Eco-Fone: Detailed Report on UK Smartphone Market Trends and Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the UK smartphone market, focusing on Eco-Fone, a company selling smartphones and accessories. The report examines smartphone usage trends, including the increasing adoption among both younger and older demographics, and the use of smartphones in business contexts. It analyzes market data, forecasts future smartphone usage, and identifies features that make smartphones popular with older customers. The report also includes an assessment of business expansion opportunities, specifically considering a new location in Kingston. Furthermore, it delves into the costs associated with a new building, presents logos of commercial mortgage lenders, and tests potential differences in net takings between Eco-Fone's shops. The report also addresses customer satisfaction and quality assurance procedures, including an analysis of invoice error rates and recommendations for improvement. The report includes references to relevant academic research and industry reports.

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REPORT FOR ECO - FONE

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY ..............................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.......................................................................................................................................................3
a. Overview of phone market in UK.....................................................................................................3
b. Bar chart of four main activities......................................................................................................3
TASK 2.......................................................................................................................................................4
Forecasting the UK Adult Smartphone use .........................................................................................4
TASK 3.......................................................................................................................................................5
Features making mobile and smartphones popular among old age customers..................................5
TASK 4.......................................................................................................................................................6
TASK 5.......................................................................................................................................................6
a. Costs of a New Building...................................................................................................................6
b. Eight logos of well-known commercial mortgage lenders in the UK...............................................8
TASK 6.......................................................................................................................................................9
Testing Possible Difference in Net Takings in Two Shops....................................................................9
TASK 7.......................................................................................................................................................9
TASK 8.....................................................................................................................................................11
Quality Procedures............................................................................................................................11
TASK 9.....................................................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................................11
TASK 10...................................................................................................................................................13
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Smartphone usage has increased with time in almost every part of world. People either working
under employment terms or not working make use of mobile and smartphones. Some of the
people working in business organisation make use of mobile phones for business work such as
email, voice calls, messages etc. Also, increase in usage of phones in both the younger age
group as well as old age person. The present report is based on Eco Fone Smartphones
Company as engaged in the business of smartphones and its related accessories. It deals in
business of selling smartphones, mobile accessories. It operates its business of selling from two
shops one in Putney and other one is in Richmond. Eco-Fone Company currently doesn’t sell
laptops or tablets. The report will define increase in use of smartphone in the UK among its
people. Also it will discuss about various trends among customers.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
a. Overview of phone market in UK.
As per workforce of UK, out of 33.5 million people about 32 million people are working
in some business firm or employed in some work. Out of currently employed workforce, about
half of the people are making use of their phones for the office as well as business related
work. In most of the offices smartphones are used by people for at least one of the business or
office related activity. As per the defined common usage of smartphones by the workforce in
their business related work, 44% people make use of it for email purpose. 34% uses it for voice
calling purpose and 23% finds it suitable for use in their calendar management activity
(Deloitte. co, 2019).
Also, some applications are there in the smartphones which are difficult when comes to
operate. Therefore, most of the people likes to make low use of it as such mobile applications
such as legacy information and reporting systems etc. are difficult to use. Some business
enterprises also make use of unofficial smartphone applications for conducting business
activity. By using such unofficial application of smartphones these business enterprises easily
communicates within their business premises. These unofficial applications include instant
messaging app, browsers, photo application, navigation etc. It has been determined that around
43% of workers make use of WhatsApp in their smartphones at least once in a day for leisure
purpose.17% people use it for viewing document as well.
b. Bar chart of four main activities.

Interpretation – As per above mentioned table it can be concluded that in the year 2016,
the usage of smartphone in work & business activities has decreased in the year 2017. This can
be because of use of unofficial smartphone applications in the business enterprises for
communication purpose. 41% uses for email in 2016 which has decrease to 37% in 2017.
Likewise there has been decline in standards and voice call from 33% to 32%, calendar
management and document viewing has been decreased also to 0%.
TASK 2
Forecasting the UK Adult Smartphone use .
Penetration rate

Interpretation – It can be assessed that there has been a drastic change in the penetration
rate from the year 2012 till the year 2019. In 2012 the penetration rate was 52% which has
increased to 100% in the year 2019. As per the forecasting made it can be said that making use
of smartphone has increased as the time period increases. It has become common among both
the younger age group as well as old age customer group. Also many business organisations
are making use of it for their official and business work. Linear forecast can be made properly
as it doesn't give clear understanding of data by the line graph. Time series model used for
analysing data related to smartphone users is increasing day by day. Thus, this model provides
accurate statistics about expected rate for the year 2018 and 2019.
TASK 3
Features making mobile and smartphones popular among old age customers.
It has been observed that usage of smartphone has increased in both the young age group
as well as old age group. Most of old age group people are prefer using smartphones because
of its newly and attractive features, usages and application systems. Some of the features which
has attracted large number of customer for buying these smartphone at alarming rate are as
follows:
1. It helps old age people in getting medical assistance on one touch. Because of large
number of medical as well as health related application, old age group can seeks benefit
from it at one place without need to going at other place (Van Deursen and et.al., 2015).
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90% f(x ) = 0.0651428571x + 0.482
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90% f(x ) = 0.0651428571x + 0.482
P e n e tra ti o n R a te s
L in e a r (P e n e tra ti o n R a te s )

2. Because of big screen and large keypad, smartphones provides clear and proper vision
to old people which they can make use of without need to wear their spectacles.
3. Also, smartphones comes up with better communication and connectivity application
which help them in getting connect with their family members far away at just one
click.
TASK 4
Should we expand our business to Kingston?
Pros Score/10 Cons Score/10
Wireless charging 7 Heating 2
Web browser 8 Processor 6
GPS Tool 4 Slow charging 7
Batter life 8 Memory 5
Sensitive Touch pad 4 Costly 3
HD Camera 8 Screen Size 4
Face Lock 5 Single slot 2
Total Pros 44 Total Cons 29
Average Pros 6.28 Average Cons 4.14
Interpretation – As company is conducting its business operations in two shops in the
Borough of Richmond on currently basis. One shop is in Putney and other one is in Richmond.
As the business is currently operating in 2 places it has never operated across the border in
Kingston which is a great market exposure for this business. The company should expand its
business operations in Kingston as the products are having different as well as attractive
features which can help company in gaining competitive advantage (Montag and et.al., 2015).
Also, its product are having differentiated features as compared to competitor products in the
same marketplace. So it is beneficial and will be profitable for the company to go with the
expansion business plan.
TASK 5
a. Costs of a New Building

Interpretation – It can be calculated that cost on the monthly basis of 15 -year repayment
mortgage calculated is £350,000. Also, the interest which is applied to the loan outstanding in
each year beginning. Thus, mortgage rate is 7% per annum having negotiation amount
£350,000 and the asking price £400,000. Thus the Repayment amount on monthly basis is
£38419.32/12 with discounting factor of 1.76/0.19.
The amount of loan determined is £38419.32 and repayment amount on monthly basis
will be £3201.61. From such calculation it can be interpreted that the mortgage rate have
impact on the repayment amount as given back to the lender. Debt will be provided to
customer after making deduction of discounting amount from the rate of mortgage which will
affect the overall cost of the building in the future thus making the lender responsible to pay
£3201.61 on the monthly basis.

b. Eight logos of well-known commercial mortgage lenders in the UK.

TASK 6
Testing Possible Difference in Net Takings in Two Shops
Interpretation – From the above table it can be concluded that by conducting test for
assessing possible difference in Net Takings of two shops Z score assessment calculated is 0.5
with Standard deviation (one shop) as 20 in Table 1. In table 2, Z score assessment calculated
is 0.25 with Standard deviation of two shop as 40. Thus, it can be said that Null hypothesis is
accepted.
TASK 7
Customer Satisfactions

Interpretation – It can be concluded from the above that by having another business
shop in Kingston, company can achieve large market share as well as can also increase its
business value. As the company Eco-Fone each year regularly processed for customer
questionnaires in the form of hard-copy forms filled out by them both in the shops. Also by
email attachments it has been able to achieve customer feedback related to its business product
and services. By expanding business operation in the new marketplace, it will help company in
gaining competitive advantages and can also increase its customer base (Kee and et.al., 2016).
This will further help company in making progress and growth over short time frame making
its business performance much better. It can promotes its products and services in the new
marketplace by formulating better business strategies as well as plans and thus can increases its
productivity and sales margin .

TASK 8
Quality Procedures
Interpretation –The accounts department at Eco-Fone Company sends out about 10,000
invoices a month with the average number of two return because of error made per month. This
can be related to low quality assurance procedures which requires to be improved with time for
making performance much better and profitable as well (Andone and et.al., 2016). With the
help of poisson distribution it can be determine which factors need to be consider. Mean rate of
success calculated is 15 with Poisson random variable as 2. Poisson distribution is the
considered as one of the most appropriate method to determine probability that more than three
invoices will be return in month required to be less than fifteen per cent. It is advisable for
company to met the quality procedure for making large market share as well as customer base.
TASK 9
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Andone, I. and et.al., 2016, September. How age and gender affect smartphone usage.
In Proceedings of the 2016 ACM international joint conference on pervasive and
ubiquitous computing: adjunct (pp. 9-12). ACM.
Andrews, S. and et.al., 2015. Beyond self-report: tools to compare estimated and real-world
smartphone use. PloS one. 10(10). p.e0139004.
Andrews, S. and et.al., 2015. Beyond self-report: tools to compare estimated and real-world
smartphone use. PloS one. 10(10). p.e0139004.