Internet Business and E-Commerce

Shop-n-Save E-Commerce System 20th August 2007 Abstract

Shop-n-save , a semi-medium sized superstore chain selling grocery and household products desires to expand its operations allover the state It presently has custom-built information systems which are insufficient to be a grave challenger in the supermarket arena

An internet strategy is urbanized to envelope all of their present problems and enhance good customer and supplier relations . Creating an internet website would make the company stand accessible anytime-anywhere . In doing so the security factors regarding data and transactions must be taken care

Company

Overview

Shop-n-save is a small to medium sized supermarket chain in India . They have built their success on good customer relations . They desire to expand their operations in entire state and cater its services so that people can access it with ease at their availability , within a click of their fingers

Overview of the present Information system

It has an information system connecting point of sale terminals internal stock systems and barcode scanners . All these combine to be an interface to another for exchange of information and synchronization of activities of the business

Problems with the present system

The present system does not envelope the entire business operations meaning no Enterprise Resource Planning Systems it simply caters to the needful purposes

There is no mechanism to capture enough personal data about customer 's namely feedback , preferences and tastes , to retain them or get new ones Their Customer Relationship Management is quite poor . Analysis of customer base is not done at all

Present system neither possesses automatic links for replenishment of their stock nor any integrated suite of office software programmes Stock is not managed well

Management Information Systems are absent and thereby it gets impossible to make long term decisions

Proposed new E-Commerce system

The new system would be smart enough to market its presence and business over the internet to cater a large domain of buyers

It will be able to spread the grocery business over a large domain of customers which may range from home users to bulk purchasers

The awareness of the company stands very important so that people get a chance to compare it with the competitors

The supply chain can be well managed

Shop-n-save wants to implement a loyalty card which could be used for in-store , online and petrol stations . It gives the customer a lot of importance relating to the multiple services it caters

The customer information can be stored and managed well so that they are focused when catering repeat s and services . The data will also serve as rich information to the degree of importance which a customer must receive

Diversifications into other businesses are very important for business continuity and should be taken care really well to fetch more customers and provide them better and allied services for retention and indirect marketing

Most importantly the services can be rendered to a large variety of customers across a geographical region with B2B and B2C models

The feedback system can also be added so...