ECOM 101 Saudi Electronic University E Commerce Project Case Study

User Generated

mrmb0b

Business Finance

ECOM 101

Saudi electronic university

ECOM

Description

Requirement:

In this project, you are required to evaluate one of the websites below based on what you learn from this course and your perspective. The evaluation will cover the different aspects of E-Commerce such as business idea, website design, marketing, security … etc.

You will need to analyze the business and provide suggestions to improve the current business situation.

Current e-commerce businesses: (choose one)

The following questions require critical thinking to be answered successfully. The answers to these questions will drive the ways of improvement of the current e-commerce business.

  • Know the business 3.5 marks
  • Explain the design of the system 1.5 marks
  • Explain the current business e-commerce features 1 mark
  • Explain the business e-commerce process 1 marks
  • Site Design 1.5 marks
  • Business software 1 marks
  • Payment and Security 1.5 marks
  • Categorize marketing and advertising strategy and method. 1 mark
  • Know your competitors. 2 marks
  • Conclude your report. 1 mark
  • What is the business? (your choice)
  • What is the idea? (the visioning process)
  • Introduce the e-commerce business you have chosen.
    • Provide an overview of the business idea
  • Product and type of services.
    • What are the different types of products? Explain
    • What kinds of services does the online store provide? [ customer service, exchange and return, delivery, and payment options] Explain
  • Business statement.
  • Business vision.
  • Business objective.
  • Where is the money?
    • What is the company’s business model?
    • What is the revenue model? Give a general idea of how the business generates revenues
  • Who and where is the target audience? Explain demographics, lifestyle, consumption patterns, etc.
  • Characterize the marketplace.
    • Size, growth, demographics, structure, competition
    • Research the market and give an idea about each point
  • Describe the content of the business website
  • Conduct a SWOT analysis for the business (Explain each point)
    • At least three points for each
  • Develop an e-commerce presence map.
    • (For example: website, email … etc.)
    • What activities does the company use these platforms for? (E.g. marketing, customer service, news…etc.)
  • Explain in detail the design of the system (business objectives, system functionality, information provided)
  • What are the current website features?
  • What types of these features can be annoying to customers? Provide pictures.
  • Explain in detail all the steps from the time user enters the website until the final user buys a product.
  • Evaluate the website design focusing on the eight most important factors in successful e-commerce site design (ease of use, ease of purchase, simple graphics … etc.). You are required to evaluate each factor.
    • What can be improved in the site design to be one of the most successful e-commerce websites?
  • Explain the different types of software used on the website to perform the current functionalities.
  • What are the methods of payment available in the online store?
    • What other methods can be added? Explain why?
  • What are the technologies used on the website to secure the online transactions?
    • What other technologies can be added? Explain why?
  • What is the current privacy policy of the online store? Outline how the information is collected and used?
    • What can be added to the privacy policy? Explain why?
  • Explain the current online, offline, and social media marketing strategies of the e-commerce business?
  • Choose a website of one competitor in the same industry (locally or globally) and compare it with your chosen company’s site. Indicate why the competitor’s website is better or worse than the chosen company’s website. Provide screenshots with explanation.
    • What can be done by learning from your competitor’s experience?

Business Objective

System Functionality

Information provided

Ex: Display goods

Digital Catalog

Dynamic text and graphics catalog

  • What can be improved or added into the system design?
  • What can be improved in the process?
  • What can be done to improve the software?
  • What can you do to improve the current features on the website?

The development of an e-commerce website requires more interactive functionalities, such as the ability to respond to user input (name and address forms), capturing customer orders for goods and services, clearing credit card transactions on the fly, consolidating price and product databases, and even adjusting advertising on the screen based on user characteristics.

  • What can be done to improve the marketing aspects of the business?

Summarize the above points and include your recommendation to improve the e-commerce business.


Guidelines for the assignment:

  • The answer sheet must include the following:
    • Cover page
    • Questions
    • Answers
  • Make sure to include the cover page with all information required. One mark will be deducted if there is no cover page
  • This is a group project (3-4 students), which is part of your course score. It requires effort, research, and critical thinking.
  • You are required to choose one current business from the list.
  • Each website can be chosen by one group only.
  • Use font Times New Roman, 12 font size
  • Use 1.5 line spacing with adjust to all paragraphs (alignment).
  • Use the footer function to insert page number.
  • Ensure that you follow the APA style in your project and references.
  • The minimum number of required references is 5 references using APA style.
  • Your whole project report length should be between 2200 to 2800 words.
  • You must check the spelling and grammar mistakes before submitting the assignment.
  • Up to 20% of the total grade will be deducted for providing a poor structure of assignment. Structure includes these elements paper style, free of spelling and grammar mistakes, referencing and word count.

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Explanation & Answer

The word count is a little higher. Should I have to reduce it?

Saudi Electronic University
College of Administrative and Financial Sciences
ECOM101 – E-commerce

Assignment 1
E-commerce Project
2020/2021

NAME
COURSE
SECTION

Page 1 of 13

1. Know the business 3.5 marks
➢ What is the business?
I have chosen a business which does both online and offline business, that is it has
a physical store as well as an e-commerce website to cater to the needs of the customers.
The business involves selling commercial kitchen equipment to restaurants and other
commercial grade clients.
➢ What is the idea?


Business Overview:

The e-commerce business which I have chosen is an online kitchen equipment seller for
commercial purposes and the business name is Ekuep. Ekuep is the first online store in the
Middle East which caters to the foodservice industry in the region. Ekuep is actually an
offshoot of the biggest food service equipment supplier in the Middle East, which means it
has the history and stability to deliver the needs of its clients. While it has its roots in being
part of a traditional supplier with a large network, Ekuep has developed its own approach.
The company can provide the best commercial kitchen equipment, but it also aims to give the
best customer service experience to their clients at affordable prices.


Product and type of services:
o Types of products:

The store sells kitchen equipment, restaurant equipment, and food service equipment. The
products are all commercial-grade and from the best brands in the world. Here are some of the
kitchen equipment and restaurant equipment product categories which you can get from Ekuep:



Commercial Coffee Machines and Grinders for Making the Best Beverage



Ovens for Perfect Cooking and Baking

o Kinds of Services:
They have many services in hand such as


12/5 Customer Support



Fast Shipping



Exclusive payment options
Page 2 of 13



Returns and Replacements

They offer full-circle support to all their customers. Whether they need help deciding
on a product, having an appliance installed, or conducting a maintenance check, one of their
team members is always standing by. They don’t have a sales team but a team of experts.
They offer 12/5 customer support which is during the working hours of their physical store.
Once their customer places their order, they will process it immediately and ship it as
soon as possible. So delivery can be very smooth and the delivery charges varies based on
their locality.
The next is the payment options. Customers can pay by using their Credit card,
Master and Visa through a 100% safe & secure online transaction. All the payments are
secure by using their tie up with checkout.com to ensure that every credit card transaction
will be an impenetrable fortress. They can also pay by using their MADA card. MADA is a
new identity of the Saudi Payment Network (SPAN) and the advanced generation of the
electronic payments in Saudi Arabia. It connects all automated teller machines (ATMs) and
point-of-sale (POS) terminals throughout the country to a central payment switch that in turn
re-routes the financial transactions between a merchant’s bank and the card issuer bank. They
can also pay by doing a bank wire transfer to their bank account but is only applicable to the
orders that are SAR 2,000 or above. Cash on Delivery (CoD) option can also be chosen on
checkout and the transaction can be completed on delivery of the equipment.
They offer a hassle-free return policy within the GCC. If a customer is not 100%
satisfied with their purchase from them they can return or replace the product within 7 days
from the date of delivery. All regularly stocked items, with the exception of chemicals,
disposables and consumable products, can be returned absolutely free within 7 days of
receipt, so long as they are unused and in the original packaging. There are only two
conditions for return. One is item should be in an unused condition and it must be returned in
the box that they received it in.


Business statement:
They know it is extremely burdensome as an entrepreneur, a chef, a small business

owner or a 9-5 employee to start a business, they want to open this opportunity for everyone
who dreams to have a restaurant of his own. And at the same time making it very simple and

Page 3 of 13

easy to do, with a click of a button, customers will get all various options, and the services
they need.


Business vision:
Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate. As they say, “One cannot think

well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well”. They wanted to take this to a whole
new level at Ekuep. It was founded in 2015 with a vision of providing high-quality
commercial equipment for restaurants, cafes, bakeries, or any other food service venture that
operates out of a food truck, a rented space, or a large custom kitchen, Ekuep is on a mission
to empower anyone who dreams of starting a business, thus enabling them to be on the same
level as the larger competition making the world a better place one restaurant at a time.


Business objective:
They aim to be enablers for anyone and everyone, helping them succeed in their

restaurants and cafe businesses without any bias. And thus finally making the world a better
place one food service venture at a time.
➢ Where is the money?
o What is the company’s business model?
They are retailers as well as online product sellers (e-commerce). They do
not manufacture any equipment but they do buy them from different brands and
sell them to their customers. They also buy it from dealers and have an option on
their website for dealers to sell their products.
o What is the revenue model? Give a general idea of how the business generates
revenues
They have a revenue model which is based on mark up. They generate
their income in two ways. They sell their products through their physical store,
in addition to that they display all the products on their e-commerce site
(online) for additional revenue. But in times like Covid-19, online business got
a boost and generated more revenue when compared to offline.
➢ Who and where is the target audience? Explain demographics, lifestyle, consumption
patterns, etc.

Page 4 of 13

They are based in Riyadh and Khobar, KSA. They are the first restaurant and café
supply e-store in the Middle East food service industry. They also have a warehouse in
Jeddah. Their target audience is mostly in Saudi Arabia, but it also spans over the entire
UAE. The people are not as densely populated but due to the oil rigs, the people in the
middle east have a very luxurious lifestyle. Hence they have many restaurants in and
around Saudi, which increases the need for kitchen equipment. Thus Ekuep has a long
way to go through their e-commerce.
➢ Characterize the marketplace.
The people are not as densely populated but due to the oil rigs, the people in the
middle east have a very luxurious lifestyle. Hence they have many restaurants in and
around Saudi, which increases the need for kitchen equipment. Thus Ekuep has a very
long way to go through their e-commerce.
➢ Describe the content of the business website
They have many feature in their website which includes a home page where basic
information about the site is given and also they ha...


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