Customer Relationship Management Heads to the Cloud

1. What types of companies are most like to adopt cloud-based CRM software service? Why? What companies might not be well-suited for this type of software?

Basically, companies which normally want to cut IT staff cost are like to adopt cloud-based CRM software service such as  Siemens, the Wall street Journal, Pitney Bowes, and Starbucks. This is because CRM software service able to track field activities for more than 10000 accounts, with automated reports and dashboards monitoring key performance indicators, sales calls, and sales volume. However, there are some of the companies that are not well- suited for this type of software such as Nikon. This due to the availability assurances and service level agreements are not always available.

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using cloud-based enterprise applications?

     Advantages

·         It able to follow up customer satisfaction surveys.

·         Demand system has many capabilities, including embedded tools for forecasting, and analytics and interactive dashboards.

·         CRM on demand can be tracked advertising to prospective students and determined accurate costs for each lead, admissions application, and registered attending student.

     Disadvantages

·         Availability assurances and service level agreements are not always available.

·         CRM apps with a cloud infrastructure have no guarantees that their date will be available at all times.

3. What people, organization, and technology issues should be addressed in deciding whether to use a conventional CRM system versus a cloud-based version?

The people and organization who are like to expand their business normally will try to use CRM system. For example, Dr Pepper Snapple Group adopted Salesforce CRM to replace an outmoded Excel application that requires extensive manual data input to compile reports on more than 50 beverage brands and to sales performance against objectives in real time. Besides from that there are some technology issue should be addressed in decision making for the option of use CRM system. Nikon found that more customers are needed the information from web, call times dropped by 50 percent, and incoming e-mail dropped by 50 percent. Therefore, Nikon still hosted its SAP EPR system internally due to its complexity.

Information Security Threats and Policies In Europe

1. What is a botnet?

- Botnet is a network of autonomous malicious software agents that are under the control of a bot commander.

2. Describe some of the main points of Digital Agenda for Europe.

i)   Define the key role that information and communication technologies will play in 2020.

ii)  Calls for a single, open European digital market.

iii) To achieve broadband speed up to 30Mbps to all European citizens by 2020.

iv) To protect privacy and the establishment of a well-functioning network of CERT to prevent cyber crime and respond effectively to cyber attacks.

3. Explain how a cyber attack can be carried out.

- By using the botnet. Botnet is already been described on question 1. The network is created by installing malware that exploits the vulnerabilities of web servers, operating systems, or applications to take control of the infected computers. Once a computer is infected, it becomes part of a network of the thousands of “zombies’, machines that are commanded to carry out the attack.

4. Describe some of the weaknesses exploited by malware.

- Once successfully installed on a computer, it is able to download and install other malware from controlled web sites, thus infected computer could be under full control of the hackers.

- It can steal industrial secrets and control software system.

INTERACTIVE SESSION: PEOPLE

Social Commerce Creates New Customer Relationships

1) Assess the people, organization and technology issues for using social media to engage with customers.

a) People

v  Need to spend time to monitor each network, respond to comment, answer the question and post product information.

v  Sometime the workers might not be able to think rationally to respond on the comment of the customers.

b) Organization

v  The organization need to choose the suitable channel to engage with customers.

v  The social media that using by the company must well suit with the company products and service.

v  The security problem by using the social networking. The company confidential information might expose to competitors.

c) Technology

v  The technology does not always work. When the company cannot connect to the social networking, it will affect the operation efficiency.

v  The company might face problem to integrate new technologies into the enterprise environment.

 

 

2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of using social media for advertising, brand building, market research and customer service?

            The businesses that use social media for advertising, brand building, market research and customer service have advantages and disadvantages.

            First, the advantage of using social media is decreased cost and increase revenue. By using social media for advertising and promotion activities is cheaper than traditional marketing method. The company can put the advertisement in the social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others. It helps the company save the cost to do promotion because it was free for display ads in social media. The using of social media is more efficiency because the company can update the information at any time.

            Secondly, the advantage of using social media is targeting the customers. The company through Facebook can identify the target market based on age, sex, geography and education. This is because the user of Facebook will full up their personal information, it will let the company more understanding about the audience characteristic and interest. Facebook is one of the popular platform that provided information about the people and it make the process of market research become more easy and fast.

            Moreover, the advantage of using social media is interactivity. The social network provided a platform for the company to interact with their potential customers. For example, Twitter posting the company products or services, the promotion that offer by the company to customer and the news about the products. The followers are able to give comment and feedback in Twitter messages. The follower also can post their question in the Twitter and the company can answer the user questions. This was increase the customer relationship and interactivity between customers. It is more easily to communicate with potential customers by the time to time.

            Furthermore, it can increase the customer loyalty. The social media enable the company provides real time data in Facebook wall. Nowadays, almost everyone have Facebook account and the user which include all level of people in the market. The company brand will be famous when the customers saw a lot of LIKE on the brand.

            Although using social media for advertising, brand building, market research and customer service have many advantages but it also have disadvantages the company need to commit resources to managing the social media, respond to feedback and producing new content. The company might not have expert people to managing the social media so the organization need to engage knowledgeable people to managing the social media and responsible to respond to customer feedback.

            Another disadvantage is lack of feedback control. The company cannot control the customer to leave negative comment or post in social media. For example, when a customer is not satisfied with the company products, the customer will comment on the company Twitter about the weakness of the products. If the management team unable to overcome this complaint, it will damage the company image. When potential customer saw the post, they might lose the interest to buy the products. Therefore, the company must efficiently to respond on negative responses but it takes more time.

 

3) Should all companies use Facebook and Twitter for customer service and advertising? Why or why not? What kinds of companies are best suited to use those platforms?

            No, it is not necessary all companies need to use Facebook and Twitter for customer services and advertising. The reason is the small businesses are not really need to involve in social media. When the company cannot effectively using the social media and giving response to the customers, it will bring negative impact on the company at the same time it will damage the brand of the company. Social media can help some companies interact with their customers but not all the companies. Some customers just want the company be accessible and it does not mean want to follow or like the company. For the small company, business owner might not have enough time to manage the social network and give respond to customer questions. Moreover, some of the company especially small company is lack of experience or technical skills to carry out the social media. Therefore, not all companies should use Facebook and Twitter for customer services and advertising.

            The kinds of companies that best suited to use social media platform are sell technology products company, company that need sharing idea, dealing with criticism and providing customer support are needed Facebook and Twitter.

Albassami Job Is Not Fasible Without IT

 

 

1. What systems are described here?  What valuable information do they provide?

From this article, the 2 systems describe here are Database Management System and Shipping Information System. These systems are use to handle and control the endless number of daily work options and orders related to these operations at a perfect level of service. Firstly, Database Management System is a system computerized system based on cluster Dell servers which play a role as the backbone of the system. It is use to sent to the server and aggregated to create the most updated database version, and then sent back to the branches. This means every branch has the most recent version of client list, trucks availability, and new shipping contracts so that many customer is able to deal with any branch at any time. The database will send from branch to HQ every 30minutes, an aggregated version of the database of all branches. The recipient branch will create a receipt entry on the system upon arrival of the truck and then go to the destination branch to receive the car. The second system used is Shipping Information System. They system record client’s data, and holds maintenance information. It links data of vehicle maintenance centers with the transportation service helps to enhance company performance and achieve better customer service.

 

 

 

2. What value did the IT/IS investments add to Albassami?

            The added value by IT/IS investment is achieving strategic business objectives. The ultimate business includes:

            -> Operational excellence

            -> New products, services, and business models

            -> Customer and supplier intimacy

            -> Improved decision making

            -> Competitive advantage

Throughout these years the company has focused on how to maintain business leadership in order to achieve safe and fast transportation. Every day, there are more than 1000 shipping contracts, including 2000 to 2500 bills of lading daily between the main branches. Therefore it is impossible to properly handle and control the endless number of daily work options and orders related to these operations at a perfect level of service without a robust computerized system. The system needed the facility to serve specific sectors in the organization, in addition to providing information throughout the group.

 

 

3. How did implementing the Shipping Information System address the business needs and information requirements of Albassami?

            It is used at the Albassami to maintain all the sender information such as the sent car, the truck number, the sender and receiving branches, and it also sends an SMS to the client acknowledging the arrival of the car. The system also records the client’s data, and holds maintenance centers with the transportation service helps to enhance company performance and achieve better customer service. The system also enables standard reports to be provided to top management head sectors about the productivity of each branch, resulting in accurate identification of needs for different regions and thus proper budget allocation. In addition, the system allowed a better audit on all drivers behavior by using the output of the vehicles tracking information.

 

 

 

                                   

DST Systems Scores with Scrum and Application Lifecycle Management

 

1. What were some of the problems with DST system' old software development environment?

I think they were some many software problem, such as the managers were unable to easily determine how the resources were being allocated, which also the employees were working on certain projects and status of specific assets.The group development had used a mixtures of tools processes and source code control systems without any unified repository for code or a standardized developer tool set.And Also I think DST must use new method and better than the old traditional.

2. How did Scrum development help solve some of those problems?

The Scrum is exists software development tools and experienced strong results. The company accelerated its software development cycle from 24 to 6 months and developer productivity increased 20 percents. I think Scrum helped to development the company because its agile software, and relies on self-organization.

3. What other adjustments did DST make to be able to use Scrum more effectively in its software projects? What management, organization and technology issues had to be addressed?

I think CollabNet specializes in software designed to work well with agile software development methods such as Scrum. So what I think from the article is DST adapted Collabnet's subversion product to help with the management control of changes to project documents, programs, and other information stored as computer files.DST adaption of Collabnet because their product is so fast in only 10 weeks.The managment, organization and the technology 
Jerry Tubbs, The system development manager at DST system, says DST was successful in attempts to revamp the software group because some factors. 

 

 

1- Looked for simplicity rather than complicated.
2- Involved developers in the decision making process to ensure that change to be greeted enthusiastically. 

3- Allow for the developers to adopt ALM software on their own. 

I think also the company was successful because they selected the right development framework as well as the right software to make that change a reality and skillfully managed the change process.