Digital Transformation Project – Integrated IT at After’s Cool

13

October

2016

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After’s Cool is a private company that provides examination guidance, homework assistance and individual tutoring for students.

Thorwald Letzer saw a market opportunity to meet the need for additional learning support or homework control. The company is managed by Thorwald Letzer and Emmy van Rooyen. After’s Cool wants to create value and competitive advantages by offering flexibility, assistance in all courses and professional tutors. Second, After’s Cool positions itself as a positive minded institute. After’s Cool earns revenue by charging students different tariffs for services. The company promotes their services to attract students via word of mouth, schools and social media. The company has a flatter organizational structure, what is common in small to medium companies, with only three hierarchical levels and a lot of autonomy for employees.

IT systems

After’s Cool current business relies on different IT systems, for example Google, like Google Forms, Calendar, Gmail and Drive. Secondly, After’s Cool uses a CRM system which is called WhiteWorks to send invoices to students and their parents. After’s Cool also uses Twinfield as accounting system. Besides, After’s Cool makes use of a planning system to coordinate which student will come which day and what the exact homework task is. After’s Cool uses Nmbrs® as personnel administration system. Finally, the link between the school system, for example Magister or SOMtoday, and After’s Cools planning system is made manually. Right now there is a pilot running for a system that does this automatically, called START.

After’s Cool’s direct competitors in the same region are Bijdeles, Didactique, Lyceo and Studiekring.

The main strength of After’s Cool is their face-to-face contact in this increasing digital environment. Their main weakness is their manually overwriting of information from one IT system to another. Their main opportunity is the possible integration of all their IT systems with the use of an ERP system. Their main threat is the shortage of tutors.

Possible solutions

Bigger competitors have higher budgets and can therefore operate with mobile applications. Second, improvements and possibilities in IT systems at After’s Cool should focus on automatization. Besides, online tutoring through for example Skype, could be the solution to overcome geographical restrictions. Another solution could be to match the tutor and student via an online platform.

Proposed solution

After’s Cool is currently using many individual IT-systems. Many of the data importation, from system to system, is done manually. Therefore, we suggest to buy or develop an ERP software system. ERP systems allow seamless integration of information flows and business processes across functional areas within a company. After’s Cool needs to buy an ERP system package and make some adjustments in order to meet specific requirements. To neutralize the threat of competitors with an online matching system, After’s Cool can decide to incorporate such a system in the integrated ERP. Next to the ERP, there should be an online platform. The platform will serve as an online environment where students, tutors and parents will be able to see relevant information.

 

 

Merle Stadhouders – 385904

Lester Tersteeg – 376346

Alex Hartevelt – 373697

Quirine Paauwe – 373437

Group 18

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Nike as a Platform Business

1

October

2016

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Nike wants to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. The company creates products, services and experiences. Nike focuses on the future by constantly innovating using the statement ‘beating yourself is a never-ending commitment’. This ensures that Nike survives in an ever-changing economy.

 

In 2012, Nike introduced the revolutionary Nike+ FuelBand, a wearable device to measure movement and different activities, and from that moment the customer tech and fitness industry was born.

 

However, in 2015, the Apple Watch was introduced by Apple and Nike became a third-party application on this Apple device.

 

Nike decided to focus again on fitness data platforms with communities, like Nike+ and NikeFuel. NikeFuel makes it possible to calculate activity, compare and compete with friends or other Nike+ members and become more motivated. Nike+ is the overall account for the applications, services and website of Nike with 30 million members. Both platforms provide connection and social interaction between users.

 

Nike strongly believes in the power of collaboration and therefore the company has recently started with organizing hackathons. Nike makes platforms available for developers and provides them with all data gathered by Nike for self-created applications.

 

Nike also launched Nike+ Fuel Lab, a partnership program to collaborate with industry leading companies and to use emerging technologies to create innovative solutions. A platform that is more open and free is more likely to grow and connects users with your business to establish co-creation. The more people are connected to a platform, like NikeFuel or Nike+, the bigger the community and the higher the value of the platform. The value for users, for example developers and suppliers, depends on the number of other platform users, for example Nike customers.

 

Through hackathons, the Nike+ Fuel Lab and partnerships with other fitness tracking technologies, Nike’s applications integrate with more partner devices, applications and fitness equipment. It can be concluded that Nike developed itself as a real platform business.

 

What do you think will be the future of Nike as a platform business?

 

Sources:

Li, T. (2016) ‘Platform Mediated Networks’, Information Strategy Session 4, Rotterdam (26th of September 2016)

http://digiday.com/platforms/sxsw-why-nike-is-a-tech-company/

http://fortune.com/2016/04/10/nike-platform-business-book-excerpt/

www.nike.com

http://www.wareable.com/nike/not-so-happy-birthday-nike-fuelband-2351

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How disruptive is E-Commerce when there is Omni-Channel? The Hunkemöller Story

26

September

2016

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Introduction: e–commerce as disrupter

Since the importance of e-commerce is increasing, digital is taking over the physical stores that disappear more often. E-commerce is changing the traditional business model of retailers. They do not longer survive with offline operations only and need to rethink their business model and strategy by considering to move their business to the web.

New phenomena: m–commerce and multi–screening

Over the past few years there has been a growth in the possession of smart mobile devices and the use of applications has grown by 100%. Applications are easy to use and therefore mobile commerce is rising. Research shows that mobile commerce will grow with 42% between 2013 and 2016. Compared to a 13% growth in regular e-commerce, this implies that m-commerce will grow three times faster. Companies are forced to go along with this development to keep their business running.

Since the rise of m-commerce, 85% of the online customers start and finish their purchase on different devices. 65% start with online shopping on their smartphone, of which 60% continue on their PC. These numbers indicate the increasing importance of multi-screening.

A chance for traditional stores: omni–channel

With the growing importance of multi-screening comes that customers no longer rely on a single channel, but want to interact with companies on different channels at the same time, called omni-channel. Almost half of all consumers want retailers to integrate in-store, online and mobile channels. More than three quarters of all companies want to implement click-and-collect; buy online and collect offline, or in-store online shopping; buy products in store that will be delivered at home.

Retailers should focus on fully integrating online and offline channels, so they are able to gather useful information from customers at one central place and measure customer behavior. This allows retailers to restore the importance of physical stores in sales activities.

Omni–channel at Hunkemöller

Hunkemöller launched webshops in 11 different countries and has more than 700 physical stores in 18 countries all over the world. Nowadays almost 1.5 million customers downloaded the Hunkemöller app and the member card club program ‘My Hunkemöller’ is, with 3.3 million members, one of the largest loyalty programs. These developments ensure that sales initiated through different channels and devices, like mobiles, laptops and tablets, are the fastest growing parts of the business.

Hunkemöller successfully implemented its omni-channel strategy and now focusses on offering the customer a complete omni-channel experience by providing services like Check & Reserve, reserve online and pay offline, Order-in-Store, ordering in store and delivery at home, and Click & Collect, order online and pick up in store. 38% of all online orders are placed using Click & Collect and 10% using Order-in-Store. With these services Hunkemöller distinguishes itself from pure players, generates more sales, reduces no-selling, increases the offer in physical stores, ensures long-term customer relationships and creates an omni-channel customer journey.

Although there is a lot of online activity, still 68% of the customers orientate online and finally buy in the offline store. Vice versa, offline has a great impact on online sales. In this way, the traditional store stays a significant factor in Hunkemöller’s operations. 35% of all returned orders are returned in the offline store and this generates an additional interactive touchpoint with the customer, resulting in upsell 48% of the time.

The survival of the traditional store

Despite the fact that e-commerce has become an important part of our lives, traditional stores will still remain to provide extra customized service, in-store selling and personal interaction with the customer. However, successful implementation of an omni-channel strategy integrating all offline and online channels, is crucial.

What is the future of traditional stores? And which new omni-channel developments will occur in the next few years?

 

Sources

Ahuja, V. Khazanchi, D. (2016) ‘Creation of a conceptual model for Adoption of Mobile Apps for shopping from E-Commerce sites-An Indian context’, Procedia Computer Science, 91, 609-616.

Blacquière, E., Middendorp, B. (2016) ‘Hunkemöller grenzen verleggen met omnichannel e-commerce in de praktijk’, eFashion

Chung-Shing, L. (2001) ‘An analytical framework for evaluating e‐commerce business models and strategies’, Internet Research, Vol. 11 Iss: 4, pp. 349 – 359.

Coupofy (2015). Mobile Commerce Growing 300% Faster than eCommerce. Retrieved from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mobile-commerce-growing-300-faster-than-ecommerce—study-by-coupofy-300133569.html

Hunkemöller (2015). Our Brand Journey. Retrieved from www.hunkemoller.com

Li, T. (2016) ‘Industry Disruption’, Information Strategy Session 2, Rotterdam (12 September 2016)

Twenga Solutions (2016). E–commerce in Europa 2016: Feiten en cijfers. Retrieved from https://www.twenga-solutions.com/nl/insights/e-commerce-in-europa-2016/

Woude, K. van der (2016). Integreer je verkoopkanalen. Retrieved from www.ism.nl

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