IT 210: Business Systems Analysis 1

IT-210 Final Project Paper

Alexander Grela

Southern New Hampshire University

IT 210: Business Systems Analysis 2

Introduction

The purpose of this project is to assist the owner of a small brick and mortar store

discover and implement some key solutions for their issues. The store specializes in selling

products such as shoes, bags, and clothing, but struggles with keeping up in the current market.

The owner realizes that in order to compete with some of their largest competitors such as

nordstrom rack, kohls, macys, etc they must grow their business in a positive direction. At the

moment, the team consists of two full-time and three part-time employees. Aside from the

physically brick and mortar location, the small store also has a simple website. Although a

website is established, customers are only able to view products that they can purchase within the

store opposed to shopping directly online. The owner is aware of the necessary changes, and has

composed a list of the changes they would like to implement.

The main issue at hand is the underdeveloped website. The store is missing out on a

potentially large income stream. Without a fully developed website that allows customers to

browse and shop, the owner is not able to compete nor reach the amount of customers as their

competitors. A website will allow the store to expand their shopping pool, allow a loyalty

program, launch new products quicker, and so much more. Beside revamping the current

website, the owner would also like to manage inventory and shipping, provide order status and

online payment processing, facilitate collaboration internally and externally (with staff and

customers), manage customer contacts, provide reporting, and be able to use the new technology

to manage the current brick-and-mortar processes (sales, payments, inventory, and customer

contact). Although an extensive list, this would allow for the store to compete with its

competitors and be the success the owner knows it can be. At the present moment, the store

struggles with maintaining customer information and creating reports to influence management's
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decisions. With the proper systems in place, I am confident we can bring the store into modern

times and compete with big name brands.

Business Requirements

In order to bring the business to a point where it can compete with Nordstrom rack,

Kohls, Macy's and other big name brands is to redevelop and revamp. The business already has a

website, which is great but without fully utilizing it the business is only damaging itself. A

proper redesign of the website will allow customers to shop online, see new products, and

connect with the business. This will also allow the business to reach more customers, run

specials, maintain their clients, and create the necessary reports for the business. Being able to

keep track of inventory and know what products sell at what speed is key to a successful

business. Implementing a system that allows the team to do this, which ensures a smooth and

successful store. Without knowing the inventory for the business, management is not in tune with

what is selling nor what customers actually want from the store.

Investing in these programs and in the business will allow it to grow in a positive

direction. The ultimate goal of this project is to discover and implement extremely beneficial

systems that will launch the business into the right direction. Without change, the business will

only suffer further and lose out on amazing opportunities. The technology that needs to be

implemented not only needs to allow customers to shop online, but also track their orders, reach

out with any concerns and keep up to date with what is new. For the business, these technologies

need to maintain client information, allow for inventory to be maintained, create reports at any

point for management, and allow communication for the team. There are many systems already

established that would be great to incorporate in this business and check off all the requirements

from the owner.

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Competitors and Technology

When factoring in all the requirements and needs of the business owner, the first

technology that comes to mind is Square Up. This technology is exactly what the business needs

in order to compete with others. Square is what we know as a mobile commerce technology but

also big data and knowledge management. A few features this tech brings to the table is social

media integration, shipping and fulfillment, marketing, loyalty programs, and convenient

payment. Through Square, the business owner will also be able to maintain inventory, complete

payroll, keep track of finances and so much more. This technology has all the features the

business requires to compete and be successful. ModCloth is an online based clothing store that

hosts their shopping through square. This business relies solely on Square in order to sell their

products, maintain their inventory, and keep track of their sales. Similar to this business,

ModCloth needed a solution to their growing business to compete in a heavily dominated

industry. Examples of how ModCloth utilizes square can be viewed at their website

https://modcloth.com/.

Another great technology that would be very beneficial for the business would be Slack.

This technology is one platform that brings together everything needed for not only the team, but

the business as well. Through this program the business can create individual channels to keep

conversations organized and maintain structure. Slack will also allow the business to

communicate with teams at other companies. This will allow for the business to build great

partnerships and explore other ventures. With built in encryption, this also protects important

information from getting disclosed to outside parties. The owner will also be able to integrate

many other programs from a smooth flow in the business. Over 2,200 apps and integrations can

be used to allow the owner to find success in their business and achieve all of their goals. The
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opportunities are limitless if the business chooses to implement this program. A company also

utilizing this program and its features is Veepee. Founded many years ago, Veepee is an amazing

online retailer valued at over a billion dollars. A few of the features Veepee has implemented

from slack includes pagerduty, officevibe, google calendar, and google drive. Through the use of

slack, veepee has grown into the online retail success that it is known as now. A smaller brick &

mortar store could benefit highly from implementing just a few of these features into its

everyday process.

Through the use of their implemented technologies, both companies are able to have a

smooth operation with everything needed in one area. From their websites, the companies are

able to manage inventory, track sales, communicate with customers, provide shipping details,

and so much more. This allows for the company to focus less on the tedious parts of the business

and more so on the actual product and growth. By implementing Square into the business, a

small boutique with a limited customer base becomes a nationally shopped clothing and

accessory provider. Expanding the customer base with the use of a more indepth website opens

up many doors for future opportunities.

Technology Solutions

Social computing is a great way for not only teams to communicate, but also for

businesses to advertise and communicate with potential customers. Employees will be able to

communicate throughout their team in order to keep eachother up to date. The business will also

be able to message customers and inform them of sales, new products, specials, etc. This is a

great way for customers to be kept informed of things happening. Consumers may feel more

motivated to shop if they receive occasional specials opposed to having to search the internet for
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one. Through social computing, ads can be placed on social media that may attract new and

returning customers.

Unfortunately, social computing does not allow customers to order or track orders. Social

computing also does not allow for businesses to manage inventory, but they can create social

engagement reports. The big attraction for social computing is the ability to communicate with

customers. Especially in today’s growing social media dominate society, it’s crucial for

businesses to have social engagement and talk with customers. This can also lead to quick issue

resolve through twitter and other platforms that allow customers to reach out and discuss.

Through the years, wireless, mobile computing, and mobile commerce have grown

incredibly and become a crucial part in consumers everyday lives. Through the use of cell

phones, tablets, and computers individuals from all over can have access to whatever they need

at any given moment. For a business, utilizing this is especially important if the owner wants to

be successful. Oftentimes, consumers will shop from their devices and they want an easy

interface to simplify the entire process. Businesses are able to market to consumers through the

use of social media which can benefit them in the long run. Mobile computing also allows for

owners to in theory run their entire business from their devices. Individuals are able to access

inventory, process transactions, create orders, create reports, track orders, etc. The benefits of

this technology often outweigh the negatives.

On the other hand, there are a few downfalls to this technology. The biggest one is the

constant maintenance and ensuring everything runs swiftly. Although technology is advanced,

things do still happen. Ensuring websites and apps are kept up to date and no errors happen is

important to make sure everything is accurate. If something were to happen and an order was not

tracked it could impact inventory and customer relationships. At the end of the day, this
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technology meets the majority of the needs for the business and would be extremely beneficial if

implemented. The use of this technology will allow for the business to grow, expand, and be

successful.

Recommendations

Through extensive research, I would recommend that the business implement both

technologies. Each one would benefit in their own way which will allow the business to thrive

and grow in the direction it would like to. Having an already established brick-and-mortar store

is great, but adding in these technologies will push it to become amazing.

Through the use of social computing, the business will be able to build long term

relationships with customers. This will help customers build trust and want to continue returning

to show their support. This technology will aid in improving the customer experience which is

key to a successful business. By implementing wireless, mobile computing, and mobile

commerce technologies the business will be able to thrive in the online market. Due to the

current business website being very simple, it would need a complete overhaul in order to be an

asset for the business. Allowing customers to shop the store online and keep up to date with new

products will be very beneficial.

Basic Security Considerations

As the business expands into the online marketplace, there are many security concerns

that need to be addressed. Not only does the owner need to factor in the security of the physical

location, but they must also consider the web page. As customers make purchases, security

features need to be implemented in order to protect their information as well as the businesses.

When a purchase is made and payment information is included, customers want to be confident

that their private information is going to be protected and not misused or stolen. Although the
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business needs to protect the customers, it also needs to consider the security of employees,

vendors, and the businesses itself.

Majority of ecommerce platforms have built in security features, but typically it is not

enough for a business to entirely rely on. The owner should prioritize getting an SSL certificate

as well as performing consistent SQL checks. An SSL certificate will “encrypt the data between

your website and the user’s web browser” (Khan, 2020) Doing this will ensure that the data seen

can only be seen by the owner/employee and the customer. Having this feature is fairly standard

for e-commerce platforms along with businesses to protect all parties involved. SQL checks will

seek out any vulnerabilities and fix them before anyone else can find them. Payments should also

be handled by companies that specialize in this. Both in the store and online the safety of

customers' financial information is very important. The business needs to also protect their

financial information as they will be making deposits and purchases.

There is a long list of security any business needs to keep in mind both in their physical

location and on their web platforms. The most important part is constantly updating their

website, systems, and squashing any bugs. When seeking out third-party vendors, the business

should do extensive research. Ensuring the vendor is compliant, has no prior issues, and keeps up

to date with their product is crucial. Quality comes at a price, so the business should look toward

spending a good amount opposed to choosing a questionable vendor because of cost.

Internal Safeguards are in place to protect the business from any misuse of data.

Management should be made clear with the team, but also having a comfortable environment

will benefit everyone in the long run. Specific tasks should be assigned to certain people and

only those individuals should be able to complete them. Doing this will keep from anything

falling through the crack. Keeping track of expenses, looking over bank statements monthly, and
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thoroughly looking through documents is also important. It is also important to lock away

important items and track inventory. In terms of employees, the businesses should always keep a

close eye on everyone regardless of trust levels. All of these little tasks will keep anything

unprofessional or improper from happening.

Following all of these recommendations will aid the business into a successful future.

Being already established is a big benefit, but it is what you do with that foundation that matters.

Growing their online market will be a massive benefit as it allows customers from all around to

learn about and shop the business. It’s great to expand, but the business needs to do it safely to

ensure nothing goes wrong. Of course things may come up, but planning for those hiccups is key.

With all of this, there is no doubt the business will have a successful future.
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References

“7 Security Practices to Protect Your Business's Data.” Business.com, 7 Apr. 2020,

www.business.com/articles/7-security-practices-for-your-business-data/.

Author Rukham Khan Rukham is the Content Lead at Mailmunch. He believes trust

should be the basis for all marketing communications., et al. “ How to Secure Your ECommerce

Website: 7 Tips.” Mailmunch, 12 Mar. 2021,

www.mailmunch.com/blog/secure-ecommerce-website/.

Business Technologies, www.btechit.com/.

Klatt, Amy. Safeguard Business Assets with (Better) Internal Controls, 24 Feb. 2017,

www.herbein.com/blog/safeguard-business-assets-with-better-internal-controls.

MacKechnie, Chris. “What Are the Types of Business Technology?” Small Business -

Chron.com, Chron.com, 12 Feb. 2019,

smallbusiness.chron.com/types-business-technology-167.html.

Square. “Solutions For Your Small, Medium & Large Business.” Square,

squareup.com/us/en.

“Women's Clothing: Dresses, Tops, Skirts & Shoes.” ModCloth, modcloth.com/.