E-Business Management Report
Introduction
Technology has indeed been changing due to its characterization with a high level of innovations and inventions. On the other hand, it has come along with various benefits to human life. Many things have been simplified, and hence people can do them at ease. Nobody could imagine that technological inventions would enter the food market. However, the Cook company, a company based in New Zealand, is the latest firm to come up with the massive technological ideology to be applied in the food industry. However, any company that is new in the market faces various challenges when trying to break through the various market segments. Besides, the market segment’s ways of operation are done differently. Currently, many marketing strategies are done through online marketing platforms. The main strategies through which marketing is done nowadays involves the use of technology websites and social networking sites such as Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, among other methods. It also includes communication sites and use of print media forms of adverts and other methods such as the use of Television, radios among others. In such situations where a company is stuck in terms of marketing technologies, the services of the digital business consultant are very necessary. Hence, this research paper seeks to provide digital business recommendations for “The Cook” company.
Background of the Company
The cook company is a firm that deals with the manufacturing of cooking robots with the potential to revolutionize how we live, especially in terms of our diet varieties. The cooking robots are capable of making available recipe one drawn from a data-based store of recipes. The cooking robots collaborate with the food supplied to them, store in moderate conditions and locations in homes. Hence with such resources available at hand, the cooking robots are able now to prepare food or any meal you want. Furthermore, the robots are programmed in such a manner they have self-installed devices to enable them to prepare food and most importantly are programmed to know where the kitchen is located in the house as well as identify the various cooking facilities, additional tools and food containers needed to complete the meal preparation in good time and an appropriate manner. Besides, the cooking robots will set the table to an acceptable and presentable standard and place the food also in a presentable in preparation for you and your guests. With such services, the guests are served to the standard requested for the particular occasion.
The services provided by such roots produced by The cook provides more services than the ones you may expect. They are designed in several different models. Some of the model types are restricted to cold preparation; some are restricted to a limited range of meal recipes. In other words, the models vary depending on the client’s requirements or demand. Nevertheless, they are silent when they are coking. However, expect to hear cooking noises. For our consumers, the only thing you need to do is relax, enjoy music as well as entertain yourselves as you wait for your food to be ready. This is a clear depiction of the goodness, the company, “The Cook” is planning for its consumers in the market.
Business Processes
The main objective of this research paper is to provide an E-Business management report for the Cook Company. The report provides recommendations on various aspects such as the Business processes to be applied, customer shift to online as well as the key technologies required for the e-business management of the Cook company. The latter are the three main components required for the e-Business management of the company, “The Cook.”
The business process model is the most important component in e-business management. For the success of the company in the market, there needs to be a modeling structure of how the company will carry out its business activities concerning the sales of cooking robots, which is the company’s product. There are various types of business process models, each with its particular diagrammatic flow chart. The flow chart for the e-business process to be used by the company, The Cook is shown below;
The above is the modern business process technique. The model is referred to as the Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN). The BPMN business process model is made up of a series of several symbols or standards objects to represent tasks and workflows of the business process. Besides, it enables the company to add something new in the process (von Rosing et al. 2015). Considering the company is bringing a new product with massive attention to the public across the local and international stage, changes are inevitable. Thus with such a model, then it is easy to accommodate such changes into the process. Besides, the business process is suitable since it provides an opportunity to avoid the challenge of coming up with the visual language of the company (Zora Muehlen & Recker, 2013).
The flow of the company products is represented in the BPMN model in various ways. There are connecting objects. This is meant to show the interconnection of various tasks. The use of solid lines represents the transfer of tasks between Cook company’s points. There are various benefits of the use of the BPNM model. Considering that the Cook company is new in the market with a new ad unique product, it is recommended for the company to undertake the adoption of this model due to its neutral notation. It will provide the company with the capability to select and make diverse choices from multiple tools available. Besides, the company will be able to use the BPMN at different levels of its operation. As mentioned earlier, it will be possible for the model to be enriched and altered for the accommodation of future changes for the better of the marketing. When it comes to business process modeling, the use of BPMN stands out as the best. It enables the exception way of handling various key aspects of the company business process operation (Zur Muehlen & Recker, 2013). With such a strategy, the business process of the company will be a smooth one ensuring that cooking robots can reach prospective customers at the time of their need.
Customers’ Shift to Online
When it comes to marketing of the cooking robots, we have to consider the customer shift to online platforms. Although technology has advanced to a high level, it is indeed true that not all customers do their purchasing online. In these cases, we want to consider the various factors that influence the balance of online as well as offline business activity. Besides, there are specific strategies for building an online business. Critically assess your suggestions.
When it comes to balancing business online, the business has its specific environments where they survive. Some businesses would survive well when marketed online, while others won’t. In the same way, some businesses would survive well when marketed offline, while others may solely depend on online platforms. One of the factors that influence the balance is the trust placed in the two different types of business platforms. In this case, we are selling cooking robotics, a technology device. This is a product that would do more when marketed online and offline. However, online marketing for cooking robots would automatically boom. However, that does not imply that offline business won’t. Trust comes is when people are afraid of something they on their technological devices being advertised (Dinner, Van Heerde, & Neslin, 2013). When doing offline business, people have more trust in the cooking robotic being sold since they can physically see how it operates and how it is used. They can be able to make several decisions concerning the effectiveness of such a product. As a result, they would decide whether to buy or not, a decision which in most cases is not affected by the trust since they can physically see the product. When it comes to online business, trust is an issue people will have on a product. However, trust issues can be enhanced to ensure balance by providing various video demonstrations of the cooking robotic products. Besides, as a digital business consultant, I would have recommended for The Cook company to assure the customers of further demonstrations of the product when they purchase it. Hence trust is an issue that will influence the marketing balance between online and offline platforms (Dinner, Van Heerde & Neslin, 2013).
The required substantial investment further influences the balance between the two aspects for each type of marketing of the robotic cooking products. For Offline business, it is automatically known to require substantial initial investment (Granados, Gupta & Kauffman, 2012). The selling of cooking robots from a fixed location will require a hefty investment. The cook company will have to pay more for the costs of the premises, utilities, among other investment factors. In comparison to online marketing, it only requires the use of technological devices such as phones, laptops, among others, including also the use of social networking sites. As a company, we can record the videos and photos of the coking robotic devices feature and how they operate and post them offline. This is less costs than offline marketing, which requires a hefty investment on the various premises expenses. Hence, the cost of investment in both types of marketing platforms is a factor that influences the balance between them. Online business is hence less expensive to start and even operate (Granados, Gupta, Kauffman, 2012).
Security is another factor that is causing or influencing the balance between the two marketing platforms. Offline business is the one that is constantly at the threat of security compared to offline. Besides, offline businesses have the risk of property damage, and the costs of insurance cover for the company, especially when a company is starting, is challenging (Roberts & Zahay, 2012). This is a challenge that the sale of cooking robots will indeed face. Particularly, this does not imply that online business is completely safe. There is a risk of cybercrime, among other factors, as well as finding several groups copying your original online platform. However, in a realistic aspect, offline businesses as riskier to security threats. Hence security is a challenge that will influence the marketing between the two marketing platforms; online and offline.
However, online marketing business for the Cooking robotic products of the company will be based be the key area to start with as the offline business is also in progress. This is important as we are focusing on E-digital business management and marketing. As a digital business consultant through my years of experience, I have recognized and recommended various online business strategies. They are effective strategies recommended to be used in online business for The Cook company’s cooking robot device. These strategies are also meant to help in expanding the business to the foreign markets.
One of the strategies to build an online business is c analyzing the market segment you are targeting (Wentrup, 2016). The analysis process helps to identify various other factors behind the process. However, in this case, it will important for The Cook Company to choose an internationally accepted and well-established marketing platform. As much the company may want to enter the market such as Germany, the local New Zealand market, and Japan, using the company’s strategies, the company needs to use the online marketing platforms that will help in boosting the company’s products. Some of the good marketing online platforms I would recommend include the Amazon, Etsy, and EBay. However, as a company, we should not be limited to these online marketing platforms, but we should use also explore others.
The second strategy is involving the choice of the market. Realistically, cooking robots are not for customers whose purchasing power is low. In other words, it is not that suitable to target people with low income in an economy. Hence, looking at the affordability of the target market population is very important (Shuen, 2018). Targeting the right markets involves also analyzing the geographical location, among other factors. So far, The Cook company has chosen the market for New Zealand and Germany, China, Australia, and some parts of Europe.
Doing business online is similar to the offline business in terms of the application of laws and regulations guarding online business activity. Hence, The Cook company needs to analyses the laws and regulations. Besides, you need to focus on customer retention once you gain them during the online business process governing the operations of online business for The cook company in another company. This can be enhanced through activities such as promotions and discounts. It is quite odd to provide discounts on the sale of cooking robots (Kingsnorth, 2019). However, promotions and discounts are very important as they are tactics. They will help in keeping the E-business process of the company in front of many consumers as much as possible.
Various channels are used to do online marketing. Indeed, they are the ones; the Cook company needs to be very careful when using them. Such platforms should be done with much care with consideration of various factors. Such issues include the type of language used in online marketing for foreign markets., the industry sector, among other factors. For instance, the use of websites to reach online customers should be done with important considerations and ensure that they are fulfilled. For instance, website translation, as well as localization, is very important for the company. Quality content when advertising the Cook Company’s products. Quality content is the king in customer attraction and retention. Use experience and technical optimization when it comes to online marketing through the use of websites and even social networking sites.
Social networking, on its own, is an important area and a strategy that the Cook company needs to use. The company should use social media and social networking to reach out to its consumers. Research studies have shown that social networking sites, especially social media platforms, are highly used among people compare to other technological forms of communications. Advertising the company’s cooking robot devices on social media platforms is one important way to reach a wide and large market base (Castelló, Etter & Årup Nielsen, 2016). There is also another method that has been fading as years have been progressing. Although it cannot reach a large wide market compared to the current methods, it may help in targeting consumers who may want to buy cooking robotic devices for the people who may be using such platforms. Lastly, a follow-up strategy on how the online business for the company is performing.
Key technological Devices to be Used in Online Marketing
From the state of the current online technologies available, there are various methods or technological devices that can be used by The Cook Company on the online marketing of its product, the cooking robot. It involves the use of softwares and applications systems. When it comes to Application systems, there are various applications. The most common applications will include the use of social media applications and utilize social networking for the marketing of business products. The common social media applications include; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google, YouTube, email, among others (Kingsnorth, 2019). However, it important for the company to make use of the most prominent methods such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, among others, but not ignoring also the others. Some of the online marketing software that can be used by the company include the SEMrush, HubSpot, MailChimp, Act-on, Amazon, Alibaba, and cake (Kingsnorth, 2019). However, Amazon and Alibaba are informing of marketing sites, and they are famous and well known all over the world.
Nevertheless, the best digital marketing business database used in marketing is database marketing. The Cook Company is a business that deals with an electronic or technological device, the cooking robot. Database marketing is a type of marketing database that makes use of the database generated from consumers. It is then used to target lists for direct marketing communications (Kingsnorth, 2019). It helps in collecting customer’s personal information. It has a caliber that makes a consumer feel that he or she is doing business on a well-established online platform. The database strategy is effective for the Cook company considering that it is a large company with a product with limited competition (Kingsnorth, 2019). In addition to that, the database is important for the company as it helps in generating huge amounts of transactional data. Besides, with this online marketing database type, the Cook company will be in a position to review and makes changes to make it suit their needs as well as their customer’s needs. There is also the need for the company to interface its business system with the website. Four basic things are very important in interfacing the company’s system with the website. While developing the website, there is a need to input controls, ensure there are navigational components on the company’s business system website, and quality content, which will include informational components. This will be important for the company to reach out to its consumers across all geographical areas or target markets.
The various technological devices to be adopted in The Cook Company online marketing will also require various supplements or support the company’s website activities. These are just common technological devices we know. They will include smartphones, laptops, desktop computers in their physical state. The use of the mouse for navigating through the company will be an essential thing. Hence the mouse can be considered as specialist hardware. There are other hardwares such as vehicles that will perform the role of delivery to a consumer once he or she has purchased a product.
Most importantly, it will be important for the company to find a computer software engineer which a strong understanding of the use of artificial intelligence in digital marketing. Artificial intelligence will help in the creation and generation of the company’s content on advertising. This will ease the work of content creation to ensure that there is quality content on the advertising of cooking robotic products (Khanna, 2020). Imagine using a machine that writes or creates content from scratch? Although the human component will be needed in such a case since there are aspects that need human thinking. The use of Artificial intelligence will also help in content curation for the company’s information on the online marketing of their products (Khanna, 2020). Although the use of Artificial intelligence is expensive, it is indeed worth it due to its various other benefits, such as; enabling users to search.
Conclusion
Strategies for marketing products have changed with the invention of various technological platforms. Indeed, human technological knowledge has shaped how we reach out to consumers regardless of where they are. The various technological platforms that are variable currently in the online or digital marketing platform will be of great advantage to The Cook company. It is the easiest and most cost-effective method the company will use to reach out to its consumers outside its local markets. The Cook company will be able in a position to provide quality content on the information it provides online on the sale of its robotic cooking products. The use of the various recommended strategies in an effective is a guaranteed success for the company in the market.
References
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