The UMUC Haircuts has been serving customers for two decades. During this period, Myra opened six more premises offering similar services in other locations and increased the variety of services. Many other businesses that offer haircut services also established their premises closer to UMUC hence offering competition. Myra, who is the manager, wants to introduce high technology solutions to improve her services. Over time, she was unable to keep contact with her customers and send them birthday wishes. She also was not able to keep track of prices of products of her suppliers. She became desperate for a technological solution to keep her business competitive in the wake of upcoming Haircut business. This project focuses on addressing the problems Myra faces in conducting her daily activities in UMUC Haircuts to improve the quality of services and consequently attracting and retaining customers. In the long run, UMUC Haircuts will have the edge in the market with the offering of unique services appreciated by the young students who make the majority of clients.
If UMUC Haircuts adopts the technological solutions prescribed in the project, it will be the first to introduce solutions of high-level technology in the surrounding area. Leading the rest of Haircut service providers in the market gives the business competitive advantage in the market.
Business Process
The daily activities at UMUC Haircuts include customers checking for the services rendered, their cost and time availability and booking. Currently, clients physically go to the business premise and inquire at the reception desk for the various hair-styles, the cost and time needed to complete the services. This physical attendance is consumes much time consequently inconveniencing the clients (in cases where they do not reach an agreement or are not satisfied).
The new technology proposal seeks to provide cheaper and faster ways of communicating with the customer relations desk by providing public access to the business website. The client, who is seeking to make their hair can choose from available options and pay to book a convenient time for the service according to the own schedule and the business timing. This process can be done from anywhere away from the business premises so as to reduce congestion. Moreover, digital hand held gadgets are all compatible and can be used to book appointments with UMUC Haircuts.
IT solution
In cases where a customer is not satisfied with the service provided immediately after the services or soon after the leaving UMUC within a period not exceeding two days is liable and qualified to file a complaint. However, with high demand, the UMUC staff barely has enough time to handle many cases that require repairs or full redoing of the hair-styles in short periods of time. They, therefore, need a time schedule agreement with the clients who need re-servicing. The IT solution provides a quick and efficient method to handle customer after-service programs as well as keep their records (Schrage, 13). The customer can either contact the receptionist (in cases where they immediately raise concerns) or via the Internet on the business website.
How the solution will improve the business process
Efficiency in arranging and scheduling time for re-servicing enables the staff to attend comfortably to customers' requests as they handle their normal daily duties. Since there will be no need to queue and wait for turns to present complaints or inquire from the receptionist, UMUC customers will enjoy the quick and effective methods which allow them to order and bargain their own terms in their privacy on the business website.
The new solution will enable the customers firstly, to have confidence in UMUC Haircuts and secondly; to have their desired hair-styles done comfortably in accordance to their own schedules.
Solution’s components
A system that manages customer details enables the customer-relation's agent to effectively and efficient program after-services according to customers' requirements. By providing specific options for the customer to address, the system enables the agent to obtain not only the vital information required for the repair, but also extra information that the management may use to make future decision on behalf of the business.
A business website is a crucial element of the new system which lets potential clients to access and view the services offered at UMUC Haircuts. Viewers can easily interact with one another as they share comments and vote for the best styles before they commit their payment to book for the services.
Benefits and relevance to the Business
When Myra keeps track of the prices of products provided by her suppliers, she can save funds by accessing the least possible prices and the best available quality. By monitoring the products she needs, UMUC Haircuts will benefit by accessing not only a wide variety of substitute products available but also the best prices and quality in the market. She can also send her clients’ birthday wishes (as she desired) thanks to the records that the system captured and alerts the user who has logged in.
The website can handle several users all at the same time hence the burden of hiring customer-relation's agents is lifted consequently saving UMUC expenditure.
As the business reaches out to more people (through the website), it increases the competitive advantage over the rival business in the surrounding area where it is located consequently out-doing them.
Considerations
Communication
There is a strong WiFi signal within the Campus vicinity available for neighbors of the campus. In the case of failure (which rarely happens), UMUC Haircuts has a back-up Internet connectivity network to manage traffic with satisfactory results. The clients can therefore communicate with the system administrator at all times as they wish.
UMUC Haircuts will keep a constant (24hr) communication channel with clients is a priority of the business.
Information quality
The data obtained from clients is never deleted unless verified by the management. This data is useful especially when accumulated. According to Dennis McCafferty in his book digital, mobile to dominate marketing efforts the data indicates trends and possibilities which the management can consider and use to make decisions on future actions on behalf of the business.
Whether the information is negative (criticism) or positive (supportive), UMUC Haircuts takes it with much seriousness and considered by the stakeholders.
Reliability and availability
Since the information is obtained by clients in their privacy without any external influence, it is as accurate and as unique as it is reliable. This information can be depended upon to make decisions and act upon to address issues and concerns raised or requested by customers. Most importantly, it is easy to obtain information from clients via the Internet.
The UMUC Haircuts completely will rely on the available information obtained from the business website and through direct face-to-face communication with the receptionist.
Data warehousing
Storage of data enables users of the system to have a point of references (McCafferty 22). By monitoring the accumulating data, the managers can predict future trends and make appropriate decision for action basing on the trend indicated in the data.
A well organized database in UMUC Haircuts is vital in arranging data such that reading general and cumulative trends.
Security
The system limits access to the data to authorized users such as members of the top management and the agent concerned by use of passwords to protect vital information from corruption. For instance, only Myra can authorize manipulation or deletion of data saved in the system.
Decision Support
Authentication and verification of the information guarantees reliability for such information to be considered in making major decision on behalf of the business.
Myra can study the customers' personal comments and detail and interpret the information into useful indicators in making decisions on behalf of UMUC Haircuts.
Usability
The new system is easy to install and incorporate in the daily running of the business activities without major changes and disruptions. None of the UMUC Haircuts will be laid off when the system is incorporated. Instead, they can be mentored to effectively use the new system.
Benefits
Myra will be able to keep her customers' contacts and details and, therefore, achieve her desire of sending them birthday wishes and communicate business changes in programs or cost. She will also be able to effectively communicate to multiple customers in a short time through her iPhone, iPhone or laptop even when she retires to rest in her home or when not on duty.
The new proposed solution will enable the UMUC Haircuts to reduce their work-load as they maintain and concentrate on their profession such as hairdressing instead of attending to customers. By concentrating on their specific professions, they will also save the time they used to attend to customers' issues and complaints.
Risks
The website may attract more clients than the UMUC staff can handle. This accumulation of appointments may deprive the staff of free time or vacation and completely exhaust them.
In case the system fails, it will be challenging and exhausting to shift back to the previous manual method of handling transactions. The business could be grounded with the grounding of the system especially during maintenance.
Conclusion
The proposed system is easy to adopt and incorporate into UMUC. It should therefore be considered if Myra wants to achieve her intention of staying ahead of the competitive market. The website may attract more clients than the UMUC staff can handle.
Work Cited
Dennis McCafferty. "Digital, mobile to dominate marketing efforts ." Journal of Business in information technology. 53.3 (2010): Print.
Michael Schrage. "the ecology of technology ." (2011): Print.
