Essay Example on Seminole Co. Facing Various Problems: Technology, Labor, Processes

Introduction

The Seminole company was faced with various problems that range from technology, human labor, and processes. First, Seminole failed to establish an adequately integrated information system. The company’s local branches were still making use of relatively small and less powerful computers to maintain the track of both global and local customers and even handle the organization’s day to day tasks. Although the small computers have the ability o function considerably well without the intervention of integrated information systems, it is more likely that the computers would have functioned more effectively with the presence of integrated information systems. Moreover, had the company installed the system, it would not have been necessary for Donald to keep calling every branch gathering the crucial data hence wasting significant time.

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Furthermore, the company allowed its branch managers to possess the total autonomy of managing the branches. In as much as the idea seems more practical, the majority of the companies utilize a streamlined process in their operations hence minimizing occurrences of delays and errors. Donald made visits to only eleven branches semi-annually; he also made his communications through faxes, e-mails, phones, and spreadsheets. The company should consider implementing the use of video conferencing as their primary form of communication. Video conferencing provides the organization with a unique chance of strengthening their relationship beyond the application of e-mail messages and telephone calls.

Nonetheless, real-time interactions are crucial in enhancing the organization’s relationship with the managers, and customers grow beyond e-mail signatures. Donald failed to visit the outsourcing sites of China and Taiwan but still signed a contract, the act is a potential risk to the organization, and it was clear that Donald did not value the organization’s future at the moment.

The Seminole company does not have a proper virtual document control program; it is vital in ensuring processes are correctly enforced and controlled. The virtual document control program simplifies the review, creation, issuance, modification accessibility, and distribution of essential documents. Thus, the significant data processing departments within the branches failed to retrieve the report that Donald needed. Even if the report had been discontinued, the control program would have retained it.

The fact that a different company downplays its processes to attend to another company’s processes is a red flag. It is also a sign that the company being assisted needs to implement numerous changes to its virtual document control program to catch up with the rapidly developing technology. The most critical challenge in the company is that data is extensively spread to several branches. However, the organization lacks a centralized process that allows the customers and employees to have sufficient access to the needed accurate data when required.

Furthermore, the Seminole company still used its traditional management and communication system. As such, the company failed to change its strategies and adapt to the new environment that largely embraced technology. Consequently, the company becomes highly vulnerable to the competitors who capitalized on the benefits of technology. For instance, Seminole’s rivals implemented the use of computerized services to their customers. The services involved visual product databases with descriptions of products, online ordering, online help desks, interactive websites, and weblogs. The failure of Seminole company to observe the trend and design the management and communication systems to match the current technology resulted in the firm losing more customers to their more technologically advanced rivals.

Solutions to Overcome the Problems

Multiple solutions are available to address the challenges that faced the Seminole industries. For instance, the company should consider installing an integrated information system to the small computers used by the local branches to monitor the customers and oversee the daily operations. The system will minimize the wastage of resources and time as data from different departments globally can easily be shared. Nevertheless, integrated information systems will enhance the efficiency of small computers, facilitating smooth operations within the company.

The Seminole industries should design their mode of operation in a manner that the managers of the distinct branches do not have posses autonomy of the branches. Instead, the managers should ensure that the processes of their operations are more streamlined. As such, the organization can effectively limit the number of errors associated with the operations and also the delays that are mostly brought abought by full autonomy.

The company should also consider using more interactive modes of communication, such as video conferencing while trying to reach the customers and the managers instead of the traditional form of communication like the use of e-mails or phone calls. Through video conferencing, a more close connection is created between the organization and its management and customers hence retaining the customers while equally ensuring that the administration is effective.

Seminole industries need to embrace modern technology to blend in with the highly competitive environment. The traditional form of management and operation of the organization has given its competitors leverage to acquire most of its customers. The competitors have embraced technological development hence offering their customers better and efficient services.

Definition and Summary of Customer Relationship Management

Customer relationship management (CRM) refers to the company's approach in the management of its interactions with the potential and existing customers. The method relies heavily on the use of data analysis about a client's experience with the company (Bhat and Darzi, 2016). As such, the organization is capable of maintaining a meaningful business relationship with the clients while exclusively centering on the client's retention, thus ensuring the growth in sales of the company’s products.

One of the most critical components of the customer relationship management (CRM) approach is the type of CRM systems in use. The systems play a crucial role in data compilation. They take into consideration the various communication modes present in an organization, including the organization’s official e-mail, telephone, website, and marketing materials (Bhat and Darzi, 2016). Moreover, the customer relationship management enhances the company's chances to have a proper insight into their target audience and the most important means of tailoring their requirements.

The main types of customer relationship management include strategic customer relationship management, operational customer relationship management, collaborative customer relationship management, analytical customer relationship management, and customer data platform customer relationship management. The primary focus of strategic CRM is to create a centric business culture that triggers the company's client's progressive development.

Analytical CRM is mainly applied in the analysis of the clients' data, which is retrieved from numerous credible sources, presentation of the data to the manager’s reinforces their ability to make meaningful and highly business decisions (Bhat and Darzi, 2016). Different techniques like correlation, data mining, and recognition of the customers’ pattern is capitalized on by the analytical CRM systems while analyzing the customers' data. The analytics are vital in aiding the company to have a scope on the relatively small challenges hindering it from delivering the best services to the clients through the provision of solutions to the problems the company can maintain and attract other potential customers.

Customer data platform CRM is a type of computer system applied by departments that specialize in marketing primarily to gather data about specific groups of individuals from different sources then compressing the data into a single database (Bhat and Darzi, 2016). In turn, other systems software can easily interact with the data. The smooth interaction of data creates a conducive environment for data sharing within various branches of the same company.

The operational CRM has a dashboard designed to relay the general view of the three crucial functions on a customer’s review. As such, the operational CRM is more aligned to customer relationship management's overall objective, which is to automate and integrate marketing, sales, and customer support (Bhat and Darzi, 2016). In most cases, the dashboard provides essential information about a client such as previous marketing efforts and past sales hence providing a summary of the firm’s relationship with its clients.

Moreover, operational CRM is composed of three significant components: services automation, marketing automation, and the sales force's automation. The sales force automation interacts with almost all the stages associated with the sales cycle. It involves the original entry of the contact’s information, which is then concluded by converting a potential customer to current customers. Automation of the sales force encourages the analysis of sales promotion and eases the tracking process of a customer’s account history (Bhat and Darzi, 2016). On the other hand, the marketing automation aspect of the operational CRM centers on breaking down the general processes involved in marketing into a simple and more efficient procedure. Consequently, repetitive tasks can be automated, saving on time. Marketing automation turns a sales lead into an active customer (Bhat and Darzi, 2016). Furthermore, service automation deals directly with the technology that impacts the experiences of the customers. The automation of the services ensures that the customers' support is drawn from various channels like e-mail, ticket portals, and FAQs.

The Best Customer Relationship Management

The broad nature of problems experienced by the Seminole company can be resolved through the application of the operational customer relationship management, the CRM is capable of addressing the difficulties simultaneously. The operational CRM has three critical components, which entail services automation, marketing automation, and sales force automation. It is important to note that the challenges facing the Seminole firm revolve around the three components.

For instance, through marketing automation, the company can avoid applying traditional forms of marketing and operations which do not embrace technology. A problem that has made them lose various customers to their rivals who have fully automated their marketing strategies. Nonetheless, services automation will ensure that the company designs its management so that it is efficient and effective to the customers. The company lacks proper means of keeping their clients' track since their systems are not integrated, and they still make use of small computers. Through the automation of their services, customers' records can be comprehensively maintained both locally and globally.

References

Bhat, S. A., & Darzi, M. A. (2016). Customer relationship management. International Journal of Bank Marketing. HYPERLINK "https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-11-2014-0160" https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-11-2014-0160