Evaluating ICT Strategies for Business Efficiency at Bryant Homes

This report presents an analysis of Bryant Homes' use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance its business operations. The report explores the significant impacts of ICT on Bryant Homes' competitive advantage, including improvements in customer relationship management (CRM), outsourcing of sales and marketing functions, operationalizing e-care, hybrid distribution systems, value-added direct sales, demand chain remediation, customer interaction units, product channel readiness, dynamic pricing, and interactive marketing skills. Furthermore, the report discusses effective ways ICT can improve business efficiency, such as improving service delivery to customers, enhancing responsiveness to new developments, transforming the base for competition, and improving overall efficiency. The importance of accurate, reliable, and appropriate data is also highlighted, along with the benefits of ICT in CRM. Finally, the report suggests improvements to ICT strategies for Bryant Homes. This report is designed to provide insights into how ICT can be leveraged to drive business success.

Information and communication technology
Bryant homes

Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................2
Section 1.1...........................................................................................................................................2
Impact of ICT on Bryant Homes’ Competitive Advantage.........................................................2
Major Impacts..................................................................................................................................2
Customer Relationship Management...........................................................................................2
Outsourcing Sales and Marketing Functions..............................................................................2
Operationalizing E-Care.................................................................................................................3
Hybrid Distribution Systems..........................................................................................................3
Value-Added Direct Sales..............................................................................................................3
Demand Chain Remediation.........................................................................................................3
Customer Interaction Units............................................................................................................3
Product Channel Readiness..........................................................................................................3
Dynamic Pricing and Trading........................................................................................................3
Interactive Marketing Skills............................................................................................................3
Section 1.2.............................................................................................................................................4
Effective Ways of ICT to Improve Business Efficiency........................................................................4
Improves Service Delivery to Customers...........................................................................................4
Improves Responsiveness to New Developments.............................................................................4
Transforms the Base for Competition................................................................................................4
Improves Overall Efficiency...............................................................................................................5
Section 2................................................................................................................................................5
Impact of Having Accurate, Reliable, and Appropriate Data.............................................................5
Major Impacts...................................................................................................................................6
Creates a Communicative Environment............................................................................................6
Monitor the Productivity...................................................................................................................6
Motivates to Use the Best Technique................................................................................................6
Analyse Performance.........................................................................................................................6
Section 3..............................................................................................................................................7
ICT and CRM at Bryant Homes....................................................................................................7
Benefits of ICT in CRM..................................................................................................................7
Section 4..............................................................................................................................................8
Improvement in ICT strategy.........................................................................................................8
References..........................................................................................................................................9
1

Introduction
In this paper we are going to analyse the case study of Bryant organization. The main aim of
this report is to represent the importance of internet and communication technology in Bryant
homes. The company has decided to use IT in their sales and marketing department through
website. Information and communication technology is related with the use of information
technology to identify the potential customers and their needs. There are four sections in this
paper: in first section we will define the impact of ICT in Bryant. To implement ICT in their
business, Bryant has decided to develop a website. The blue chip company is the main
competitor of Bryant. In the next part of section one we will discuss about the way ICT can
be used to make business process effective and efficient. The data is the most important tool
for the decision making process in any business organization. In section two we will evaluate
the importance of accurate and reliable data in business process. In Later on sections we
will analyse the importance of ICT in sales and marketing and the scope in which ICT
strategy can be improved will also be discussed in the last section of this paper.
Section 1.1
Impact of ICT on Bryant Homes’ Competitive Advantage
Information and communication technology played a very vital role on Bryant Homes’, as the
internet became the most important in establishing the strong base for setting up the whole
organisation to communicate in a specific manner that was much more accurate and reliable
as well. It helped to construct a much more validated website that provided each and every
information about the organisation that a valid customer would have been seeking for. The
website creation and usage of ICT had a major impact on making a stronger customer-brand
relationship.
It all provided the customers with both the ways so as to have an experience of visualising
and analysing the needs with the help of the single website. The best part was the regular
updating information that keeps the customers much aware with the accurate information
and being without any false hopes, as it was updated in every 24hours. The data input was
made with global access so that the advertisements would automatically approach the site
through the negotiators, sales-systems etc. The two way communication helped Bryant
Homes to understand the real need of the customers so that they could respond in a much
accurate manner according to their real requirements. This also made the customers to feel
that they were being provided with the right thing in the best price.
According the case study of Bryant Homes’, it can be easily observed that ICT and the
marketing strategy were able to build a leading organisation in the following ways.
1. Maximizing the Return on Investment (ROI).
2. Anticipation and Capitalization on Variations in Customer Needs.
3. Establishing an Effective and Interactive Database along Network Technologies.
4. Staying One-Step ahead in New Business Models.
In order to follow these key points, the management should reallocate the marketing
investments so as to attain the high performance as it was shown for Bryant Homes’.
Major Impacts
Customer Relationship Management
This made to build a customer loyalty and avoid the barriers as they get to have a belief that
they are being guided in a right manner. This lead to better customer collaborations, and
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helped to establish a kind of trust among the market so that it results in the increasing
demand of the service that was being provided.
Outsourcing Sales and Marketing Functions
The organisation made the strategy to outsource sales and marketing budgets to a new
generation of business era that included the marketing agencies as well as the service
providers that helped them to obtain the current availability of resources in the market that
was then co-related with the needs of the people, and made cost efficient.
Operationalizing E-Care
It adopted the management skills for the customer care process as they provided the best
support and service to the customers, making them to have a belief in their assurance, and
seamless service that resulted in the multichannel interfaces through the whole customer
lifecycle and also helped in increasing the demand among the market.
Hybrid Distribution Systems
The organisation provided with multi-channel interface, where the customers as well as the
negotiators could get to participate and deal at the same time according to their respective
requirements. It involved a great market coverage in all classifications or standards,
improving the overall selling performance.
Value-Added Direct Sales
This involved the major one to one conversations or interactions between the brand and the
customers that helped to gain the quality of values in high margin products. The customer
also gets major attention and feel that his requirements are given proper importance, so that
he could be served with the best of the services available.\
Demand Chain Remediation
This helped majorly in increasing the demand of owed services to maximise the value
creations and the customer negotiation could be minimized after having the experience of
the right service delivery, along with value added channel partnership.
Customer Interaction Units
This established certain units among the reach of customers so that they could get to share
their real needs more specifically and more clearly so that they could be served with the
best. By this quality providing soon it helped to establish a better trust and the number of
customers viewing the sites increased suddenly, with a boom.
Product Channel Readiness
It helped majorly to design the ever-ready channel, in which the services were optimized for
the specific customers whose requirements or need were somewhere close. It improved the
personalization of various sections internally so that the customer who so ever visits the site
gets to meet his requirement with in three clicks.
Dynamic Pricing and Trading
The organisation creatively established the unique pricing for different sections and their
need as that made an impact of Buy and Sell technologies as well as the trading
communities also faced better margins and pricing in the same service sector.
Interactive Marketing Skills
The ICT was very much successful in establishing the real communication skills that were
short as well as accurate and also consisted of various services according to the demand
that helped the customer to be more specific for the exact service that he was looking for.
This helped the organisation as the customer when approaches them after going through the
website is already very clear on his demands and thus the organisation has an ease to
provide the right choice, as they are already aware of the requirements in a brief manner.
The customer anyhow would think, that he is being served with the best and that too with the
most effective interaction.
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All These Impacts helped significantly in the establishment of Bryant Homes’ and soon it
increased the strong roots among the market as there was no need of advertisement.
People were taking initiation by themselves to approach the organisation and meet their right
choices in a much more effective manner.
Section 1.2
Effective Ways of ICT to Improve Business Efficiency
Most of the working systems have a fair impressive range of ICT equipment and devices.
Applying such ways help in improving the business efficiency in a much more effective
manner. Across all organisations no matter what size it is of, there is evidence of ICT, be it
through. There are various other devices that are being considered to be a firm, as they help
employees to among various working units like:
Preparing and transit the documents and file.
Communicating with the negotiators and partners.
Browsing online and conducting a wider range of electronic transaction.
However, such technology is considered main base for an organisation, but they are not
being frequently harnessed to their fullest potential efforts to enhance the performance.
Below are some effective ways to improve the technology as well as business effectiveness.
Improves Service Delivery to Customers
The modern businesses pride themselves on being the main focus as their own customers
and also consumer oriented, many of them also invest to make sure that their frontline staff
are versed in providing proper service to the customers. Little emphasis is being provided to
enhance the service delivery and efficiency as well.
Even in the government sector, much more can be performed to enhance the customer’s
experience, and even technology can also play a vital role in that transformation. It also
depends on the organisation and the services that are being provided, it is likely that a
detailed list of enhancements can be identified at the same time more likely to provide
certain services online and also to provide the e-commerce benefits.
Improves Responsiveness to New Developments
This might seem most relevant to complex business systems that are operated in high
dynamic industries but this is applicable even to small oriented business organisations as
well. ICT can play a significant role even in:
Data processing that is being generated from a diverse range of sources that can
also flag the developing issues and will be appropriate for important strategic
decisions if handled in a right manner.
Facilitating the followed decisions that have been implemented, through innovative
and much more effective options.
Transforms the Base for Competition
In any industry, a degree of complacency might take place when the individual business is
no more getting the output to make a major difference among the competitors. A certain
state of consistency is attained and the business might not remain that output orienting in the
market. Thus, here comes demand for improving the visibility, or to become the best in the
market with a clear aim to grow in the market. ICT can help them to achieve the goals by:
Optimizing and automating certain internal processes, which can help in reducing the
human errors as well as the delays along with the complexity of certain processes.
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Implementation of new effective measures that can ultimately add value to the
customer’s experience with the new brand.
Introducing efficient ways in working to reduce the costs and also in improving the
bottom line.
Improves Overall Efficiency
ICT can be introduced as a paradigm shift in for the organisations by helping them to
evaluate themselves in every aspect, so that they can have internal analysis for the
necessary changes that should be made to raise their standard and quality of the product in
the market so as to build an effective demand of their services. ICT is significant for all sizes
of business organisation as it can be micro, small or medium sized, many of these might be
having limited resources to generate the output.
The first priority that is to be set in a working organisation is the focus towards their goals
that they want to raise or initiate in the market and also to examine the current processes
that are currently in market demand. After this analysis, appropriate ways can be derived
that how these demands can be optimized in the best manner so as to attain the desired
output.
However, as the corporate companies become more fixated on the profit orientation as well
as proper saving, the competition in the market increases across different sectors. At this
stage ICT comes as a very significant role that helps to build strong roots in market and also
to bring the long term effectiveness.
Section 2
Impact of Having Accurate, Reliable, and Appropriate Data
Accurate, Reliable and timely updated information plays a very significant role in the
decision making of many working units or organisations consisting of almost every aspect of
the human endeavour. It can also be expressed as a very essential component of the efforts
that is to persuade individuals, businesses or organisations to make different decisions from
the ones that might make in the absence of particular pieces of data collected. Having the
right data in sufficient manner is the integral part of any attempt to hold the people who make
decisions accountable for the consequences of the decisions that they make. If the
organisations or the individuals will have the shortage of appropriate data then they will take
bad decisions and will be unable to help others with better ideas or with right suggestions.
Information is defined as the main source to influence and empower the decisions. That is the
reason why many of the organisation seeks to have a proper control over the flow of
information of each and every sector so that they could be benefited in every field by
collecting the right amount of data in a right manner. Not all the information can be
summarized in numerical forms and not all data can be captured in the minds of every
individual, business or any organisation but it is very true to justify that the decision that gets
measured gets valued and the decision that can’t be measured tends to get ignored.
The scope of decisions that can be measured and enumerated in the form data is widening
almost in a continuous process, not at least as a result of advances in information technology.
Many of such examples are in the field of sports and healthcare. In the business sector it is
now very common and essential as well to extract and analyse minute information about their
customers and their respective behaviours. This helps to attain better profitability, and also to
attain better sales in pursuit of reaching to the goals of productivity and marketing. The rise
in the expectation level for the sales and in achieving the goals and resources are needed to be
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demonstrated that are to be used in a very wise manner, and that so contributed to an
increasing demand for collecting data. The right stats also tell us that how successful policies
are being designed. Accurate, reliable and timely updated data is also very helpful in working
programs of organisations as they alert us that what changes are needed to be done with the
continuous change in market demands and how to develop programs and re-direct the usage
of resources.
Major Impacts
Creates a Communicative Environment
By the flow of right and reliable information throughout, the individuals also gets to involve
as they will be having better ideas with them and it will initiate better orienting conversations
along with a right flow of information in a proper framework. There would be more ease to
establish the business strategies and to create measurable goals for the organisation to support
the overall objectives. It also provides a proper valid visibility of the goals that could be
easily achieved on the basis of the analysis on the right data. This will surely result in the
proper energised working environment, raising the productivity in a much more effective
manner.
Monitor the Productivity
The regular updating stats would provide an ease to compare the productivity as well as the
marketing output. Even the slight inclination or decline the sales could be noticed easily and
according to that the further efficient changes could be made to achieve the required goals. It
provides such a simple and clear tracking for the progress graph of the organisation, after
completion of every phase of goal analysing. This will surely lead to achieve greater business
productivity as the working staff is continuously updating themselves with the best skills and
information that would surely get reflected in the quality of their working.
Motivates to Use the Best Technique
Based upon the previous stats and information the productivity goals can be easily compared.
On certain comparison it would also be very easy to find the best of the techniques that will
co-relate the best with the goals that an organisation wants to achieve. By having such clear
flow of appropriate information, everyone can be motivated to work in the right and effective
direction. Thus the employees of the organisation can be directed in an efficient manner to
work with the best of techniques and also this will improve their quality of work. Along with
the better performance, the organisation would also be benefitted with best allocation and
usage of resources, as the employees will be much more familiar with their goals with
attaining the proper information.
Analyse Performance
The total productivity that would be attained at the end could be analysed with the previous
session. A much more clear stats would help to analyse the performance of every segment.
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Proper analysing of the performance will also help to figure out that which segment was still
carrying certain errors, and that too can be eliminated by analysing the stats and would
benefit in the increasing productivity and reaching the objectives of the organisation.
According to the analysed data the workers themselves will be able to design a much more
efficient design to attain the best strategy that would suit the quality of working.
In general the employees of the company wants to get benefited and appreciated for their
hard work that they put up to achieve the objectives, and the right information with
appropriate framework would help to gain the trust among the employees that will indirectly
help them to analyse their own performance among each other.
Right flow of reliable information among the workers will make them feel that they are also
being valued as a major part of organisation. Feeling valued will surely be the key to
employer’s loyalty that would result to achieve greater productive goals and attain better
productivity.
Section 3
ICT and CRM at Bryant Homes
CRM stands for customer relationship management and can be described as a strategy
which is process based and functionally beneficial for both customer (buyer) and seller. This
process is used for value creation in business environment. Information and communication
technology has a positive impact on customer relationship management. Internet is the main
medium to develop relationship with customers. Customers are always looking forward to
buy any product or service from the provider who are good at delivering services (Al-Khaffaf,
2011). The customer relationship management is an important part of any organization and
with the help of digital presence Bryant homes is also planning for the improvements in the
same. CRM is a process which is used for organization wise communication and integrate all
the technologies which are being used in environment such as web site, mobile apps, sales
and marketing, intranet and Internet etc. With the help of latest technologies the CRM can be
easily implemented in business, as with the help of these techniques the data regarding
customers can be easily collected and analysed. The main CRM factor which was analysed
at Bryant homes was the need of market orientation. It focuses to identify the targeted
customers to get the better response and fast delivery of products and services to them. At
Bryant homes we can consider ICT to enhance the CRM with an example:
Let a customer wants to buy a new home and he submitted a query regarding this on the
website of Bryant homes.
The information of customer such as name, contact number, email id and the need will be
flashed on Bryant homes.
The company’s executive will collect this information and verify the available homes which
can be best suited to customer and contact with him.
In this process the internet and communication is playing a very important role as it is saving
time and efforts of both buyer and seller (Bongiorni, 2012).
Benefits of ICT in CRM
Online presence: The biggest advantage of ICT in CRM is online business. Bryant homes is
now able to represent its business world-wide.
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Planning of Sales is transparent: The cost of selling any product to each customer can be
easily analysed by using ICT. Each and every detail of contact with a particular customer is
recorded. This saved information can be used to trace the time to deliver every request.
Process can be automated: The details of customer are saved at one place. It can be
imported from various sources as well without any replication. In this way with the help of
ICT the database of customers can be generated in simple manner and can be used for
promotional offers to clients. Special offers can be delivered to customers in automated
fashion with the help of internet technology. This automation process is helpful in extracting
information about important dates like reminders, demand notice delivered, registration date,
letter’s drafting and minutes of meeting.
Enhance the customer support: Customer support can be prioritise using ICT in CRM. With
the latest innovations in mobile technology, the customer support became more simple as
the connection with customer is 24x7 and the database of company can be accessed
anytime anywhere.
Customer service: Using ICT, the automated calling system can be planned at Bryant homes
for quick response of client’s requests. For this knowledge based system and templates
specially designed for the same can be used. Customers can be contacted over calls and
emails regularly.
Enhanced Reliability of data: The result generated with the help of ICT at Bryant homes, is
more reliable as compare to old traditional system. All calculations are done using
automated system and analysed using innovative tools. The result is more convinced and
increases the satisfaction level of customers.
Competitive strategy: Every business has to plan a competitive strategy to gain the better
advantages. Without a proper planning of ICT it would be very complex (Kumar, 2014). To
achieve the success it is recommended to analyse what the peers are doing as per the latest
trends of market and adopt the accurate trends. It will be simple by using ICT in business.
Bryant homes is now able to plan the new strategy as per the feedback and suggestions
provided by their clients.
Section 4
Improvement in ICT strategy
The main goal of sales and marketing is to show the presence of company in unique form.
After the establishment of business, it is necessary to promote business to maintain
sustainability. The quality of good marketing can be seen in the feedback provided by
customers. Well defined, perfect prices of products and services can be considered as the
foundation of successful marketing (smith, 2016). As the Bryant homes is a new as compare
to its competitors in the same field, it needs lots of hard work and unique strategy to improve
the ICT services in sales and marketing. To attract the new customers there is need of
business promotion through effective channels. To improve the ICT in sales and marketing,
Bryant homes must analyse the potential customers and the field in which the promotional
activities can be implemented in the best way. As per the case study provided, the scope in
which ICT can be improved can be classified as follows:
Advertisements: Advertisement through proper channels can be used to make promotions
effectively. The advertisement can be done through newspapers, magazines, television,
radio etc. Usually some mode of advertisements are paid, advertisements can be improved
by:
Building a good image of business
On website there must be a section regarding Testimonials of customers. It will prove the
positive image of Bryant homes.
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Encourage clients to leave comments and ask any information about their requirements.
Interact with customers through their contact numbers and email id time to time.
Telemarketing: To attract the customers, tele-calling is the best way to interact with them.
The communication with customers must be decent and in promotional way. On website
there can be an option of 24x7 call, which can be used by customers for any type of
information.
Publicity: Publicity is a process of launching and broadcasting media files or popups in an
attractive way on the screen of potential customers. It can be implemented by using cookies.
In traditional approach the publicity was done through word of mouth but in online publicity,
the clients can get the notifications about the products and services of device’s screen.
Sales promotion: It can be performed through coupon websites. The offers and best deals
can be notified to clients by using contest mania and coupon offers. Coupon websites are
also called daily deals. These websites earn profit by continuously sharing the details of
coupons with clients. If a client wants to get a coupon, he or she must provide their details.
The coupon website then register the details of clients into database. This database can be
managed as per the geographical area wise. Clients can choose the options of receiving
alerts and daily email regarding best property options. Bryant homes can choose any one of
the following coupon website for the same concept:
Groupon
Scoopon
Deals.com.au
Direct marketing: In direct marketing letters, brochures and emails are directly send to the
clients. It is not of very much use in case of Bryant homes as it is mainly based on offline
marketing but in some cases it can also be beneficial to maintain the relationship with
customers.
Framework of ICT
The architecture of ICT at Bryant homes can be classified in three layers which is
recommended for enhanced performance of its website along with environment policies.
These layers are:
Direct impact
Enabling impact
Systematic impact
Realization of values and gaining benefits form ICT
As per the survey done, it is proved that ICT is impacting Bryant homes positively, this
benefits can be increased in form of informational benefit, transactional, strategic and
transformational benefit. The implementation of ICT can be easily managed by following
some rule of thumb. All the employees must aware about the ICT technology. The
organizations which are ICT aware can adopt a number of different ICT management
techniques which will decrease the chances of any ad hoc issues.
References
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Al-Khaffaf, M. M., 2011. The Effect of Information and communication technology on
customer relationship management. International Journal of Customer Relationship
Marketing and Management, 2(4)(67), p. 3.
Bongiorni, P., 2012. importance-crm-real-estate. [Online]
Available at: https://www.rexsoftware.com/importance-crm-real-estate/
[Accessed 18 October 2017].
Kumar, M. P. K. a. T. S., 2014. ijbmisv4n3spl_14.pdf. [Online]
Available at: https://www.ripublication.com/ijmibs-spl/ijbmisv4n3spl_14.pdf
[Accessed 18 October 2017].
Appendices
http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/news/295191/The-12-impacts-of-technology-on-sales-and-
marketing
http://www.kimtasso.com/faq/what-is-the-impact-of-technology-on-marketing/
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.464.8979&rep=rep1&type=pdf
http://www.ict-pulse.com/2013/09/4-ways-icttechnology-improve-business/
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/42760/1/EnterpriseEfficiencyInTheUseOfICT.pdf
https://www.oitcinterfor.org/sites/default/files/canicthelp.pdf
https://www.successfactors.com/en_us/lp/articles/using-technology-to-increase-your-
business-productivity.html
http://www.saul-eslake.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Importance-of-Data.pdf
https://www.bastiansolutions.com/blog/index.php/2013/08/16/tips-for-ensuring-data-integrity/
#.WeZ8Po9SzIU
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