Business Systems Analysis: Solutions and Recommendations
When you are in a market and researching if and how new technologies can help your business, it is important to examine what your competitors are doing with the same technologies, and how successful they are implementing them. This assignment is the second milestone that you will complete for your final project. In this milestone, you will address the following:
You will begin drafting parts of your final project, focusing on your business requirements, competitors, and technology.
This assignment is an important practice opportunity for you to create a draft, and to get feedback from your instructor to improve your final draft.
The rubric reflects that this is a practice opportunity. You should focus on getting the necessary information into your draft. No draft is perfect.
This milestone aligns with sections I, II, and III of your final project. Use the questions in the critical elements as a guide.
You are free to work in the Final Project Template document or on a separate word document for your drafts.
It is recommended you use the template to ensure you do not miss any items you need to address. The critical elements are highlighted in yellow in the template.
You will submit the Decision Matrix document you used to conduct your research as part of this assignment.
For guidance on completing the decision matrix, refer to these learning resources:
Decision Matrix: What It Is and How to Use It: This article defines the decision matrix and discusses how leaders evaluate and prioritize all of their options when considering solutions to a difficult task.
Decision Matrix Analysis: This article explains how to use a decision matrix analysis, a useful technique for making a choice when many factors must be balanced. Captioned version of this resource can be found here.
Decision Matrix Example: Use this resource to view an example of a completed decision matrix.
Prompt
Remember that you have immersed yourself in the role of an IT professional. Imagine that you work for the small brick-and-mortar business described in the final project case scenario. The owner of your business wants to focus on generating new revenue through e-commerce, but she knows that this change in operations requires the company to integrate new technology. To gain an understanding of what the business might need for technology, she has asked you to create a business systems analysis. In this part of your drafted analysis, you will focus on solutions and recommendations based on your research for your first milestone.
Business Systems Analysis: Solutions and Recommendations
Introduction: In response to the owner’s request to generate new revenue through e-commerce, it is essential to conduct a thorough business systems analysis to identify the technology requirements for the small brick-and-mortar business. This analysis aims to provide solutions and recommendations based on the research conducted in the first milestone. By evaluating the business requirements, analyzing competitors, and exploring suitable technologies, this analysis will guide the integration of new technology to support the e-commerce venture.
I. Business Requirements: To determine the technology needs of the business, it is crucial to understand the specific requirements and goals. The following business requirements were identified:
E-commerce Platform: The business needs a robust and user-friendly e-commerce platform that can handle online sales, inventory management, and customer data while providing a seamless customer experience.
Payment Processing: The integration of a secure and reliable payment processing system is crucial to facilitate online transactions and ensure customer trust.
Inventory Management: An efficient inventory management system is required to track stock levels, manage product variations, and provide real-time updates on product availability.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Implementing a CRM system will allow the business to track customer interactions, personalize marketing efforts, and improve overall customer satisfaction.
Website Optimization: The business website should be optimized for search engines, have a responsive design for mobile devices, and provide a visually appealing and intuitive user interface.
Data Security: Robust data security measures must be implemented to protect customer information, ensure compliance with data protection regulations, and maintain business reputation.
Scalability: The chosen technology solutions should be scalable to accommodate future growth and increasing demands of the e-commerce business.
II. Competitor Analysis: Analyzing competitors will provide valuable insights into how other businesses in the same industry have implemented technology solutions for e-commerce. Key findings include:
Competitor A: This competitor has successfully integrated an e-commerce platform that offers a wide range of products, seamless navigation, and secure payment processing. Their website is visually appealing and optimized for search engines.
Competitor B: This competitor excels in inventory management, leveraging a system that provides real-time stock updates and automated reordering. They also offer personalized recommendations based on customer preferences.
Competitor C: This competitor has implemented an advanced CRM system that allows them to track customer interactions across multiple channels and tailor marketing campaigns accordingly.
III. Technology Solutions and Recommendations: Based on the identified business requirements and competitor analysis, the following technology solutions and recommendations are proposed:
E-commerce Platform: Implement a reputable and feature-rich e-commerce platform such as Shopify or WooCommerce. These platforms offer customizable website templates, secure payment processing integrations, inventory management functionality, and scalability options.
Payment Processing: Integrate a trusted payment gateway provider like Stripe or PayPal to ensure secure online transactions and support various payment methods.
Inventory Management: Utilize an inventory management system like TradeGecko or Odoo to track stock levels, automate reordering processes, and provide real-time updates on product availability.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Implement a CRM system like Salesforce or HubSpot to centralize customer data, track interactions, personalize marketing efforts, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Website Optimization: Engage web developers or agencies specializing in SEO and user experience (UX) design to optimize the website for search engines, ensure mobile responsiveness, and create an intuitive user interface.
Data Security: Employ industry-standard security measures such as SSL encryption, regular data backups, and compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR or CCPA.
Scalability: Choose technology solutions that can accommodate increasing traffic and sales volumes without compromising performance. Regularly assess and upgrade hardware infrastructure as needed.
Conclusion: By conducting a comprehensive business systems analysis, we have identified the specific technology solutions required to support the e-commerce venture of the small brick-and-mortar business. By integrating an e-commerce platform, payment processing system, inventory management software, CRM system, optimizing the website, ensuring data security, and prioritizing scalability, the business can effectively generate new revenue through e-commerce while delivering a seamless customer experience. Continuous monitoring and evaluation of these technology solutions will be critical to adapt to evolving market trends and maintain competitiveness in the industry.