Integrated Professional Skills in the Digital Age: A Comparative Analysis of Online and Offline Business Models

This report delves into the dynamic landscape of the digital age, examining the interplay between online and offline business models. It compares and contrasts the advantages and disadvantages of selling products and services through both channels, highlighting the growing prominence of online platforms in today's market. The report also analyzes two password protection tools, QR codes and LastPass, evaluating their functionalities, applications, and suitability for individuals and businesses. Ultimately, it argues that these tools contribute significantly to societal value by enhancing security, streamlining online interactions, and facilitating efficient account management.

INTEGRATED PROFESSIONAL SKILLS IN THE
DIGITAL AGE
“INDIVIDUAL REPORT”
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Main Body..................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion................................................................................................................................12
Referencing..............................................................................................................................13
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Executive Summary
The primary purpose of the given report is to analyse the synergy of the digital age-related to
the internet and online commerce. For the context of this study, the report presents a
comparison and contrast of the aspect of selling goods and services through both online and
offline means. The report, thus, analyses that the online media is more beneficial in this
digitalized age as the same allows a business firm to capture more number of the potential
target markets. However, both the online and offline media has its own pros and cons to be
managed by business firms. The report also presents the use of the password protection apps
that helps the business manage the online accounts of its customers and solve the challenges
of remembering the different ID and passwords of different customers. The password
protection apps described in the concerned paper are the QR code and LastPass and the same
suggests to reap the benefits of the QR code app.
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Introduction
The internet is important for making the research process easier for the people along with
connecting different buyers to the sellers and the suppliers to the manufacturers in terms of
business context (Lo and Campus, 2018). E-commerce as a part of integrated internet offers
business firms to gain a range of opportunities for marketing and generating more sales
(Gregory et al., 2019). Similarly, m-commerce allows sales with the help of wireless devices
such as smartphones (Attimani, 2020). Contextual to this, the given individual report is
focused on stating the positive and negative aspects of both online and offline business to
bring a comparison. The report in context to the current pandemic situation analyses two
tracing apps that help the society in general and is determined as the tool of the digital age.
Main Body
Compare and contrast between the positive and negative aspects of services and
products being sold online and offline
Differences
Bases of Comparison Products and services sold
online
Products and services sold
offline
Positive Aspects  Lower cost of capital as
the establishment of an online
website does not cost a high
investment. The overall sale of
the business is based on the
automated online system. Thus,
high amounts can be saved on
staffs and infrastructure costs
such as rent and electricity (Soni
and Vergese, 2018).
 Ease of operating the
sales anytime and anywhere
since the geographical
restrictions do not exist in e-
commerce business. However,
 Establishment of
effective customer-business
relationship that helps the
business firm to gain customer
loyalty as compared to the
online sales (Chiang, 2018).
 The customers who
wish to purchase goods only
after physically feeling the
same as the offline stores as
their only option.
 The offline business
has staffs to support the
customers in purchasing their
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access to emails, internet and
smartphones are necessary
anytime for dealing with the
online customers across the
globe.
 No restricted timings of
opening a store as the customers
can get access to the online
website of the company any time
of the day (Al-dweeri et al.,
2019).
 Provides with higher
margins and a better cash flow
system if a business organisation
is based on the trade sector. The
payment option concerned about
using systems of Google Pay etc.
allows the fast flow of cash and
thus benefits the organisation.
desired product or service.
 Better level of trust and
confidence from the
customers, since the stores,
allows a physical check on the
products and services (Zhang
et al., 2019).
Negative Aspects  Increased level of
competition not only within the
customers but also within the
business organisations as well
(Nguyen et al., 2018).
 Lack of contact with the
products sold for the customers
since there is no trial for the
customers. Thus, the concern of
copy write and photoshoot is
crucial for online business and
this incurs a cost for the same.
 Lack of confidence is
another negative aspect of
 The reach of the
audience is limited in the
offline business since the
organisation can expand its
sale only in its country of
operation (Hult et al., 2019).
 Strict timings of
opening and closing the store
limits the offline stores to
manage the sales from
anywhere in the world.
 The high cost of
infrastructure and cost of
capital is incurred because it is
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onlinesale of products and
services (Tyrowicz et al., 2020).
For instance, the customers in
Italy have less confidence in
purchasing from e-commerce
sites special concerned to the
payment through online tools.
Thus, live chat support is
determined to be of paramount
importance for online business.
 Delivery time concerned
with the products and services
and the charge concerned to
shipping sometimes becomes a
deterrent for the organisations.
mandatory for offline stores to
build a physical place for
people to shop. Moreover,
ample amount of human
resources are also to be
enforced in the firm which
increases its cost of the
workforce.
 Accessibility options
decrease as the customers
cannot contact the offline
stores whenever desired
(Babic Rosario et al., 2016).
Table 1: Differences between online and offline business
Similarity
Based on the above pieces of illustrations given in the table, it can be determined that the
selling of products through both offline and online means has several numbers of differences
in themselves. However, there are studies, which show that these two aspects of offline and
online business have some similarities with each other. The similarities exist in the concern
of both the businesses dealing with a major concern that is the sale of the products and
services. Secondly, both offline and online brands are highly exposed to the risk of failure
(Karjaluoto et al., 2016). Both the offline and online sale of products and services are focused
on the same objective of earning high levels of profit and competitive advantage in the
business firm as compared to their potential customers. Both aspects wish to have a huge
number of loyal customers connected to the firm.
Moreover, both the offline and online business wishes to ensure brand equity that provides
effective productivity and market share earnings in the business environment the same deals
with (Shuen, 2018). These functions based on the sole motto of receiving good feedbacks
from the customer to earn goodwill in the business market.
Discuss any two tools and recommend one of them with justification
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Identification of two tools
Password protection using QR Code
QR code also efficiently known as the Quick Response Code is recognized as the type of
matrix barcode that was designed in the year 1994. The same often contains the data that
relates to the locating, identifying or tracking the points to a website and an application for
protecting the passwords. In the current practice, the QR code is known to use the synergy of
four standardized modes of encoding a password. The four modes are determined as numeric,
alphanumeric and binary as well as kanji. These modes help in the storage of data efficiently
and the extensions to the same are often used by the QR code. Due to the fast readability and
the high storage capacity of the QR code in comparison with the UPC barcodes, the same
became popular to be used worldwide. The application of the QR code includes the product
tracking, identification of items, management of documents and the marketing in general
(Scholl et al., 2020).
Password protection using LastPass
LastPass is a tool of password protection tool that has been determined to be popular amongst
the cross-platform manager in password security (Luevanos et al., 2017). The same works in
the programming of Windows and Mac. LastPass is determined to automatically save the
login details and thus helps in the generation of safe and secured passwords. This, in turn,
will fill in the password automatically the next time a person visits the website. The
difference in the concerned password saving tool is that the database is not stored in the PC
or the Dropbox, but the same is stored in the server of the LastPass itself. The cited password
tool is generally free to use but to gain access to its app in the smartphones needs the
subscriber to pay an amount of worth $12 (Kissell, 2019).
Recommendation of one tool
Based on the above-cited explanation, the given report tends to recommend that the QR code
is the best-suited tool for securing and managing passwords. The major reasons for the
concerned recommendation are stated below:
 The QR code is versatile (Hodage et al., 2018). Take, for example, the concerned tool
can be used for any transactions to be made by the business organisations using the scenario
of controlling the Customer ID and password.
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 This tool can also be used by individuals for their personal use of saving their
different passwords used in different online website efficiently and with safety. Take, for
example, a student studying online from different websites can easily manage the accounts
with the help of the QR code without having the need of remembering the same.
 QR codes not only is a digital barcode that helps in managing online accounts and
passwords, the same efficiently promotes sharing and networking which helps the business
organisation to build a significant external business market and increase their sales.
 The cited tool can be easily linked to trailers, audio-visuals and other media as a
synergy of call-to-action. Specifically, an individual can link the scanner to the QR code
provided by the different organisations in the concern of contacting the same through emails,
calls and messages (Williams et al., 2018). Thus, communication becomes easier only by
scanning a simple QR code.Take, for example, several business firms make use of the QR
code for offering discounts to its customers only by simple scanning, which, in turn, also
helps in the management of online accounts of the customers.
 Customer admires the use of QR codes, which in turn proves to be beneficial for the
business organisations to manage the accounts of the customers connected to the firm. The
given statement is evident from the fact that the QR code allows a business to quickly deal
with the customers with the managed passwords and present its sales offering in a quick and
efficient way.
Select any two of them, discuss how they function, then compare and contrast their
features, applications, suitability etc. Do you think, they have added any value to the
society? Justify your answer.
Functions of the two-track and trace apps
The function of QR code app
A QR code is known to contain several black squares that are arranged in a white square grid
background to have functioned with the help of an imaging device, likely, the cameras
(Virtanen, 2019). The same is then processed using the factor of Reed-Solomon correction of
errors until the image scanned is properly detected. The required data of the password is
therefore extracted with the help of the patterns that are present both in the vertical and
horizontal mechanisms of the image.
The function of the LastPass app
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The concerned app owns an effusively functioning browser within itself. The browser has the
capability of automatically launching the sites and autofill the login credentials once saved in
the first time visit of the site (Huber et al., 2017). The same functions along with the synergy
of the renewable paid form of a subscription plan that provides access to all the features of
the tool such as the Vault, autofill, and password sharing. The premium feature of this tool
includes access to different supporting devices and one-to-many sharing of the password.
Difference between QR code and LastPass Password Protection Tools
Bases of Comparison QR Code LastPass
Features  High capacity in the
concern of encoding the
database.
 Small printout size
because of the horizontal
and vertical shaping
(Kulkarni and Malagi,
2016).
 Capable of encoding
the required data in an
approximate of one-tenth
space as compared to that of
a traditional barcode system.
 The agility to
encrypt kanji and kana.
 The concerned app
can be accessed on all the
supporting devices such as
smartphones, tablets, laptops
and PCs.
 One-to-one and one-
to-many password sharing
facility.
 Core ability in
setting up and using
emergency access.
 Activated 1GB
encrypted file storing facility
available with the help of
Secure notes (Cowling et al.,
2018).
 Customer support.
Applications  Used for creating
landing pages and capturing
the required email address.
 Social sharing and
networking.
 Tracking concerned
to print media.
 Used in storing and
accessing the contents
related to the contents of the
LastPass Vault.
 After the installation
of the app, the user can add
sites and secure notes as
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 Connecting the
synergies of Brick and
Mortar.
well as fill up the forms.
 The action menu of
the concerned application
can be used for managing
the items and deleting the
same.
Suitability  Helps in connecting
the online and offline media.
 Helps in the
enhancement of both the
Search Engine Marketing
and Search Media
Optimization (Sahai et al.,
2018).
 Helps in measuring
the effectiveness of inbound
marketing of a business
organisation.
 Helps in sharing the
shortened links and provides
with the needed analytics.
 Helps in linking the
print media to the websites
used by commercial entities.
 Helps the
prospective customers to
reach to the required landing
page simple by scanning a
simple QR code.
 The customers in a
short time of purchase are
leveraged to quick support
and feedback from the
 The application is
convenient to use as the user
is leveraged to no forgotten
and mistyped passwords.
This is because the app
remembers the login
credentials after the first
login itself.
 Helps the users to
save time as they get access
to instant login (Aonzo et
al., 2018).
 Helps the users to
have strongly secured
accounts since it includes
paid renewable
subscriptions.
 Helps in the access
of the premium features
such as the access in all the
devices used and free
syncing across all the
devices as well.
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business firms.
 Helps the
commercial entities to forge
an effective connection with
the customers.
Table 2: Difference between QR code and LastPass Password Protection Tools
The similarity between QR code and LastPass
Features
 Storing file capacity and encoding the required data for its users.
 Support in adding security to the login credentials.
 Integration with mobile devices, laptops, tablets, etc.
 Autofill the login credential for the users.
 Prevents any enforcement to access the complete password vault of the users.
Applications
 The most common application of both apps is to lock and protect the login credentials
of the users.
 Capturing the needed email address of the users.
 Both the applications are used in the medical field to track the accounts of the
different number of patients.
Suitability
 Provides the users with the help of not remembering their login details, since the
concerned tools do the same for the users.
 Helps the users in boosting cyber security.
 Helps the users to build strong passwords.
 Fast and feasible access to different accounts on different websites.
 Helps in managing the shared accounts of the users.
 Helps the commercial entities to manage the customer accounts and deal with the
same with effective communication options.
Justification of the purpose of apps in adding value to the society
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Based on the pieces of evidence presented above in the given paper, it is clear that the
password protection apps add significant value to the common society. The justification
behind the same is stated below:
 Helps the individuals by remembering the different ID and passwords themselves.
Thus, the individuals do not need to note down or mentally remember the different online
accounts they use (Alkaldi and Renaud, 2016)
 Helps the business organisations to effectively communicate with its customers and
encourage sales. Including this, the business organisations can save the accounts of their
different loyal customers and deal feasibly with the same.
 Ensures that the database of the users does not get mishandled or misused.
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Conclusion
The study of the given report brings into conclusion that the integrated form of online media
has changed the current world and the way business organisation works in a significant way.
In the current times, indulging into inline sales of goods and services are determined to
benefit the businesses more than working on an online basis. The report states that online
media helps the firms to get the attraction of a huge number of customers at one point of time
across the globe which is not possible for the offline means of business. Moreover, the need
for managing the online accounts of the customers by the business firms are also fulfilled
with the help of online password protection tools such as the QR code and LastPass.
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