QUESTION 2 (50/100)

Please read the following case study and answer the questions that follow:

6 Infrastructure Elements Retailers Need to Support Digital Transformation

Many retailers opt not to make large-scale IT infrastructure changes all at once. Instead, they take a wait-and-see approach to new technologies, implementing them as new needs arise. It makes sense not to spend large sums on unproven solutions, but there is one area where retailers should absolutely invest with an eye on the future: IT infrastructure.

When retailers lack the back-end resources to support new technologies, they can find themselves falling behind their competitors, with then-necessary rip-and-replace efforts slowing future progress and increasing the cost of new initiatives. In IT infrastructure planning, retailers should not only consider the technologies they plan to deploy within the next nine to 12 months, but also attempt to anticipate their needs up to five years down the road. While retail IT leaders might not be able to say with certainty which specific applications, theyll be rolling out in half a decade, its all but certain that demands on infrastructure will continue to rise, and its important for organizations to position themselves to adapt rapidly to a changing environment.

Although new use cases will continue to pop up, the business goals driving the need for IT investments such as increased customer engagement will largely remain constant. These are the business drivers that should inform the design and deployment of retail technology solutions. Smart retail is a big-picture approach that identifies not only critical business problems but also opportunities to improve decision-making and operations through better data. The best technology solutions work to achieve both of these goals in tandem, solving problems while empowering retailers for continuous data- driven improvement. For instance, CDW offers configurable building blocks within specific solution domains, such as point of sale and network infrastructure. These building blocks can be bundled to help retailers solve their unique business problems. Investments in the following areas can help stores implement smart retail solutions today while preparing for a changing future.

Robust Networks Help Retailers Process Data

The rise of mobility in recent years has heightened the importance of robust networking solutions, and emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) will only deepen retailers reliance on their networks. In addition to wireless technologies such as access points and mobile beacons, many stores are beefing up their investments in areas such as WAN/LAN, telecommunications and software-defined networking. As data analytics use cases become more prevalent, it is the network that will ensure retailers are able to accommodate information from customer-facing mobile apps, inventory systems, smart cameras and other IoT endpoints.

BiztechMagazine, 2018

2.1. What are the main aims of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in retail organisations? (5)

2.2. Briefly discuss how retail organisations can overcome challenges posed by enterprise applications (5)

2.3. What do you understand by social business and how can the use of social business impact business? Use practical examples to support your answer (10)

2.4. Explain the benefits of using m-commerce platforms (6)

Suppose your company has a presence in Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Mauritius & South Africa. Global business practices have always been disjointed & the company now feels that a common platform will enhance business opportunities.

2.5. With reference to the above statement, answer the following:

2.5.1. Illustrate a possible approach one could use in building and implementing a global management information system (8)

2.5.2. What are some of the challenges posed when implementing a global information system and how would you overcome each of these challenges. (8)

2.6. What is your understanding of the following CRM modules and how do they interact with each other?

a) Operational CRM module (4)

b) Analytical CRM module (4)

END OF QUESTION PAPER