1

INFOSYS.110 BUSINESS SYSTEMS:

DELIVERABLE 2: BUSINESS SECTION
2014

Name Logan Inwood
NetID Linw140
Group Number: 088
Website Link: http://infosys1102014s1group088.blogspot.co.nz/
Tutorial Details
Tutor: Day: Time:
Olivia Tuesday 9am
Time Spent on
Assignment:
24 hours Word Count:
1639 (excluding
references and
headers)




2


2
PLANET PRODUCT ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
During my first couple of weeks at university, I found it difficult to know what events were
on along with when and where they happened. For example, knowing when the next tennis
club gathering, or when the next meat club sausage sizzle was on was a difficult process
because the universities courses and university clubs all posted information in a range of
places and knowing where to look to find that all important date was proving to be a
mission. Thats why Ive come up with Planet, a mobile app that lecturers and club
representatives can post to. The app works by students subscribing to courses and clubs
which relate to them, which will allow them to see information regarding upcoming events
which they would have an interest in. So basically Planet will just make it a lot easier for
students to plan their academic and social activities when it comes to university.
3. BUSINESS SECTION
3.1 Vision
To assist students with their education, in a simple, accessible and efficient way.
3.2 Industry Analysis: Educational Technology Industry
Industry: Educational Technology Industry. Businesses offer technology to users in the
educational sector to aid learning.
Force: High/Low: Justification:
Buyer power: Low As this is what I believe to be a new idea which
isnt currently available, the only option in the
industry is Planet meaning buyer power is low.
Universities are forced to use the one option
available meaning the market is monopolised.

3


3
Supplier power: Low There are a large number of software developers
to supply educational technology based
businesses their services (iStart, n.d.). Also due
to the nature of these developers being computer
based, software development can easily be
offshored to a developer located in a different
country. There is also the option for businesses in
the industry to employ developers and remove
the need to outsource to another company.
Threat of new entrants: High This is high due to the industry only requiring
software to be created, and very little capital
investment due to not requiring any expensive
machinary for example. Therefore a firm would
incur relatively low cost in comparison to entering
other industries.
Threat of substitutes: Low Learning management systems such as Auckland
Universities Cecil, or Blackboard could begin to
offer club organisers the option of uploading their
club related information onto the learning
management systems website, although this isnt
currently allowed and therefore means there are
no substitute products. Although this isnt
available on a mobile app, which is a large factor
in making the niche in the industry which Planet
would target, a unique selling point.
Rivalry among existing
competitors:
Low Planet would be entering an empty market and so
there is currently zero rivalry at all. Despite the

4


4
industry being very broad, the there are no
products available in the niche market of the
industry that Planet would target.
Overall attractiveness of the industry: Due to there being currently no businesses offering
the services Planet would offer, the industry is attractive. There is also low supplier power
so a business in the industry would have flexibility when choosing a supplier. Buyer power
would also be low due to the absense of competition.
3.3 Customers and Thei r Needs
The customers of Planet would be universities, although could potentially be used by other
educational organisations such as schools as well. For universities to maximise their aid in
giving students the oppourtunity to achieve their maximum grade or sporting and social
potential, the students need to be up to date and informed.
Away from the educational potential target market, the app could also be suitable for
corporate users. Employers need their workers to be as efficient in their job as possible in
order to achieve the best results out of their operations, and remain competitive against
other businesses. In order to be a smart leader, there is the need to communicate
information to workers over various systems, inorder to keep them informed (More Than a
Minute,n.d., para. 2).
3.4 The Product and Service
Planet meets the needs of the target market by allowing students to have access to
important co-curricular and non co-curricular information at their finger tips. This removes
the unnecassry time put into navigating multiple online forms of information distribution
channels, by having all the information in a single and easily accessible location.
For the business side of the potential target market, managers could assign tasks to workers
within their span of control through Planet, as an added reminder of jobs to fulfil and other
events such as a work functions. This can increase worker output and involvement,

5


5
increases the chance of workers remembering to fulfil a task, and therefore meets managers
needs with more informed workers, resulting in higher emplyee output.
3.5 Suppliers and Partners
Suppliers to Planet would be application development firms such as Smudge Apps and
Carnival Labs (iStart, n.d.). Both these businesses offer application creation services
suitable for the 3 biggest mobile phone operating systems being iOS, Android and WP7,
which collectively capture 98.7% of market share for mobile operating systems (IDC, 2014).
Therefore either of these suppliers would suit Planet by allowing the application to be
accessible by roughly 78% of university students, based on Americas smartphone ownership
for 18-24 year olds of 79% (Marketing Charts, 2013).
Partners of Planet could potentially be services such as Cecil, Blackboard, Moodle, mobile
app stores or even Facebook (Nabi, 2012). For example, Cecil is learning based online
systems which offer information regarding courses associated with university, but not for
clubs. Planet could work with systems like these, to allow integration by having information
posted onto Cecil or Facebook automatically accesible through Planet. Planet would also
need to become available on mobile app stores, meaning partnerships with Apples App
Store and Googles Play Store are necessities.
3.6 Strategy: Focused Differenti ation
The app carries a first mover title, as it will be new to the industry; there are currently no
apps available which I believe offers the same accessability and features as Planet.
Therefore it follows a differentiation strategy, due to its competitive advantage. It also
initially would target universities, which is a narrow market to follow, although potentially
targeting schools and corporate users would push the strategy into the broad scope.
The overall strategy is therefore Focused Differentiation.
3.7 Value Chain Activity: Technology Development (and R&D)
The most important value chain activity for Planet is Technology Development and R&D.

6


6
This is due to the value being created by our app, mainly though the use of technology, to
allow students to access their educational information wherever they have a mobile phone.
By following the differentiated strategy, Planet requires heavy ongoing research and
development to retain its competitive advantage plus marketshare, and keep the app in-line
with new technology requirements. Further research and development would also be
required if Planet were to diversify into a corporate industry by offering services to
businesses.
3.8 Business Processes
3.8.1. APPLI CATI ON DEVELOPMENT PROCESS - This process is the biggest in terms of
importance for Planet, and starts with the application requirements being created based on
the needs of target market. Then the decision to either outsource the development or
employ developers inorder to make the app is made. The project requirements are given to
developers who then create Planet and upon inspection of the application, the app will
either be suitable for the market place, or require further maintenance. Once the app is as
desired, the process ends.

7


7
Start
Does the application
require further
maintenance?
Employ internally or
outsource?
Find the most
suitable firm
Employ application
developers
Create application
requirements based
on market research
results
Assess the created
application
Create altercation
adjustments for
developer to make
Give application
project
requirements to
developers
End
Yes
No
Application is
created
Application Management System
Marketing Department


3.8.2. CUSTOMER SETUP PROCESS When acquiring a new customer, for example the
University of Auckland, Planet needs to create an account for the universities students to
access. This requires a 4 step process beginning with the busienss receiving customer
specific requirements. Once the payment is received from the customer the process goes to
the account creation stage. This requires input from the sales department regarding all
requirements of the customer, such as special orders to integrate Cecil for the university.

8


8
The step sends the information to an account management system which produces an
individual account specific to the university. The account is then made available through
Planet, for students of the university to access as an example.
Start
Payment received
Account Creation
Make available to
customers
End
Planet receives
customer specific
order
Account Management System
Sales Department
Sales Department

3.9 Functionalities
3.9.1. APPLI CATI ON DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Create a mobile application suitable to target markets needs.
Allow integration with partnered softwares.
3.9.2. CUSTOMER SETUP PROCESS
Create an account specific to the customers individual requirements.
Allows customer to access their individual account.

9


9
3.10 Systems

3.10. 1. APPLICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM- This system creates and maintains Planets app,
by constantly working with changing customer needs, to keep Planets competitive
advantage. Applications require constant updating to continually improve their accessability
for users and to keep up with and exceed customer expectations.
3.10. 2. PARTNER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM This system is associated with maintaining and
increasing relationships and integration with partners, to meet the increasing partner
demands of customers. The system highlights what partners customers are wanting,
allowing management to form new relatiosnhips.
3.10. 3. ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM This system is associated with creating and
maintaining the customers Planet account, and is required to be updated with new
customer information continually. Each customer is stored individualy so the app can meet
the needs of each customer , in a personalised and simple way, as well as making the
accounts available at all times.

10


10
3.11. Summary Table: Value Chain to Systems

Value Chain
Activity
Processes Functionalities Specific Information
System(s)
Broad Information
System(s)

Technology
and
Development
1. Application
Development
Process
1. Create a mobile application suitable to
target markets needs.

2. Allow integration with partnered
softwares.
Application management
system


Partner management
system
DSS, CRM


SCM
2. CUSTOMER
SETUP
PROCESS
3. Create an account specific to the
customers individual requirements.

4. Allows customer to access their
individual account.
Account management
system

Account management
system
CRM


CRM

11

11
CONCLUSION
In conclusion Planet aims to provide mainly universities with a simple and efficient mobile
services for its students, but theres also potential to be offered to school students and
corporate users. The app should fill a niche in the Educational technolog industry, and
capture the market with its focused differentiation strategy. Sources show there is a very
high smartphone usage rate amongst young adults, meaning the app will be very accessible
and convenient for students (Marketing Charts, 2013), and with the systems in place by
Planet, customers can have their needs met as they change.
REFERENCES


1. IDC. (2014, February 12). Android and iOS Continue to Dominate the Worldwide
Smartphone Market with Android Shipments Just Shy of 800 Million in 2013,
According to IDC. [Press Release]. Retrieved from http://www.idc.com

2. iStart. Mobile App Developers Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2014, from
http://www.istart.co.nz/index/HM20/AL211749/AR214658

3. Marketing Charts. (2013, June 7). Smartphone Penetration Higher Among Younger,
Wealthier Groups. [Brochure]. Retrieved from http://www.marketingcharts.com/
4. More Than a Minute. How to Keep Employees Informed. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25,
2014, from http://morethanaminute.com/how-to-keep-employees-informed-a-step-
by-step-guide
5. Nabi, S. (2012, June). 7 Blackboard competitors with online learning solutions.
Education Dive. Retrieved from http://www.educationdive.com/news/7-blackboard-
competitors-with-online-learning-solutions/35847/