Spring 2011

Dr. Norita Ahmad

Project Presentation
  Investing in IT/IS has become a priority for businesses.

  IT/IS will support a company’s bussiness strategy.

  IT/IS simplifies complex tasks.

  Client organization and description:

  Founded in the 1970s by Richard Branson

  Brand Name suggested by a colleague

  Started as a records business

  Today they have more than 200 companies across 30 countries

  All their companies are separated

  At the beginning of the 21st century, they started selling their stores
to other companies

  Selling the stores gave virgin more flexiblity and limited the risks

  “Branded venture capital house”

  Highest quality of service and the best product knowledge

  Entertainment retailer

  Customer relations and feedback

  Customer and supplier intimacy

◦  Customer relations

◦  Bargaining power over suppliers

◦  They only pay for the products that they have sold. (Consignment)

  Competitive advantage

◦  Shopping experience

◦  Well trained workers

◦  After sales service

  Inventory system

◦  Up to date products

◦  Recommended for you

  In store computing (Kioski)

◦  Faster access to products

  Online shop
  Competitors= Many

  In terms of CD’s, electronics and books:

  Electronics Books CD’

  I STYLE Magrudy’s Carrefour

  Jackie’s Borders Spinney’s
  Sharaf DG

  In terms of unique products(collectibles):

  None in the middle eastern region

  Suppliers:

  Local suppliers=Faster and easier to reach but limited

  International suppliers=Up to date products and many are available

  Consignment give the power to virgin over local suppliers

  Virgin has the power as there are many international suppliers

  New market entrants:

  Easy entrance

  But hard to compete

  Customers:

  Reaches by: advertisement, word of mouth and sponsoring events

  Targets: Younger generations(teenagers)

  In terms of collectibles virgin has power over customers

  In terms of other products the customers have power

  Substitutes:

  No substitutes in multiple Entertainment products.

Introduction:
•  Is a family owned engineering adhocracy.

•  Established in 1994 as a partnership.

•  Provides construction and architectural design supervision.

•  Over 120 full-time employees across 2 branches.

•  Based in Abu Dhabi.

•  Participates in many governmental projects.

Business Model:
•  Providing highly experienced and reliable advice.

•  Not to follow strict engineering principles and try to innovate.

•  To have a sufficient budget for IT investments.

•  Provide all company personnel with computer access on their disks.

•  Pursue innovative projects that expands the company’s knowledge.

Business Strategy:
•  Flexibility and to adapt to changing market needs.

•  Cost minimization.
IT Strategy:
•  An interactive website that provides company overview.

•  Employed IT specialists.

•  To have a social network presence (twitter, YouTube).

•  Basic extranet.

•  Create a single database for both branches.

•  CRM to update customers with feedback via E-mail.

•  SCM for weekly or monthly office equipment suppliers.

Competitors:
•  One main competitor, “Deewan”.

•  Forces “Bainona” to keep on the lookout for potential customers.

Customers:
•  Many consultancies=Power to the customer.

•  Increasing expenditures on marketing.

Suppliers:
•  The real suppliers are the employed engineers themselves.

•  Many engineers=Power to “Bainona”.

New Market Entrants:
•  Not too much costs involved in establishing the business.

•  But finding veteran engineers and employing them is difficult.

•  For long term survival reputation is necessary.

Substitutes:
•  Many substitutes which provide same core service.

•  No alternatives
 This presentation provided us with our first
serious chance at coming into contact with
the business world first hand.
We realized that IT/IS are being considered in
all fields of work.
We were able to utilize second life to conduct
this presentation, which made the process of
completing it much more interesting, and
hopefully as you may have witnessed, much
more compelling.