A&F is a huge organization in the sense that, it has its headquarters in New Albany, Ohio where all the operations are run including merchandise distribution centre that are located on the campus to ensure that there is brand protection (EuroSPI 2010, & Riel, 2010, p.34). Therefore, A&F being a huge corporation it has an executive director that Arthur Martinez who ensures that the organization achieves its objective in the clothing industry. Additionally, there are other seven officials or directors of the organization. They ensure that the goals of the organization are met on time and that their clients are satisfied with the goods that are produced. The A&F has 1,049 stores all over the world where 278 of those stores are located in the United States. The stores operate all their four brands that include Abercrombie Kids, which sells clothes for children from the age of 7 through 14. Hollister Co. that sells clothes for children from the age of 14 through 18 and is themed as “SoCal” these clothes have lower prices compared to their parent brand. There is Gilly Hicks, which is a cheeky cousin of Abercrombie & Fitch that has been themed as “Down Under” Sydney. This concept brand offers lounge wear and underwear for women aged 18 and up. Lastly, there was the Ruehl No. 925, which used to offer clothes for women of the age of 22 through 35. However, the operations of Ruehl No. 925 closed in 2010. The organization uses brand representatives or what is commonly known to as models for their stores customers’ service. Additionally, their store managers who are responsible for lighting, photo marketing, forms, fragrance presentation and ensuring that the models employed to sell the organizations brand comply with what us known as the look policy. By so doing, the store managers ensure that their customers have a clear way of seeing how the clothes would look like if they were wearing them making it an appropriate form of marketing. A&F ensures that it sells quality of products to their customers because they do the manufacturing of the clothes; hence, ensuring that the materials being used to manufacture the clothes are of good quality. This in turn makes the clothes expensive meaning that the target market is not that of a standard American citizen. The organization has many stores across the United States and other subsidiaries in other countries (Turban, 2007, p.45). For that reason, they have the direct operates of selling their clothes to the customers through the stores and the internet. Additionally, because of their extemporal marketing strategy the brand is known all over the world making it easier for the organization to make good sales. However, although A&F has good marketing strategies, some information is required in order to improve the company’s performance. This is because there has been some bad press on the organization where they have been accused of sexualizing teen girls. For that reason, the organization requires information to ensure that it improves it customer relation. Additionally, information is important as it helps in understanding what the people or the customers want in terms of design and the quality of products. Additionally, the organization provides clothes universally meaning that the brand is internationally making it even more important to have a clear understanding of the market. First, the information that is required to ensure that the company improves its performance is customer to retailer relationship. This is essential because it provides an insight of how the customers want to be treated when they get in the stores. Secondly, employee satisfaction and motivation it is imperative for any organization to know whether their employees feels satisfied with their job. This is because when the employees are satisfied they are motivated to working towards achieving the goals and objective of the organization. Thirdly, in order to improve the company’s performance, it is imperative to understand the market. In that, the market should be established in order to know how and what goods should be sold to the customers as well as, of what quality. This is because the organization seeks to ensure that all consumer needs are taken care of, as well as, their satisfaction with the services provided. Marketing strategies for the organization and their effectiveness is another sought of information that the organization requires in order to improve the company’s performance. This is because all organization depend on their marketing strategies to ensure that the goods are moving swiftly and to the required destination. For this reason, understanding whether the marketing strategies are effective helps in improving the organization performance because in case they are not they can change them. The target market for the organization is a high profile because of the products they sell meaning that their customers are people have access to the internet. This is because the internet is a good way of finding out what the customers need (Morabito, 2013, p.21). Although A&F has a website, the website promotes the stores and the models, as well as, the cloth line; however, it is important to understand what the customer wants by opening a new site that can be used to relate with the customers. This in turn can help in obtaining the information required on issues relating to marketing, customer satisfaction and establishing whether the organization is producing good quality products. In relation to the organizations, internal affairs or information gathering in establishing whether there is employee, satisfaction the organization can use an internal online site where the employees can raise their grievances and also share their opinions about the organization. By so doing, the organization understands what their employees want and at times involves them in the decision-making process, especially those who work closely with the customers. In addition, when it comes to effective marketing strategies, the employees can establish ways of helping the organization as they understand the customer needs, as well as, what catches the customers attention. A face-to-face interaction with the customers can also be an efficient way of gathering information because they give a first-hand experience of the services that are being offered by the organization. By so doing, the organization manages to improve their quality of decision-making, as they know what the customers expects from them each day (Morabito, 2013, p.56). In addition, to face-to-face interaction a survey in the stores and outside the stores can also be a good way of acquiring data required to enhance the performance of the organization. This can be done by giving the customers some survey forms to fill where the customer can fill their contact details and the feedback of the services rendered for the day. This helps in improving customer relations, as well as opening communication lines between the client and the stores. The internet feedbacks can be transformed to improve quality decision making by allowing the customers to give their ideas on the cloth line. Additionally, the feedbacks provide the organization with the information and knowledge needed to improve their business. Hence, allowing them to make decisions that affect the customer positively. Information management in the organization is important because it allows the organization to use the information or the knowledge they have learned from their customers in a way that improves their business operations. Therefore, having both the customers and the employees provide a means in which the organization can improve their performance is imperative to the organization. To incorporate all the information and knowledge gathered from the surveys and online sources, it is important for the organization to have a software. The software can help in managing the information, as well as, backing it up to ensure that in case the information is needed it can be retrieved especially the customers contact details (Bharati, Lee & Chaudhury, 2010, p.67). The software that will be required to help in supporting information strategy is Customer Relationship Management software strategy. The CRM software is a successful strategy that allows interaction between the customer and the management. In any organization, the CRM software should align with the organizations purpose, mission and business strategies for it work. In the case of A&F, the customer’s feedback and employee satisfaction are imperative to the growth of the organization. For that reason, the CRM software will be an elaborate strategy to ensure that efficiency and effectiveness in the running of the business are achieved (Choo, 2002, p.90). The major objectives of the CRM are achieving a holistic view of the consumer’s relationship. Where A&F being an international organization, the customers require consistent information on the products regardless of the touch point. This in turn reduces duplication and redundancy of the organization as they have new information to go on each day as provided by the customers. The software is effective also in internal affairs of the organization because it also provides the staff with real-time information giving them the ability to respond to any substantial competitive advantage. By so doing, it ensures that the staff of the entire organization have the same form of information that is required in improving the organization performance and productivity. This is because through the help of the software the organization manages to improve its services to both the staff and the consumers. The software should be acquired on the basis that good communication lines are required between the organization and the customer. For that reason, having CRM software strategy ensures that there is information management both at the end of the consumer and that of the organization. Additionally, the organization requires being in communication with the marketers to ensure that the strategies brought forth send the right message to the consumers (Wells, 2011, p.78). This software manages the information as it also gives the staff a substantial competitive advantage over other sellers. Additionally, the software should be acquired on the basis for improving both external and internal environment of the organization. In that, it will provide a way in which the information of knowledge gathered from the staff and the customers will be integrated to ensure that it help in improving the performance of the organization (CRM solutions 2015). Moreover, the software will create a platform that will allow the users across all globe to see what other customers have to say about the products; hence, providing a good platform for people share their views about the quality of the product. In conclusion, information management in any organization is important because it allows the information obtained to be used for the benefit of the organization. Additionally, having an effective software ensures that the information acquired is utilized in the organization to help in the decision-making process. For that reason, various potential benefits can result with the use of information management and Information Technology recommendations provided for the company. They include the ability for the organization to gather information that will help in enhancing the organizations performance. Enhance the transparency in relation to the quality of goods, good customer relations, staff satisfaction in relation to their involvement in decision-making and providing high-quality services to the customers. Additionally, providing a productive internal environment for the staff to help in enhancing the organizations performance. References Bharati, P., Lee, I., & Chaudhury, A. (2010). Global perspectives on small and medium enterprises and strategic information systems: International approaches. Hershey, PA: Business Science Reference. Choo, C. W. (2002). Information management for the intelligent organization: the art of scanning the environment. Medford, N.J., Information Today. CRM solutions. (2015). CRM Software Strategy. Retrieved February 2, 2015, from http://www.crmsolution.com/crm-strategy.html EuroSPI 2010, & Riel, A. (2010). Systems, software and services process improvement: 17th European Conference, EuroSPI 2010, Grenoble, France, September 1-3, 2010, proceedings. Berlin: Springer. Kangas, K. (2003). Business strategies for information technology management. Hershey, Pa, IRM Press. Morabito, V. (2013). Business technology organization: managing DIGITAL information technology for value creation - the SIGMA approach. Tan, F. B. (2002). Global perspective of information technology management. Hershey, Pa, IRM Press. http://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?bookid=4101. Turban, E. (2007). Information technology for management: transforming organizations in the digital economy. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley. Van Grembergen, W. (2001). Information technology evaluation methods and management. Hershey,PA,IRMPress.http://libaccess.mcmaster.ca/login?url=http://www.infosci- online.com/content/tocVolumes.asp?ID=196. Wells, T. (2011). Chasing youth culture and getting it right how your business can profit by tapping into todays most powerful trendsetters and tastemakers. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley & Sons. http://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?bookid=41644. Read More