Electronic Business

An example of an electronic business that I have used religiously for years is Amazon.com, Inc. Now, an interesting aspect of a company like Amazon is how they actually operate. This e-business was opened for business on July 16^th of 1995. Amazon’s founder and CEO, John Bezos, didn’t start with much. This future success started off with nothing more than a few people packing and shipping boxes of books from a two-car garage in Bellevue, Washington (1). A company which started as an online bookstore soon turned into the largest online retailer in the world; selling anything from books to golf carts. But, there is a main difference when using Amazon opposed to any other online retailer. This difference is the customization of your online shopping experience. The embedded marketing techniques that Amazon employs to personalize your experience are probably the best example of the company's overall approach to sales: Know your customer very, very well (1).

Customer tracking (1) is a main aspect that separates Amazon from the competition. This aspect causes Amazon to have a big advantage over its rival online retailers: It knows things about you that you may not know yourself (2). By allowing Amazon to “stick cookies in your hard drive”, you'll find yourself on the receiving end of all sorts of useful features that make your shopping experience pretty cool, like recommendations based on past purchases and lists of reviews and guides written by users who purchased the products you're looking at (1). By obtaining all this information a relationship has been established. Amazon keeps all customers happy, which in turn creates loyalty between the customer and merchant.

The other main aspect that separates the company from the rest is Multi-Leveled E-Commerce (1). This strategy, allows almost anyone to sell anything using Amazon’s website. Aside from individual sellers, we also see some other large e-commerce sellers who use Amazon to sell their products in addition to selling them through their own websites (3).  Companies lease spaces with Amazon so they are able to sell their product on the platform. This strategy is another reason for Amazon’s success. By having such a large amount of online foot traffic and a wide selection of products, Amazon acts as a one-stop shop for the consumer. Reviews, which are found on every product page, actually have a lot of value for the customer. I myself can honestly say before I buy a product on Amazon, I usually read the reviews. It has been made a habit over the years.

These two aspects are what contributed to Amazon’s success over the last seventeen years of business. The company’s platform has been so successful that they even offer a new program that lets those affiliates (Amazon calls them "associates") build entire Web sites based on Amazon's platform (1). You almost have the ability to create a mini Amazon website for your personal selling needs. This site would operate just as Amazon.com does. As long as any purchases go through Amazon, you can build a site called Amazonish.com, pull products directly from Amazon's servers, write your own guides and recommendations and earn a cut of any sales. Amazon has become a software developer's playground (1). Because of the company’s great business decisions and success, I would not be surprised if they are around for another seventeen years.

References

(1)  http://money.howstuffworks.com/amazon.htm

(2)  http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2005/03/67034

(3)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon.com#cite_ref-value_122-0

Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing has had a major impact on mostbusinesses today. Through the innovation of technology, Cloud Computing has provedcost and time efficiency for companies. Because of Cloud Computing, we seegreater reliability, lower costs, managed growth and improved collaborationwithin companies.

A prime example ofCloud Computing used amongst millions would be “email on the go”. In today’sworld, email plays a central role in everyone’s life. This highly reliable servicehas tightened the gap of communication between people. We are now accessiblewherever we possibly go. Looking at this from a business standpoint,businessmen/women don’t have to wait for the lengthy/unpredictable times of thepost office delivery. They are able to communicate in an instance withouthaving to call the person on a telephone. Being able to email data back andforth this quickly shows major time efficiency.

From an economicalstance, Cloud Computing requires a low initial investment to get the ballrolling.
There are no large costs which means, losses are minimal. Instead ofbuying tons of hardware like in the past, software and various services can beaccessed over the World Wide Web without having to leave your house.Productivity is greatly increased when tasks are made easier to accomplish.

For more established businesses, IT costs can be rather pricey. Fewer physical servers’means less energy; and less energy means less money spent. We could look at is GreenCloud Computing. This option “is getting more attention with recentstudies reporting greater carbon efficiency, increased cost savings andimproved operations efficiency”. This eco-friendly option has shown rapidspread and grown over the last years.

References
http://www.openforum.com/articles/6-ways-cloud-computing-helps-businesses-save-time-and-money
http://resource.onlinetech.com/green-it-cloud-computing-saves-time-costs-energy/
http://smallbusinessblog.infostreet.com/2011/03/cloud-computing-learning-how-the-cloud-reduces-cost-and-increased-efficiency-from-the-federal-government/

Online shopping with Smartphone

It is a matter of time before Smartphone’s actually revolutionize the retail market. The Internet has actually begun to cater to those who use smartphone; Iphone’s to be specific. Just a few years ago, most Iphone's were unable to successfully visit certain websites. The reason being, a lot of websites are Adobe Flash enabled; Apple products do not support Flash. “Apple’s Steve Jobs led the escape from Flash dependency when Apple introduced the Iphone, and later introduced the iPad. There was a hue and cry over the omission. Time proved Jobs was right on target”.

These devices have become so popular that they have soaked up almost seventy-five percent of all mobile phone profits. 82.2 percent of Americans in the United States currently use a smartphone. 2.3 million Of those people currently use an Apple Iphone. Due to this high demand for Iphone's and Ipad’s, websites began to make Iphone/IPad friendly versions of websites. This has proved beneficial for those especially in the retail market. IPad and Iphone users actually account for “ninety percent of mobile shopping”. By retail attacking the Iphone user market, they have generated great profits. We have seen this trend begin to spread like wildfire.

Because it is so easy to conquer simple tasks such as: making purchases or even checking your bank statements; compulsion erupts among smartphone users. Consumer mobile spending has jumped 7.5% over the last year or so; with leading mobile devices being the IPad and Iphone. “Growth was seen across all sectors including department stores, home goods, apparel as well as health and beauty with all areas reporting increases of 15.6% to 18%”. This statistic shows that this device is being used by a wide spectrum of users. When a device is made so user-friendly and easy to use, what else can be expected?

References
http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/3461-Tablets-Smartphones-to-Change-Online-Shopping-
http://www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/11679-study-says-ipad-users-make-up-90-percent-of-mobile-shopping-revenue
http://www.padgadget.com/2012/01/11/ibm-study-shows-iphone-and-ipad-usage-drove-mobile-online-shopping-over-holiday/

RQ4 Customer Database

While working at VerizonWireless, I had become very familiar with Retail IQ. Retail IQ (RQ4) is a program that provides all the features you need to manage and streamline thecore functions of your business. Within this software, there was a large customer section. Every customer who visited the store was manually entered into this customer database by a representative. They did not necessarily have to purchase anything. We were instructed by management to obtain all the information we can (First and last name, address, primary cell phone number and last four digits of social security number). With most of this information we were able to login to a customer’s account. By doing so, we were able to see all the activity within that persons account (upgrade dates, overages, etc.).

By entering all the information we obtained from the customer into our database, we were able to generate future business. After the information is obtained, we (sales team) paid close attention to the customers upgrade dates. An upgrade date occurs usually four months before the end of their wireless contract. During that time, the customer is eligible for a new cell phone at promotional pricing. If a customer chooses to upgrade their cell phone, they will also renew their contract for another two years.

Our goal as a store is to upgrade and add as many new lines of service as possible. We cannot just rely on walk in customers due to the fact that it may be a hit or miss. By doing so, monthly quota is not usually reached. Most Authorized Retail stores (franchised) use some kind of calendar application that will remind the sales team when a customer is ready to upgrade their line. Luckily for our location, our customer database had an integrated calendar. Daily, we would receive reminders indicating who is ready for a new phone. After this, the sales team would perform some cold calling. If the customer did not answer, we would always leave a message.This is how half of our business was actually generated.

Answers to Questions
1. Even though the RQ4 Customer Database greatly benefittedthe company, there were still some challenges with the system. I alwaysremember software freezing, not allowing us to perform simple tasks, issueswith saving information. Another big issue was the inability to backup ourcustomer database. If our main computer crashed, all our customer informationwould be lost.

2. Because our sales team was forced to input customerinformation/ check the calendar daily, this posed a competitive advantage amongstcompetition. Most other Authorized Retail locations we dealt with did notoperate as we did. They did not care to check their calendars daily due tolaziness. This reflected on the stores monthly numbers.

3. I would suggest for the customer database to bereorganized. There were many duplicate customer profiles and outdatedinformation within the database. I would also suggest an updated version of thesoftware. Because our database was so large, the system usually lagged and becameunresponsive; causing us to force close and restart the program.

Hardware/Software Spreadsheet

https://sheet.zoho.com/publish/sprefi/shain-prefi-spreadsheet-1

My Spreadsheetshows a list of necessities which are needed when operating a WirelessTelecommunication store.

1. Goto www.Zoho.com
2. Select Sign up now if you currently don’t have an account
3. Locate the Online Spreadsheets link and click it
4. Fill in all your information/data
5. End result => Total Cost
6. Title and save spreadsheet
7. I clicked the publish link, I then chose Embed inWebsite/Blog . I then allowed to export.
8. Log into www.Blogger.com, added a gadget (Html/Javascript)
9. My link was copied then pasted into Gadget
10. Lastly, I pasted the URL to my Spreadsheet into the W2 Spreadsheet Lab section ofthe forum.

Hardware and Software

When looking at the progress technology has made in the last few years, one may be “mind blown”. I actually worked in the wireless telecommunication field from 2008 to late 2011; Verizon Wireless to be specific. I worked as a salesman at a small authorized retailer (franchised).Since it was not a corporate store, the owners actually would help on the sales floor from time to time. Being in the business for nearly four years, I had seen how hardware and software allowed a small company to extend their use of information systems into the mobile regime of work.

Security Camera Surveillance- Around mid 2010, we had a new surveillance system installed at my location. The system was updated from an older one, which recorded in black and white on a cassette. The owner upgraded to a security system that recorded in color and full HD (High Definition). The difference with this system was; the owner had the choice of pulling up live surveillance footage from any of his five locations. Instead of having to get behind a computer and log in to the site, he was able to pull up the live video on his cell phone.

Clock in system-In early 2008, we were forced to clock in manually and record all the hours we had worked that week. A few years later, management came across a new system that integrated clocking in, commission and store data all in one!

Contact Transfer Machine-This piece of hardware is one of the most important things in a Wireless store. There would be big issues if we were unable to transfer a customer’s contacts.

Integrated Credit Card Machine-New software had been introduced to us. ” RetailiQ is the Leading Retail Management Solution designed specifically for the Cellular and Electronics Industry. Our award winning solution seamlessly integrates cellular POS, CRM, Inventory, Accounting, HR, Marketing, Intranet and eCommerce tofunction as a unified system”( http://findaccountingsoftware.com/directory/iqmetrix-software-development/retailiq/~alt).This was a big improvement considering, before this, we were writing manual contracts and receipts.

Gadget

1. I first went on to my blogspot profile.
2. Then I signed in using my Gmail email address.
3. I then clicked on Design which was located on the top right of the website.
4. I selected layout so I can edit my page.
5. Add Gadgets was then selected, to add a new Gadget to my blog.
6. After I saved my Gadget, I saved the arrangement.
I ended up choosing the +1Button. I figured a way to gain popularity with my blog is to get others insight. If they like my posts they can go ahead and click +1; which in turn would end up giving me some online credibility.

Intro

1. What is yourmajor?
I am Finance major.

2. What operatingsystem do you have on your computer?
I currently use Windows 7.

3. Do you have theright to upgrade the software on your computer?
I do have the right to upgrade my software; but it is up to date.

4. What Internet andcomputer related courses have you already taken and what are your usual activities on the Internet (Facebook, email, chats, etc.)?
I have taken plenty of online courses both at Ramapo College and Bergen Community College. My usual online activities consist of web browsing and email.

5. Have you takenonline courses before?
Yes I have.

6. Do you have MSOffice on your computer? If yes, which version?
I have Microsoft Office 2007.

7. Do you workanywhere now?
I am actually a fulltime Operating Engineer Helper. I am not perusing a career in Engineering; itis just a summer position,

8. When do yougraduate?
I anticipate on graduating summer 2013.

9. Add anything you want about your interests, skills, job projects, etc. that might help theinstructor and students understand you and your computer/Internet skills andinterests better.
I work in Manhattan with limited access to a computer; so I don’t get to login to Moodle until 7 pm. I consider myself pretty computer savvy.

10. What are yourhobbies or what do you like to do outside of school and work?
I box on an amateur level and weight train.

Social Networking Monitoring

With the ability to hire a contracted company to workside by side with any corporation to monitor Social Networking would be quite beneficial. I could just imagine a division that focuses on new hires by investigating any Social Network websites they may be apart of. Doing this discreetly is key.

By looking into someone’s profile whether it’s Facebook,Twitter, etc., we get a chance to almost paint a picture of the person we are researching. We can do this by viewing their information, how he/or she communicates and looking at pictures posted. By doing all of this, we get a chance to analyze this person and see if they meet our expectations. If our expectations are met, we will take that into account during the hiring process.

Doing external research such as monitoring potential new hires social networking profiles, can help us obtain any additional information that was not included on a resume submitted. When resumes are received, there are not that many distinguishing characteristics amongst candidates. So we can tap into people social networking profiles to help us make decisions on who and who not to hire.

T1.5

It has dawned on me that I currently work in a Machine Bureaucracy. I have been participating in an Operating Engineer summer program. An Operating Engineer can be defined as “a tradesman who operates heavy machinery and equipment that provide heat, light, climate control and power. Stationary Engineers are trained in many areas, including mechanical, thermal, chemical,electrical, and metallurgical, computer, and a wide range of safety skills”.This is a program I have participated in for the last three years. However,this summer turned out to be a little different. I was assigned to a building which was smaller (square feet) with a smaller crew. Being put in this situation actually worked in my favor because of the large responsibility I was given. With large responsibility comes a better overview of my work environment.

Working in the Operating Engineering field, you get an inside look on how an actual commercial building operates. Our job revolves around multiple information systems. Most of the energy related systems at work are some sort of information system. Different management companies are always looking for new systems that provide the building with more efficient energy. More efficient energy means, less monthly energy costs. Money can then be spent in different areas where needed. A way of cutting costs in the property management field is to implement more effective “time of day” schedules for lighting and HVAC. When this goal is reached, the Building Management office looks good. This in turn greatly pleases the building owners.

These new systems that are in place in our Engineering office is referred to as an EIS. Energy Information Systems provide real-time data about energy efficiency to personnel in a commercial building. This personnel consists of almost everyone in the organization (Operators, Engineers and management). A prime example would be the Eastman Kodak Company’s effort todrive energy costs down. These systems show a “ real-time view of all sensor and equipment readings throughout the site, monitoring andrecording over 100,000 plant-measured variables and displaying all of them in one easily accessible database. This is a far cry from the silo-like system of the past, when disparate and discrete reports were available only within individual buildings or plants and were rarely shared beyond a narrow populace”.(http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/08/03/energy-information-system-a-key-to-driving-savings/)

With today’s new EIS systems, engineers are capable of overseeing more than one property. The property management company that employees me has a total of eleven properties. Even though these properties are rather close to each other, systems like the improved Energy Information System’shave come as a great help with great value.

T1.4

Upon starting an internet site to buy and sell used CD’s toother students; we must look at Research and Development. In this stage of theValue Chain Analysis, we must do research to know what the demand for used CD’s amongst students is. We must also look into what genre of music is popular within the student body; so we know what kind of used CD’s we should and should not purchase.

During the Production stage, we must pay close attention to how much product (CD’s) we want to buy. We must also pay close attention to quality of CD’s. We do not want to give customers a bad first impression;selling damaged products.

If I want to be successful with this website, I must advertise and heavily promote it. This falls under the Marketing and Sales section of theValue Chain Analysis. I must determine who may be the most profitable customers; those will be the people I am trying to attract. I can also run somekind of limited time promotion where I offer discounts. I would disperse flyers throughout the campus. Then I determine a fair selling price for the CD’s. Low enough to attract clientele, but high enough to profit.

When distributing the product, I could always have the product delivered to the customer’s room if they live on campus. If they are residing off campus, I will have the CD’s delivered. Because I am located on campus, I could put out flyers for delivery boys (after business has picked up).

As for Customer Service, I myself will be accessible at almost all times being that my email is synced with my Iphone. I will be able to offer some kind of warranty or of limited day guarantee if product is defective.

Business Information System

Credit card machines are a form of information systems that are used by almost every kind of business. It seems as if debit and credit cards are replacing paper money. I myself have become accustom to using my credit card; never paying attention to the whole process that occurs right in front of my eyes. Customer’s information is inputted into this type of system by swiping the credit card. The credit card contains a magnetic strip with tiny magnets that that encode vital information about the credit card account. After this information is inputted, it then is processed. By processing the customers’ information, you (customer) give the merchant permission to deduct credit from your credit line; along with identifying the merchant. This data is then modulated into sound that transfers across the telephone network. It is then sent to a local credit card network node.

We can look at the output of this transaction being the confirmation of card approval. A receipt is a tangible form of output. It shows us our name/credit card information, where we bought our products and how much we spent. This is a very important system for all businesses. It allows customers to spend more money then they would actually hold (working out in the merchants favor). It also has made the consumers shopping process convenient. We have the ability to spend money we may or may not have without having to lug around cash.