Managing Information and Technology: A Case Study of Halfords Plc

This report provides an insightful knowledge of the wide concept of information technology and its impact on Halfords Plc. It includes PESTLE analysis, Porter's Five Forces Model, and recommendations for improvement.

Managing Information
and Technology

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.......................................................................................................................................3
Overview of the company................................................................................................................3
Products and services offered by Halfords Plc................................................................................4
PESTLE Analysis............................................................................................................................4
Porter's Five Forces Model..............................................................................................................6
Recommendations for Improvement...............................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Information technology is determined as considering the use of technological elements and
components in order to collect, store, analyse, and interpretation of information or data. For
instance, IT facilitates in efficient understanding of information acquire and analysed from outside
business environment to be taken into account for carrying out operations and activities in a
workplace. Representatives engaged in practices and activities of IT are oriented upon various roles
and responsibilities including computer support specialist, system administrator, computer network
architect, etc. Halfords Plc is the leading retail business organisation in United Kingdom which
deals in providing motorbike and cycling products and services. Moreover, these products and
services includes electric bikes, auto-parts, servicing of vehicles, maintenance, MOT, etc. This
report assessment will be comprised of insightful knowledge of the wide concept of information
technology (Naicker and Mafaiti, 2019). Furthermore, it will be including various frameworks and
models in order to identify and determine different factors and forces that impact upon activities
and practices of Information Technology. Recommendations would be provided further in order to
enhance and improvise existing business procedures as well as concerns highlighted in this report.
MAIN BODY
Overview of the company
Halfords Plc is considered as the largest retail brand engaged in offering products and
services related to motorbike and cycles within geographical boundaries of United Kingdom. For
instance, respective organisation has been established in 1892, in Birmingham, by F W Rushbrooke.
It has been headquartered in Redditch, Worcestershire, England. Moreover, respective company is
engaged in providing employement to more than 10,000 employees carrying out operations and
activities in various different workplace of company. By the year 2004, the company was listed
upon London Stock Exchange. Halfords Plc operates with a aim of providing convenient support to
customers with their products and services offered in the market. In addition to that, operations and
activities of respective organisation are determined at serving customers with delightful experience
and comfortable rides with their vehicles. Furthermore, It also contributes several values towards
sustainable environment with consideration of electric vehicles to be offered to consumers. These
vehicles results in enhancing sustainability in environment with minimum pollution with the use of
electricity and eliminating use of fuels (Goldkind and McNutt, 2019). Therefore, Canary Wharf is
considered as most flagship store of company which was opened in January, 2018.

Products and services offered by Halfords Plc
The respective organisation is operating with enormous number of retail stores in various
different location all around United Kingdom and Ireland. With huge workforce carrying out
operations and activities of respective business organisation, customers are served with quality
products and services in these retail stores and workshops. For instance, primary and foremost of
these products offered by respective organisation includes electric motorbike, auto-parts, tools,
accessories, push bikes, and many more. On the other hand, major services provided by company
includes repair and maintenance of bikes and bicycles, fittings and repair of auto-parts, general
servicing, installations of digital devices, etc. In addition to that, quality of products and service
provided to customers has further facilitated in capturing a high market share with huge customer
base considering their products and services at priority over other competitor brands in the market.
Furthermore, all these operations and activities are organised and regulated in company's workplace
in order to serve their customers with enhanced performance of their vehicles with their quality
servicing and quality auto-parts (Bladergroen and Chigona, 2019).
Competitors of Halfords Plc
Being operating in competitive business environment, there are various competitor brands
which are engaged in providing same products and services in to market. For instance, major and
primary of these competitor brands include Pep Boys, Ron Skinner & Sons, Wheatcroft, Motofix,
etc. Moreover, all these business organisation are engaged in automotive industry with providing
products and services into consumer market for better and comfortable experience with their
vehicles. All these competitor brands compete with each other in market on the basis of quality of
product or service offered to their customers in market (Earl, 2018). Furthermore, being a leading
business organisation among other competitors, premium quality and customer satisfaction has been
taken into consideration by Halfords in carrying out their operations and activities in consumer
market.
PESTLE Analysis
PESTLE analysis is determined as a framework taken into consideration in order to identify
and determine various external factors impacting upon operations and activities carried out in
workplace of a business organisation. Furthermore, these factors are classified in several different
categories which are as follows;
Political Factors
 Government policies towards sustainable environment: Government authorities are

consistently developing and introducing various rules and regulations in order to promote
sustainability in environment. For instance, it facilitates in encouraging business
organisations to carry out operations and practices without wasting any resources. In
addition to that, Halfords Plc is engaged in manufacturing of electric vehicles in order to
support government initiatives towards sustainable environment. Moreover, operations and
activities in workplace of respective organisation are oriented upon optimum utilisation of
resources as well as efficient completion of tasks. Therefore, this factor results in being a
positive aspect for respective organisation which contributes additional values towards
organisational growth and success.
 Uncertainty: It is determined as changes in business environment due to involvement of
various factors or aspects. For instance, change in government policies could directly
influence changes in business environment. Being operating in dynamic business
environment, respective organisation need to focus upon various factors or aspects that
results in impacting upon operations and activities carried out in order to achieve
organisational goals and objectives. Furthermore, uncertainty in business environment could
result in being a negative aspect for Halfords Plc with introduction of new government
policies (Connolly-Barker, and et. al., 2020).
Technological Factors
 Technology advancement: With the rapid advancement and up-gradation in technological
aspects, it results in a necessity to adapt these changes in order to enhance efficiency and
productivity in workplace. For instance, advanced and latest technology will facilitate in
producing innovative products and services with improvisation in existing ones. In addition
to that, consideration of latest technology could also contribute towards efficient completion
of tasks and activities with minimising cost of production. Moreover, lacking behind in
implementation of advanced technology could result in being competitive disadvantage to
respective organisation. Therefore, If respective organisation fails in adaptation and
implementation of advanced technology, it could result in being a negative aspect in
carrying out operations and activities.
 Medium for marketing practices: Technological aspects facilitates in carrying out
marketing practices in order to spread awareness for products and services offered by
business organisation to their target customer in market. For instance, social media could be
primarily taken into consideration by respective organisation in order to promote and
advertise their offerings among customers in society. Furthermore, it will further facilitate in
attracting additional as well as retaining existing customer base. Therefore, consideration of

social media as a medium for marketing will result in increasing overall sales of respective
organisation (Betz, 2018).
Porter's Five Forces Model
This framework or model is taken into account in order to analyse and determine various
forces among rivalry among market competitors. These forces are further determined as follows:
 Threat of New Entrants: Moderate/High
As the respective organisation is engaged in automotive industry, there is a high threat of new
entrants in terms of products offered by respective company. On the other hand, there is a moderate
threat of new entrants in general vehicle service provided to customers. For instance, Halfords is
engaged in manufacturing of electric vehicles in order to contribute values towards sustainable
environment. As a result of few competitor brands in electric vehicle manufacturing, it results in
high threat of new entrants stepping into this particular industry.
 Bargaining Power of Consumers: Moderate
Being a leading business organisation in automotive industry, it results in providing a competitive
advantage to respective organisation. For instance, quality products and services provided to
customers at low cost facilitates in being a priority consideration for customers looking after general
service for their vehicles or purchasing new electric vehicle. Moreover, due to availability of limited
option available to customers in market, it results in moderate bargaining power of customers
(Preece, 2018).
 Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Low
Halfords Plc, is engaged in manufacturing of electric vehicles with very competitor brands in the
market. For instance, few business organisation involved in a particular industry results in low
bargaining power of suppliers in that particular industry. Moreover, it facilitates respective
organisation in negotiating lower prices for purchase of inputs from these suppliers. Furthermore,
lower cost of purchasing input from suppliers directly results in increasing profitability for
respective company.
 Threat of substitute: Moderate
Though, there is a many available substitutes of products offered by Halfords in consumer market,
there is a moderate threat of substitutes. For the reason being, government initiatives and influence
towards sustainable environment with consideration of electric vehicles. In addition to that, it also
includes prevention of use of vehicles using fuels which results in environmental pollution with
release of harmful and toxic chemicals. Furthermore, these positive initiatives encourage people

towards use of electric vehicles for purpose of transportation (Rothrock, Kaplan and Van Der Oord,
2018).
 Rivalry among competitors: High
There is a high rivalry among competitors in automotive industry competing upon quality of
products and services offered in consumer market. For instance, major competitors of company are
determined as Pep Boys, Wheatcroft, Ron Skinner & Sons, etc. which are engaged in automotive
industry. Moreover, all these competitive brands are operating on large scale with enormous number
of business units. Therefore, it results in high rivalry among competitors operating in automotive
industry.
Referring to above mentioned framework, it could be determined that primary and major of
these forces is determined as Threat of new entrants in automotive industry. For instance, due to
presence of few competitive brands, there is a huge opportunity for entrants to step into automotive
industry to serve people with electric vehicles and auto-parts. Government initiatives towards
sustainable environment also contributes in attracting higher amount of customer base to business
organisation engaged in this particular automotive industry. Moreover, another major force
impacting upon respective organisation is considered as low threat of substitute for products and
services offered by company in consumer market. In addition to that, people are highly motivated
towards consideration of electric vehicles over vehicles using fuel in order to contribute values
towards sustainable environment. In order to move further, another important force impacting upon
Halfords Plc is considered as low Bargaining power of buyers due to availability of limited brand
offering electric vehicles in market (De, 2018). Furthermore, people have low to moderate choice of
business organisation offering good quality electric vehicles.
Porter's Value Chain
Porter's value chain analysis is considered as management tool taken into consideration in
order of analyse and determine value chain for defined or chosen business organisation. For
instance, it facilitates in examining and analysing procedures and approaches taken into
consideration in order to ensure profitability. These activities are further classified into two
categories including Primary activities and supportive activities which are determined as follows:
Primary activities
These activities determined as core and primary activities and practices organised by
business organisation in order to generate revenue as well as earning out of it. For instance, these
activities are majorly organised and regulated in order to achieve desired organisational goals and
objectives.

 Operations: Operations is basically described as process of converting input into output
with consideration of various essential requirements and machinery. For instance, operations
in respective organisation includes activities and practices in order to manufacture or
produce electric vehicles or auto-parts with the use of raw materials (Madon and Krishna,
2018). Moreover, these activities results in development of final product to be sold out in
consumer market in order to earn revenue out of it. In addition to that, operations are
primary and major activities carried out in workplace which deals with actual production or
manufacturing of products offered by respective organisation in consumer market.
 Service: As respective organisation is engaged in providing general vehicle service to their
customer, it has been considered among primary activities. For instance, providing services
to people directly results in generating revenue and profit out of it. In addition to that, these
activities and practices are oriented upon maintenance and repair of vehicles of customers
for better performance and experience. Furthermore, it further facilitates in retention of
existing as well as attracting additional customer base for services provided by respective
organisation. Therefore, general vehicle service offered by respective organisation is
considered as primary activity for the same.
Supportive activities
These activities are determined as supportive as they are organised and regulated in
workplace in order to facilitate and support efficient completion of primary activities in workplace
(Salahshour Rad, Nilashi, and Mohamed Dahlan, 2018). Furthermore, carrying out these activities
does not generate revenue directly as it is engaged in improvising and enhancing completion of
primary activities.
 Human Resource Management: This management practice deals with maintaining
workforce in a workplace including recruitment, selection, and retention of employees in a
workplace. For instance, HRM is considered as supportive activity as it is engaged in
managing workforce which is further responsible for carrying out operations and activities
of business organisation. Referring to respective business organisation, Human resource
management facilitates in selecting and retaining skilled workforce in order to carry out
operations and activities in an efficient manner. Furthermore, skilled workforce in a
workforce results in development of efficient and productive working environment in a
workplace.
Importance of activities determined in Value Chain
Activities determined Value Chain Analysis plays a crucial role in achievement of desired

organisational goals and objectives. Primary and major of these activities includes Operations,
services, and Human Resource management. For instance, carrying out these activities directly or
indirectly facilitates in generating revenue from the same with selling out final product or service to
customers. Importance of operations lies in development of final product to be sold out into
consumer market in order to accomplish aim and goal of respective organisation. Moreover, it
allows respective organisation in optimum utilisation of resources as well as serving quality product
to consumers in market. On the other hand, services provided by company are organised and
regulated in order to serve people with quality experience and betterment of their existing vehicle.
Furthermore, importance of human resource management in respective organisation lies in
supporting primary operations and activities (Tomašević, and et. al., 2018).
Recommendations for Improvement
Information technology is determined as use of technological aspects in gathering,
analysing, and interpretation of information. For instance, it includes various market trends as well
as consumer preferences in order to be taken into consideration for designing and developing
efficient strategies. In addition to that, theses strategies and information further facilitates in
improvising and enhancing current workplace scenario with consideration of essential needs and
requirements of customers as well as business organisation (Khuntia and et. al., 2018).
Information accumulated with the use of information technology also contributes towards
business organisation with forecasting of upcoming trends and demands of people in society. For
instance, these forecasted information and knowledge facilitates respective organisation in being
ready to face circumstances and grab opportunities with prior preparations. In addition to that,
respective organisation could also be ready with sufficient amount of products and services in order
to fulfil consumer demands.
Referring to respective organisation, Information technology will facilitate in gathering
immense information and knowledge that supports respective company in improvisation and
enhancement of current scenario and considerations. In addition to that, It includes up gradations in
existing products, areas for improvement in services, opportunities for betterment, etc. that
facilitates in ensuring organisation growth and success. On the other hand, with the increasing
demand for electric vehicles in market, information technology will further contribute in forecasting
of future consumer demands in order to support respective organisation in fulfilling consumer
demands. Furthermore, it will result in opportunity for company in being ready to serve customers
with their quality products in an efficient manner (Sheldon, 2019).
Apart from this, information technology will also contribute additional values towards

respective organisation in attaining customer satisfaction from consumption of products and
services offered by company. For instance, customer preferences taken into consideration in
designing and development of appropriate strategies facilitates in improvisation and enhancement
of products and services according to consumer preferences. Furthermore, attaining customer
satisfaction further facilitates in attracting additional as well as retaining existing customer base of
respective organisation.
CONCLUSION
From the above report assessment, it could be concluded that Halfords Plc is a leading
business organisation engaged in manufacturing of electric vehicles as well as providing general
vehicles service to customers in society. In addition to that, respective organisation is facilitated
with advantage of government initiatives towards consideration of electric vehicles rather than
vehicles using fuels. Moreover, with wider presence in United Kingdom, respective organisation is
able to attract higher amount of customer base towards products and services offered in consumer
market. Furthermore, company operates with major primary activities including operations and
services in order to earn revenue out of it as well as supportive activities such as Human resource
management which further supports in completion of primary activities of business organisation.
Due to few option available to consumers in purchasing electric vehicles in market, Halfords Plc is
currently facing high threat of new entrants in automotive industry as well as low bargaining power
of customers. Information technology results in contributing additional efforts towards achievement
of organisational goals and objectives.

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