Need help with my section of the paper. I attached the case study and copy of the paper. Please answer A and B with referenc
Need help with my section of the paper. I attached the case study and copy of the paper. Please answer A and B with reference please. I need within 12 hours.
A. Different IT Solution:
- Describe the solution
- Describe the major benefits and the extent to which it solves the problems identified in Section II
- Identify the major cost elements and provide an estimated cost for the solution
- Discuss the general feasibility of the solution – whether or not it is feasible and the reasoning behind the statements
- Identify the top three risks (organizational, financial, IT, etc.)
- Describe the major defining issues – things that would make it a less desirable solution than the proposed solution, or, in the case of the proposed solution, why it is the best alternative in general.
B. Process Change
- Describe the solution
- Describe the major benefits and the extent to which it solves the problems identified in Section II
- Identify the major cost elements and provide an estimated cost for the solution
- Discuss the general feasibility of the solution – whether or not it is feasible and the reasoning behind the statements
- Identify the top three risks (organizational, financial, IT, etc.)
- Describe the major defining issues – things that would make it a less desirable solution than the proposed solution, or, in the case of the proposed solution, why it is the best alternative in general.
Trusty Carpets
Background: Jerry Montgomery has been selling carpets for 20 years from his store, Trusty Carpets, which is located in a strip mall that, over the past few years, has become a busy shopping center. The location is in what had been a quiet town near a large city, but recent area growth has resulted in many new homes being built and the town council has started to consider ordinances to create zones to protect unique architecture, improve overall property condition, and protect the environment. Their focus is on creating an up-scale community attracting “clean” businesses to improve the quality of life and its tax base.
The current business model: Since he opened his Trusty Carpets store, Jerry has advertised in the local paper and done all of his business in his showroom where he has carpet samples on display. Jerry employs two sales people to serve customers in the store. One is his daughter Ann who he would like to take over the business when he retires. Since he has little storage space, Jerry’s inventory has been limited to overstock, end pieces from installations, and samples. When a customer makes a selection from the samples, the salesman checks the manufacturer's information to determine the availability of the selected carpet and the current price. Jerry’s brother-in-law, Mike Baker, has a carpet installation business and has been sub-contracting the installation of the carpets sold by Trusty Carpets. The sales staff coordinates installation with the customer and with Mike.
Jerry employs an accountant (who has other customers and does his work at his own office) to keep track of his finances, pay bills, send invoices, collect payment and do payroll. Jerry's finances are very straight-forward, and he uses the accountant only because he does not like to do the paperwork.
Jerry’s company sells about 250,000 square feet of carpet a year (70% of it is mid-grade carpet and padding) for sales of about $1.2 million. This results in a net profit of about $100,000. His current costs are in line with industry averages but his profits are below the averages. He attributes this to the fact that he keeps his prices low to be more competitive and grow his business.
Technology support: The Trusty Carpets store has a basic information technology (IT) infrastructure with an internet connection. There is a computer with a multi-purpose printer (scanner/fax/printer) in Jerry's office. It is connected to a router supplied by the Internet Service Provider. The router also provides a wireless network within the store, and the 2 salesmen have tablet computers that they use to check carpet availability and price, and to enter and check orders. Order forms are simple Google document forms that are stored in the Google cloud and are shared among the employees and with the installer and the accountant. Jerry and his salesmen each have a Gmail account. One of the salesmen, Ben (who has been with Jerry 6 years), is studying IT at the community college. He set up the current technology in the store just six months ago. Jerry expects Ben to learn about any new technology that gets installed and help solve minor in-store IT problems.
Recent changes: Jerry has been quite successful and has recently acquired Metro Carpets, a store on the other side of town. Metro Carpets has a large showroom and an adjoining 20,000 square foot warehouse. The showroom contains two room displays, one a living room with their top line carpet and one a family room with mid-line carpet. The remaining display space is for samples and remnants, including a small area for closeouts. The warehouse is about 50% utilized. It contains rolls of the top line carpet in a wide range of popular colors for immediate installation. Although it is a relatively large business, the previous owner was not well organized, had no information technology at the store, and kept all of his customer records and carpet inventory in hand-written ledgers. Jerry plans to retain the three sales staff and two warehouse people at Metro, and he wants to continue to expand sales in his original store. Metro generates about $3 million in annual sales at a 12% profit. Costs are in line with industry averages. Carpet sold at Metro breaks down as follows: 10% bottom grade, 50% mid-grade and 40% top-of-the-line.
The opportunities: With the expansion of his business, Jerry needs a way to be able to manage the two separate locations and the installation operation as one business. He is also looking at ways to increase his business through internet sales, establishing relationships with new home builders, and in-home sales where he believes that he could reach more customers if his salespeople could go to customers’ homes, take measurements and obtain orders. Jerry’s daughter Ann is studying interior decorating in college and he wants to reach out to the interior decorating community to expand sales as well. Additionally, Jerry wants to be environmentally responsible. To do this he will need to allocate warehouse space to accommodate recyclable carpet. The installers would bring the used carpet to the warehouse, and the carpet would then be picked up by a recycler monthly at no cost.
How your team will help: Jerry's primary business objective is to continue to increase his profit margins, and he believes appropriate technology can help with managing his expanding business. He has hired your team to evaluate his needs and recommend which technologies he should acquire and to develop the Business Case for those you recommend. He will use the Business Case to decide whether he should invest in the technology solution your team is proposing. Through the Business Case, your team must convince Jerry that you have a well thought-out plan that meets his objectives and has the potential of increasing sales and profitability; your objective is to get Jerry to hire your team to develop and implement the solution you are proposing.
The assignment: Your team is to develop and explain a proposed technology solution for Jerry's business. You will come up with some specific business objectives that could be supported by technology solutions, and then identify some IT solutions that could benefit Jerry’s carpet business. As a team, you will decide which technology or combination of technologies would benefit his business the most and should be implemented first. Your team will develop a Business Case to explain the solution and how it would be implemented.
The Business Case must be well written and be able to be understood by Jerry, with his limited technical understanding. It is to be written as a proposal to Jerry that explains and defends the solution your team is putting forward.
Your team will develop the Business Case, section by section, as we proceed through the class. The Business Case will be done as a series of documents prepared by your team that together form the full Business Case. The specifics for each section are in the weekly group project assignments, beginning with the Week 1 Group Assignment. The complete business case assignment is in the "Building the Business Case" document posted in the classroom.
Rev 6 8/20/2018 2
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Section II-IV. Problem Analysis, Proposed Solution, and Expected Improvements
Trusty Carpets
Team Endgame
IFSM 495: Capstone Course
February 1, 2022
Natalia Crosdale, PM
Justin Gaffey, Deputy PM
Mitchell Jones, Editor
Nambo Francis, Research Manager
Matthew Hassan, Documentation Manager
Executive Summary 3 I. Background and Environmental Analysis 3 A. Background 3 B. Environmental Analysis 3 1. Business Vision, Strategy and Objectives 3 2. Business Processes and Technologies 4 3. New Technology Trends 4 4. Commercial Trends Driving Industry Change 4 5. New Technologies/Processes in Use by Competitors 5 6. Changes to Statutory, Legislative, or Other Environmental Requirements 5 II. Problem or Opportunity Analysis 5 A. Business Opportunity Summary and Identification 5 B. Opportunity Alignment with Business Strategy 6 C. Supporting Evidence 6 D. Timeframe for Opportunity 6 E. Positive Impact on the Business 7 F. Reason for Selection 7 III. Proposed Solution 7 IV. Expected Improvements 7 A. Proposed Solution Business Opportunity 7 B. Business Objectives Alignment 8 C. Organizational Benefits 8 1. Financial Benefits 8 2. Non-Financial Benefits 8 D. Supplementary Organizational Value 9 V. Alternatives Analysis – Justin 9 A. Status Quo – Justin 10 B. The Proposed Solution – Justin 10 C. A Different IT Solution – Nambo 10 D. A Process Change – Nambo 11 E. Comparison of Alternatives – Natalia 11 F. Justification for Proposed System – Natalia 11 VI. Feasibility Analysis – Matthew 12 A. Economic/Financial Feasibility – Matthew 12 B. Organizational/Operational Feasibility – Mitchell 12 C. Technical Feasibility – Mitchell 13 Appendix 16
Executive Summary
I. Background and Environmental Analysis
A. Background
Trusty Carpets is a carpet reseller who has been in business for 20 years. The company recently expanded into another location and used this opportunity to modernize the business. This modernization effort includes using technology to run both sites as a single entity, using internet sales to generate an additional source of revenue, and integrating with vendors, builders, and designers to install carpets on new projects as they are procured. As part of this expansion, Trusty Carpets will integrate with an installer business to provide a single source for customers to select a carpet and have it installed.
Some challenges associated with this redesign would benefit from carefully selected, strategic information technology solutions. These challenges include consolidating customer records and accounting data from the original location, the new location, and the installer business. Trusty Carpets also historically procured carpeting on an as-needed basis directly from the manufacturer. With a newly acquired warehouse with 20,000 square feet of storage, an effective inventory system must be implemented to ensure that Trusty Carpets knows what is available and when to reorder materials.
The current information technology assets in use at Trusty Carpets' original location will not be sufficient to accommodate the recent expansions. A more robust system must be implemented to manage two geographically separate locations, multiple installation teams, and an internet presence for advertising and sales. The proper technology solutions would ease the administrative burden, simplify accounting and customer information storage, inventory tracking while coordinating with installation, sales, and management teams.
B. Environmental Analysis
1. Business Vision, Strategy and Objectives
When considering most companies' stance towards sustainable initiatives, it is in Trusty Carpet's best interest to comply with all federal, state, and local mandates, contributing to its long-term marketing strategy. Carpet industries have made significant progress in recent years regarding reducing the number of chemicals released into the environment due to carpet production. In addition, the use of water and power has also slowly been declining due to improved production methods and companies acting in the best interest of the planet.
Trusty Carpet (TC) has made it clear that it will improve upon the already outstanding job it is doing when it comes to recycling and create less of an environmental impact when it comes to the production of carpets. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a Waste Reduction Model (WARM) that allows businesses to track the impact that they are having on the environment by staying current with any changes that the EPA might make (EPA, 2021). Trusty Carpets has unfortunately fallen behind on the company's Information Technology (IT) business portion. However, given its current location, it has continually sold carpets.
Due to the continuous growth of other carpet resellers in the local area, Trusty Carpets needs to improve on its internal IT processes. Improving internal processes will allow for the continued growth it desires, along with the ability to appeal to new customers. The IT currently in place keeps Trusty Carpets from reaching its full potential, and a simple upgrade will help provide much-needed resources while increasing its profit margins.
2. Business Processes and Technologies
Trusty Carpets can introduce new IT that can seamlessly integrate or even replace the current IT already in place. As a result, this will provide the company with expanded system capabilities than its current operating model. An updated IT system will provide the desired results Trusty Carpets is looking for, which will align with the IT vision that it has been seeking. Additionally, with technology being at the forefront of most businesses, an innovative marketing strategy can be employed through cutting ties with the current paper-based method of promoting the business. Instead of outdated paper-based advertising, Trusty Carpets could now utilize the features provided with modern technologies.
By utilizing online marketing, Trusty Carpets will reach its current and future customers while simultaneously shrinking environmental impact through printed advertising. In addition to the updated marketing strategy, TC will no longer be at risk of potential hacking, which puts the privacy of the business and its customers’ privacy at risk. An updated IT system will allow anyone with proper access to analyse TC’s business trends. Additionally, this will provide strategic insights into which direction TC needs to focus. Unfortunately, TC cannot presently support these functions due to the current IT system’s limitations, and it will need to be updated to support these ideas.
3. New Technology Trends
Each year over four billion pounds of carpet gets thrown away in landfills, accounting for 1% of the annual municipal solid waste (EPA, 2021). However, when traditional carpeting was first utilized, recycling was not an option due to its chemical composition. To rectify this issue, leading carpet manufacturers collaborated to produce an eco-friendly, recyclable version made purely from polyester. By doing so, has significantly reduced the environmental impact.
Carpet manufacturer Mohawk introduced Airo carpeting in 2017, made from 100% Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). Polyester is made with a base of crude oils. Alternatively, Airo technology provides the ability to recycle and manufacture carpets which reduces the amount of crude oil used during the creation process. The investment by TC to purchase 100% PET-made carpets will reduce the harm to the environment through production and sustainability measures.
4. Commercial Trends Driving Industry Change
The global flooring market has seen a spike in demand due to increased requirements for better aesthetics and functions to spaces. Several contributions to this spike include:
1. increased home buyers with the need to develop their homes
2. improved standard of living in smaller family units
3. the demand for natural materials (stones and bricks, for example)
4. the same aesthetic at a lesser cost and higher efficiency (Yahoo!finance, 2022).
In addition to these commercial trends, the integration of Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) has been widely used due to its low prices, photo-realistic graphics, durability, and low maintenance (Hirshberg, 2017).
5. New Technologies/Processes in Use by Competitors
Rising environmental concerns and carpets' impact on landfills, many companies look to alternative sustainable options. Due to the previously confidential chemical compounds found in carpeting, the rise in competing suppliers with enhanced solutions has been at the forefront of the industry. One flooring product, in particular, Karndean, fits many of the sustainable requirements that companies look for, including: ISO 14001 and 9001 certified, materials being recycled in a closed-loop process, and low energy manufacturing requirements when compared to other plastics (Karndean, n.d.). LVT, which Karndean falls under, is projected to reach $38.9B by 2027, with a projected growth of 10% over the next five years (ReportLinker, 2021).
6. Changes to Statutory, Legislative, or Other Environmental Requirements
Substantial improvements have been made around chemical safety laws and the environment. For example, in 2016, President Obama signed a new act titled the Lautenberg Act, the first update to its previous act initially signed in 1976 known as the Toxic Substance Control Act (Denison, n.d.). Before signing, the previous act allowed unsafe chemicals to remain on the market for use, left the government without the power to regulate and allowed the companies to hide this information from the public (Denison, n.d.). However, this legislation provides several notable benefits, including mandated chemical safety reviews, chemical safety reviews before entering the market, EPA enhanced testing and making chemical information more publicly available (Denison, n.d.).
II. Problem or Opportunity Analysis
One of the key components of the success of Trusty Carpets’ endeavors is identifying and understanding business opportunities prior to solution integration. By doing so, business managers and key decision-makers within the company will be better informed of the opportunities. This section provides Trusty Carpets with a summary of their unique business opportunity, how this opportunity was identified, the alignment that it has with their business strategy, the timeframe that this will likely exist for, the reason for selecting this opportunity, and ultimately the positive impact this will have on the business.
A. Business Opportunity Summary and Identification
Due to Trusty Carpets’ business expansion opportunity along with their added warehouse storage, a unique scope exists for the business. In addition to being able to stake a presence within the flooring market, Trusty Carpets can expand its sales through several revenue streams (both online and nationally). For example, while their warehouse will allow for a more robust inventory that helps bolster their stock, logistics, and supply chain management, their recent merger places the business at an advantage to streamline management processes.
Regarding their revenue stream opportunities, this comes from developing online marketing and sales and creating rapport with local builders. By doing so, Trusty Carpets creates a solid foundation for their stance on environmental issues since using locally sourced items and providers results in a reduced carbon footprint. In addition to this, opportunities exist to work with equally minded local interior designers who comply with the EPA’s environmental initiative (WARM).
B. Opportunity Alignment with Business Strategy
Trusty Carpets’ business strategy includes effectively managing operational and logistical requirements while abiding by local environmental regulations. With their primary business opportunities identified, this aligns with their strategy to expand their business and ultimately increase profit margins. The important thing that Trusty Carpets needs to consider is that opportunities are not solely limited to physical expansion. These also exist through online transactions and digital marketing. It has the opportunity to use these tools to further its stance on compliance and support for environmentally friendly endeavors.
These strategic implementations at Trusty Carpet will affect the overall productivity and efficiency levels from an employee, operational, and managerial point of view. In addition, the increased capabilities and better services will align with the business vision, requirements, and objectives. Ultimately, the overarching goal for Trusty Carpets’ project is to synergize and establish an effective form of communication between all employment levels (i.e., offices, staff, customers, managers) while simultaneously increasing employee performance, productivity, and business operations.
C. Supporting Evidence
Current trends within the flooring industry show how high-quality carpeting adds value to a home and helps customers stand out from their competitors. Not only does it provide the room with a heightened sense of aesthetic to a living space, but it also provides functional and monetary benefits. This includes acting as a durable insulator during the colder winter months and, also, being more affordable than wood and linoleum alternatives (Srinivasan, 2022).
Present-day digital marketing has shown to be a reliable and effective way to succeed at advertising for companies on digital platforms. Evidence has shown that Trusty Carpets can greatly benefit from an online presence. In a study done with Google, companies that added digital marketing to their business plans tended to have almost three times as much revenue and, also, three and a half times more probability to increase their workforce and business (“How Digital Marketing Helps,” 2019).
D. Timeframe for Opportunity
This opportunity presented itself when Trusty Carpets acquired the new location, previously Metro Carpets, and expanded its storage and display areas. Trusty Carpets seized this opportunity to review how it currently conducts business and how it might incorporate new methods to increase revenue. In addition to this expansion, Trusty Carpets officially incorporated an installer business, allowing it to field installation teams for new construction, home renovations, and interior redesign projects.
This opportunity should be seized over the next six months, as it recently bought out its main competitor and now has the potential to gain a significant market share in the carpeting sales and installation sector. While Trusty Carpets is the leading supplier of new carpeting and is expanding its workforce, it should work to create as many profitable business partnerships as possible while increasing its customer base.
E. Positive Impact on the Business
Trusty Carpets can benefit from this opportunity by providing carpeting and installation services to a greater variety of customers. For example, homeowners who want to update their current living spaces, builders working on residential and commercial projects, and interior designers or home renovation specialists who need flooring to complete more comprehensive area redesigns.
Trusty Carpets can partner with various builders and renovation companies in the area to provide a steady stream of new projects. In addition, working with many local companies will give Trusty Carpets valuable data on what flooring is most popular, allowing it to retain the most in-demand flooring materials in the warehouse.
F. Reason for Selection
This opportunity was selected as it aligns directly with Trusty Carpets’ stated goal of increasing profit margins. Trusty Carpets can see a greater return on its sales and installation projects by adding more profitable revenue streams. While residential sales are profitable, commercial sales can lead to a much higher volume of work. While dated, the average residential carpet installation project was shown to be 84 square yards in 2011, while a commercial job was 173 square yards (Floor Trends, 2011).
III. Proposed Solution
As Trusty Carpets expand partnerships, service capabilities, and offerings, Microsoft Dynamics 365 would serve as a viable Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution. Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based CRM solution that offers benefits such as ease of use, integration with other Microsoft products, sales insights and metrics, customization capabilities, scalability, and acts as a centralized repository across multiple teams and business units (KMicro, n.d.).
IV. Expected Improvements
The expansion of Trusty Carpets’ revenue streams online and nationally would require a means to manage and track sales effectively. Also, added warehouse storage requires a means to manage those processes. Therefore, Microsoft Dynamics 365 has the necessary capabilities to achieve these objectives. Its implementation aligns with Trusty Carpets’ business strategy and objectives through its multitude of capabilities. Dynamics 365 is not only a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, but it also has Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) features.
A. Proposed Solution Business Opportunity
At the moment, Trusty Carpets uses a local newspaper for advertising its services in the local area. While this may have been a practical way to reach out to potential customers, it is no longer a viable solution due to technological trends. Digital marketing campaigns and expanding their reach to new land developers and homebuilders are achievable with the CRM solution. By using Microsoft Dynamics 365, Trusty Carpets is able to hone in on their target market through digital advertising and, thus, stay modern with current technological advances.
B. Business Objectives Alignment
The owner of Trusty Carpets described wanting to manage both of their store locations simultaneously while also developing rapport with new clientele digitally. Microsoft Dynamics 365 can fulfill both business objectives through a centralized software system requiring less employee staffing and higher means of efficiency. In addition, the system allows the company to integrate digital tools currently being utilized in their business operations and allows email communications to be achieved via the CRM system.
C. Organizational Benefits
Trusty Carpets can expect to see several organizational benefits due to Microsoft Dynamics 365’s integrated features. These benefits can be classified as both tangible and intangible benefits. From a tangible standpoint, the proposed solution is scalable and cloud-based, which is an easy-to-change subscription (KMicro, n.d.). As the owner is expanding their capabilities to multiple regions while also increasing their market reach, the CRM solution can easily scale up or down depending on budget, workload, and team size. From an intangible point of view, Trusty Carpets must maintain and expand its current customer base. Since the CRM system includes several customer data points (website visit behavior, customer interactions, and buying p
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