E-Commerce and Internationalization at De Montfort University

This report provides an e-commerce strategy for De Montfort University, focusing on expanding its international student base through distance learning programs. It includes a SWOT analysis identifying the university's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the distance learning mar...Read More

Running head: E-COMMERCE
E-Commerce
Name of the Student
De Montfort University
Author’s Note:

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Table of Contents
Part 1..........................................................................................................................................2
SWOT Analysis.....................................................................................................................2
Part 2..........................................................................................................................................4
Objectives, CSFs and KPIs....................................................................................................4
Part 3..........................................................................................................................................6
Addressing all Issues in University Websites........................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................8

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Part 1
SWOT Analysis
The specific methodology of management for recognizing the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats of any organization or person is known as SWOT analysis (Bull et
al. 2016). According to the case study, a university have undertaken a decision to start their
distance learning for all the students.
SWOT analysis for this university is as follows:

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Strengths Weaknesses
1. Cost effective since travel costs are not
incurred.
2. Convenient.
3. Ability to attend the classes and also to work.
4. Flexibility.
5. Class access from anywhere through Internet.
1. Dependent of Internet.
2. Fixed expenses on computers.
3. Cannot access to library books or materials
(Brooks, Heffner and Henderson 2014).
4. Fraud as well as plagiarism chances are high.
5. Restricted learning.
Opportunities Threats
1. New technologies could be easily incorporated
and hence the entire environment of learning is
enhanced and advanced.
2. Decreasing cultural gaps and thus enhancing
equality.
3. Students from all over the world could be
reached.
1. Problems in growing trust for the students.
2. Problems in hiring and keeping good teachers.
2. Databases are the most important factors in
distance learning courses and maintaining them
are difficult.
According to the SWOT analysis, the university in the case study comprises of five
strengths (Yuan 2013). They are the cost effectiveness, since the student does not visit to the
university, flexible, convenient, ability to attend the classes and also to work simultaneously,
access to the class from anywhere through the Internet.
There are five weaknesses as well. They are the constant dependency on the Internet
connection, fixed costs on various systems, no access to university library books or materials,
chances of plagiarism and fraud and restriction in learning, since students are being able to
learn from their peers.

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The opportunities of this university mainly include incorporating new technologies,
reducing cultural gaps and increasing equality in education sector and the ability to reach out
to the broad students range.
According to SWOT analysis, the three threats to this university are the trusts issues
in students, problems in keeping good teaches and problems in maintaining databases (Ayub
et al. 2013).
It is recommended to this university to start their distance learning courses, as they
have several strengths according to SWOT analysis. The most significant strength is that it is
extremely cost effective and flexible. Thus could be easily undertaken by all students. There
are few important opportunities for the course that this course would be enhancing new
technologies and reducing the cultural gaps. However, few weaknesses and threats are also
present like the dependency on Internet and trust issues of students. These problems could be
mitigated with proper steps and strategies.
Part 2
Objectives, CSFs and KPIs
When the SWOT analysis is done on the University, a distinct set of objectives can be
easily created with the help of an e-commerce analysis model. In this case, it is Porter’s Five
Forces. The model of the Porter’s Five Forces in respect to the given case study is given
below:
i) Threat of New Entrants: As the university in the provided case study is new entrant
within the distance learning course market, there is chance, which they could face losses in
the early days.

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ii) Threat of Substitutes: Various universities worldwide have already started several
distance learning courses for the students (Parmenter 2015). Thus, there is a constant threat of
their substitutes in the existing market.
iii) Bargaining Power of Customers: The market outputs are referred to as the power
of bargaining of the students.
iv) Bargaining Power of the Suppliers: The market inputs are referred to as the
power of bargaining of supplier or the management of the university.
v) Industry Rivalry: The healthy competition between the various universities is the
industry rivalry here.
The set of objectives, CSFs and the KPIs of the provided case study are as follows:
Set of Objectives Critical Success Factors Key Performance Indicators
1. The first objective in this
case study is to make the
distance learning extremely
popular and accessible to
everyone.
1. The first and the foremost
CSF is the increment in the
competitiveness and thus
attracting various new students
(Nicoletti 2017).
1. The most important KPI of
this university is their excellent
strategy of marketing.
2. The next important objective
of the case study is that they
should check for the substitutes
in the market.
2. The next CSF is sustaining
excellent relationship with their
students.
2. The next key performance
indicator is increment in the
metrics of sales growth. Cost
effectiveness is solely affected
here.
3. The final objective of the
university is that they would be
ready for a healthy competition
3. The next CSF is the
management in all types of
interference as this university is
the new entrant in the market of
3. The next key performance
indicator is the student
satisfaction (Parmenter 2015).

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in the market. distance learning (Nicoletti
2017).
The most significant competition of this particular university is all the learning
courses that are existing. The demand of these courses are extremely high and thus to address
all of the competencies, most of the organizational alterations are needed such as they should
decrease the course fees so that it is affordable to all students and also appoint good teachers
on the basis on contracts.
Part 3
Addressing all Issues in University Websites
The DL courses that are being offered by university are the first and the foremost step
to reduce the cultural gaps (Simpson 2013). There are also various trust issues regarding
these courses and students often scare of taking these courses. Since, the university is a new
entrant in an existing market, they might be facing difficulties in the beginning, and however,
gradually they can overcome these problems. The cultural diversification is the most
important feature in this aspect. There are several trust issues and cultural issues and thus
these should be mitigated on an urgent basis. For addressing all these issues, the university
should take up marketing strategies on their websites with the help of online communication
tools. They should advertise their products and thus address all the issues (Salmon 2013).
They should interviews of the teachers so that the students get the idea that they are
promoting to reducing cultural gaps. Hence, they would safe and secured. Furthermore,
advertisements of the courses should be done in almost every national language.

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References
Ayub, A., Adeel, R., Muhammad, S.A. and Hanan, I., 2013. A conceptual framework on
evaluating SWOT analysis as the mediator in strategic marketing planning through marketing
intelligence. European Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 2(1), pp.91-98.
Brooks, G., Heffner, A. and Henderson, D., 2014. A SWOT analysis of competitive
knowledge from social media for a small start-up business. The Review of Business
Information Systems (Online), 18(1), p.23.
Bull, J.W., Jobstvogt, N., Böhnke-Henrichs, A., Mascarenhas, A., Sitas, N., Baulcomb, C.,
Lambini, C.K., Rawlins, M., Baral, H., Zähringer, J. and Carter-Silk, E., 2016. Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats: A SWOT analysis of the ecosystem services
framework. Ecosystem services, 17, pp.99-111.
Nicoletti, B., 2017. Critical Success Factors. In The Future of FinTech (pp. 161-175).
Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Parmenter, D., 2015. Key performance indicators: developing, implementing, and using
winning KPIs. John Wiley & Sons.
Salmon, G., 2013. E-tivities: The key to active online learning. Routledge.
Simpson, O., 2013. Supporting students in online open and distance learning. Routledge.
Yuan, H., 2013. A SWOT analysis of successful construction waste management. Journal of
Cleaner Production, 39, pp.1-8.