BSBOPS502-Manage Operational Plan – Business Management Assignment Help

Assignment Task

Task

Instructions:

You are to give these two scripts to people you have chosen to play the roles of the Sales Manager and the IT Manager.  They are to simply read off the script as you ask the appropriate question.  If a question to obtain information from the script is not asked, then those playing each role are not disclose this information.

Setting the scene:

You are to assume the role of Sim Co’s Sales Manager.  You want to help the company achieve its goals through meeting customer needs and generating sales in a competitive marketplace. A few weeks ago you approached Sim Co’s CEO, Kames Crow with a strategy to expand into an e-commerce market.

You have agreed to speak with the Finance Manager (the student undertaking this unit) that has been contracted to recommend how such a strategy could be implemented.  You are to only supply information when the Finance Manager (student) asks questions and provides you with an opportunity to speak. You are to let this person know prior to the meeting beginning that you are time-poor and would like to wrap up the meeting once you’ve shared necessary information. This needs to form part of the recording.

The following points are the views of the Sales Manager if the e-commerce solution is to succeed:

1. Building an e-commerce business requires careful planning.  By taking the time to plan, the chances for success will increase dramatically. I would suggest you therefore start by developing an e-commerce action plan and then adding this e-commerce strategy to the current 2017-18 operational plan.  I know a little bit about implementing e-commerce strategies, but not sufficient to provide you with a detailed action plan.  This will require an experienced e-commerce business advisor.

2. What I do know is that it will be important to move into the execution phase after the plan has been developed.  This will involve creating a suitable domain name and modernise the Sim Co logo.  You will need to ensure this modernised logo is registered as a trade mark because you are changing the original Sim Co logo and won’t automatically have the right to use it in case it has been already been registered. 

3. This trademarked logo will become a valuable marketing tool for the Sim Co e-commerce solution.  It will form part of our brand, or our identity – the way we show our customers who we are.  By registering the trade mark, we can then place our ® symbol on the logo immediately.  This will put other businesses on notice to respect our trade mark meaning that no other business will be able to use it.  However, it is important to do this before making anything goes public on the Sim Co website.

4. I believe that the e-commerce shopping cart solution and additions to the Sim Co web site will need to be determined that will appeal customers.  As for the website, I believe usability for customers is the key to success according to customer research.  I know that we will have to be able to manage the web site content and will need to ensure that there is an agreement with the website developer for Sim Co to be the owners of any content produced by the website developers.

5. A credit card merchant account will need to be set up with the bank.  I understand that our customers demand we accept all major credit cards and PayPal.

6. We will have to determine the online advertising and web promotion approaches.  However, you will need to talk to an e-commerce specialist about this as this is out of my field of knowledge and skill.

7. There will need to be some improvements in logistics to prepare for online retail.  I believe that we will need to purchase additional delivery vehicles, make arrangements with Australia Post, purchase 2 additional pallet jacks and reconfigure the warehouse at both locations to cope with the increased customer demand.

8. I also believe we will need about 8 skilled online sales and customer service people to manage the increased volume of online sales.  I think that these positions will require skills and knowledge to:

• Handle customer interaction in under ten minutes. Customers will not tolerate longer than this;
• Provide detailed product information. 10% error rate is industry average. We need to do much better than this to match our in store service quality; and
• Take and process orders manually to assist online customers to modify automatic orders. 10% error rate is industry average. We need to do much better than this to match our in store service quality.

9. I am of the opinion that the two existing stores are overstaffed; due to the downturn in sales over the past couple of years.  I would suggest that four (4) online staff could be gained by drawing from existing employees at the two stores and that the other four (4) staff are recruited from outside.

10. The office space at both stores will need to be reconfigured to accommodate the additional online sales staff.  I believe that access to information will be the key to quality service for online customers.

11. Training for online customer service. Training will need to be taken seriously. We need to deliver an online experience that replicates the quality of our in store experience. Currently no staff have online customer service skills.  Management would like to develop people through re-training rather than hire new staff to handle online sales where possible.