Integrated Professional Skills in the Digital Age Analysis Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of integrated professional skills in the digital age, focusing on the evolution of technology and its impact on businesses and individuals. It includes a case study of Marks and Spencer, comparing the positive and negative aspects of online and offline product and service sales. The report also delves into the challenges and measures related to online security and privacy, emphasizing threats like hacking and clickjacking. Furthermore, it differentiates between blogs and websites, discussing their functionalities and tools for blog creation. The report concludes by highlighting the importance of digital communication skills in the modern business environment. The assignment is contributed by a student to be published on the website Desklib. Desklib is a platform which provides all the necessary AI based study tools for students.

Integrated Professional Skills
in the Digital Age

Executive Summary
Technology is one of the most advanced and essential aspect for individual, group or
organisations in order to conduct their business in a well defined and feasible manner. In order to
gain more competitive advancements there are different types of digital skills through which one
can stimulate their growth. This report includes discussions on, Marks and Spencer. Further
report includes comparison between negative as well as positive aspect of products and services
that are being sold online and offline. Along with this challenges and measures of privacy and
security that organisation or individuals may face while go online are also included in this report.
Lastly difference between blog and website is being also cover in present report.

Table of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Compare and contrast between the positive and negative aspects of services and products
being sold online and offline..................................................................................................1
Discuss the challenges and measures of security and privacy that individuals and business
take when they go online........................................................................................................5
How is blog different from a website and discuss tools that could be used to create a blog. Can
blog be a communication tool? Justify your answer..............................................................6
Grammarly:.........................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Technology play key essential role. Due to its frequent change it empathizes upon
preferences and choices of customers. Due to change in technology customers prefer to buy
innovative and unique product and services. This makes organisation to shift their major tend
towards providing their products and services with high innovation and uniqueness (Alvermann
and Sanders, 2019). Along with this companies also attract consumer attention with the help of
online medium in order to reach out to maximum number of individual with an aim to increase
overall profitability and productivity. Present report has been conducted on Marks and Spencer,
company conduct their services in retail industrial segment and offer wide range of product and
services. In this report formative discussion has been made on compare and contrast between
negative and positive aspect of product and services that are being sold offline as well as online.
Along with this report include measures and challenges of privacy in security that is required to
be undertaken by business or individual when they go online. Lastly this report includes digital
communication skills.
MAIN BODY
Compare and contrast between the positive and negative aspects of services and products being
sold online and offline
Digitalization is emerging as most important aspect in today’s modern world as it provide
number of advantages to entities. In terms with online business company offer their product and
services through digital mode, while in terms with offline physical mode of production,
distribution and selling is involved. It has been identified that Marks and Spencer undertake
advantage of both online and offline platforms in order to encourage individual towards
company offering.
Compare and Contrast between the positive and negative aspects of “business” being online
and offline
Positive Aspects
Customer Intelligence:
This is one of the most important aspects as with the assistance of this process respective
organisation can allocate and evaluate customer’s related information’s and can further build
more effective and deeper relationship with them.
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Potential for rapid growth:
Online platform allow organisations to have global access and available for customers
24/7. It is a flexible platform through which company can influence large ways of customers all
around the world irrespective of geographical distance. Thus, it stimulates business to ensure
their rapid growth by offering their services in many different countries.
Easy access to market:
As it is flexible platform through which entity can not only of a product and services at
any time to customers but can also influence their interest by providing them gift vouchers and
other benefits in order to read in them for long period of time. Further it has been identified that
it allow business organisation to have easy and flexible access to marketplace without any
unnecessary issues and complications.
Reduced overheads:
Online platform allow organisation to save their unnecessary cost like store, electricity,
store maintenance, warehouse, work force and other aspect. This further allows entity to
maximize their profit margin at great extent while reducing overheads.
Consumer trust:
Online platform not only benefit organisation to increase their profitability but it also
allows them to gain consumer trust that follow allow them towards attaining large base of loyal
customers. In addition to this it has been identified that with the assistance of consumer trust
organisation to conduct this services in a effective manner through which they can maximize
their consumer serving facilities that maximum profitable benefit.
Negative Aspects
Privacy:
Major negative aspect of this factor is privacy, as it has been identified that in this
platform customers have option of online payment it is directly linked with banks. This lead
towards much fraud that made organisation and customers both suffers a lot.
Price wars:
Due to increase in use of online platform organisation there is high price wars. This
sometimes lead towards aggressive marketing as in this entity influence customers with
maximum price product and services in order to gain large base of customer holding.
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Returns and complaints:
Most critical negative element of online platform is that in this there is high return and
complains cases comparatively to offline mode (Sonck, Kuiper and de Haan, 2012). As if a
product gets damaged during transportation process then customers are provided with full return
amount that affect organisation earning capacity.
Compare and Contrast between the positive and negative aspects of “Individuals” being online
and offline
Positive Aspects
Social networking:
Most important benefit of individual being online is that it allows them to connect with
customer service representative in an easy and faster manner. Social networking allows them to
communicate their issues and problems to entity consumer representative and can provide them
their feedback that allows them to get their queries resolved in time effective manner.
Personal security:
Individuals can effectively gain positive advantage of being online by securing their
personal security. In this by lock down their login with effective passwords individuals can
secure their details. Along with this individual by taking use of strong passwords for their
devices and apps individuals can protect their personal information in an effective manner. In
addition to this it has been identified that by creating strong as well as unique passwords for their
online accounts and taking advantage of encrypt software customers can ensure safe internet
browsing through which they can save their personal as well as financial online information in an
effective manner. Thus, as per according to the evaluation it has been identified that social
networking turned out to be an effective measures through which individuals can ensure their
personal security in an effective manner.
Negative Aspects
Generational divide:
Generational divide is termed as a concept that separates thoughts that are expressed by
members of two different generations. It can be define as a difference between values, action and
believes of one generation to other. This is a major negative aspect that can be faced by
individuals being online, as if organization emphasize upon advertising and producing their
products for one generation then it can negatively impact upon actions and beliefs of other.
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Thus, as per the above concluded report it has been identified that positive aspects of
being online for an individual offer significant advantages like personal security and social
networking through which they can gain maximum number of benefits. While on the other hand
if it is seen in terms of negative aspects of being online of individuals, in this it has been
identified that if an organisation conduct their process of marketing, research and advertising for
only younger generation people then this can affect beliefs and values of older generation
individuals. This can not only impact upon organisational profitability at great extent but also
affect older generation’s individuals to have online shopping experience. Along with this if an
organisation serve their product and services by only emphasize upon young generation
individuals rather than focusing upon both younger and older generation, then this can impact
upon individuals of older generation as it restrict them to purchase their product and services via
online mode.
Overall negatives of being online
As per according to the evaluation this has signified that overall negatives of being online
include number of factors like, it creates generation barrier in which different generations rarely
communicate. Along with this it has been signified that it make individual prone towards viruses,
hackers and theft, as number of individuals are not much aware about the safety and security
measures. This can impact upon their personal as well as financial data in an adverse manner. It
is one of the most crucial negative impact of being online that can affect to customers purchasing
behaviour through online mode. In addition with this it has been evaluated that individuals can
get the wrong information for course work if they are undertaking use of wrong from website for
research in order to gain information related to entity product, service or company data. In
addition to this it has been evaluated that one of the most aggressive impact of being online is
that cause that help to individuals for example damage to eyes, as individuals spend their most of
their time on online platforms then this can impact upon their health and can further create
number of health issues through which they can affect their well being in different manner.
Along with this it has been evaluated that negative impact of being online also include that it can
cause small businesses to go bankrupt, as in order to ensure customer interest they are required to
influence their purchasing behaviour with aggressive marketing advertising on regular manner
that require amount of funds to be invest.
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Discuss the challenges and measures of security and privacy that individuals and business take
when they go online.
Security and privacy both plays very essential role while doing business operations for
both the organization as well as for the individuals. While doing business functions it has been
identified that both customers and the organization face ample number of challenges related to
security and privacy. Below mentioned are some of the most essential challenges which affects
the overall outcome:
Threat of hackers: For every business organization, it is very essential to be aware about the
hackers as they might hack their websites and use all the information in unethical manner for
their own benefits (Walker, Bowkett and Duchaine, 2018). It has also been analysed that hackers
use the data of customers by hacking company’s websites which includes their bank details along
with personal data. Therefore, some people prefer to do physical shopping rather than online as
this might leak their personal data which is essential for every individual.
Click jacking: It refers to a kind of hacking where users click on ads but it does not show
anything. In such cases, hacker attack the individual person as soon as he click on the link. This
will help them in order to control their system which includes their camera, microphones and can
easily record all the activities of the person. Such acts are mainly conducted to harm the image of
individuals.
Fake profiles: Some organisations create fake profiles in order to attract large number of people
towards them and to make their website more unique and impressive. This will help them in
order to grab the attention of people and influence them to buy their goods and services. Apart
from this, if a customer develop their profile on their website, can easily leaked their information
and can be misused by some people in a negative way.
Location leak: It has been said that location-leakage is much more dangerous than information
leakage. Mainly, there are some software’s used to identify the location of individuals through
their cell phone. By using mobile phone for online shopping or some other activities can hack the
system and easily identify the location of person. It is necessary to share their location while
doing online shopping which can be used in a negative manner and can harm the person.
Here are some measures which can be adopted by both customers as well as by the
organisation in order to secure themselves from challenges. Some of these measures are going to
be discussed as follows:
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Anti- virus software: It is necessary for individual and for the business that they must install
antivirus software in their system in order to protect themselves. This is a software which assist
the user by making their system safe as well as protected from any sort of threats from
unauthorized party.
Authentic site: People need to be educated in such way that they easily differentiate among
authentic &unauthentic websites. This will help them in identifying such sites which might affect
their personal data. An authentic and accurate website claim full security and privacy to their
clients who visited to their sites or have make any kind of account which requires their data and
information.
How is blog different from a website and discuss tools that could be used to create a blog. Can
blog be a communication tool? Justify your answer
Blog is defined as an type of website in which content is mainly presented in a reverse
chronological order (newer content appear first).While on the other hand website is defined as a
collection of multimedia and web pages content that are all collated under one domain. It has
been identified that blog is different from website as blogs have frequently updated content and
websites tend to be much more static and is organized into pages. In addition to this, it has been
identified that, the basic form of difference that prevails between a blog and a website is
theoretically the difference in how data is being presented – the format.
Tools that could be used to create a blog
It has been identified that there are different type of tools that can be used to create a
blog. Some of the tools are Sumo, Sendinblue, canva, grammarly, google analytics, ConvertKit,
MonsterInsights, SimilarWeb and more. With the help of these tools one can effectively able to
create a blog. Mentioned below description of some of the certain tools define below through
which individual can gain benefit to craft their blog and can further able to boost traffic in a well
effective manner.
Sumo:
Sumo is defined as a sweetest free blogging tool as it benefit an individual to add social
sharing buttons, various analytics and email capture forms to blog. In addition with this it has
been identified that it is also having paid version that give access to an individual with more
advanced features. In simple terms more is actually a combination of 20 different blogging tools
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in a single package. It is a well optimised tool through which individual can effectively able to
create their blog and can further gain benefits from them.
Sendinblue:
With the help of this tool individual can design their personalized email template with
taking use advanced email options. In addition with this it has been identified that this tool can
be used for live chat and custom SMS market. Thus, it has been identified that the help of this
digital marketing tool individual can effectively able to create their blog. Further it has been
evaluated that Sendinblue is termed as a powerful email marketing tool as well as a digital
marketing software that allow individuals to create their blog in a well defined and effective
manner.
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Grammarly:
It is one of the best tool through which individual can ensure proper spelling and
grammar in their articles in an automatic manner. With the help of this tool individual can
effectively execute their blog content strategy and can further gain maximum benefits. In
addition with this it has been evaluated that with the help of this tool creation of blog can be
done with correction in an interruptive manner.
It has been evaluated that a blog can prove to be an effective measure through which
individual can gives it to communicate, inform and educate others. It is most important digital
communication tool to which one can effectively share their ideas, interest, entertain people,
educate them for promote their business. In addition with it has been identified that with the help
of blogging organisations can also improve communication in business as with the help of blog
post entity can ensure communication between companies and consumers. According to the
above evaluation has been identified that with the help of different blogging tools one can use
them as an effective communication tool, for example Sendinblue tool through which individual
can conduct custom SMS market and live chat. However it has been evaluated that in order to
use blog as a communication tool that different type of digital communication skills that are
required to be undertaken which is further being defined below:
Digital communication skills
Digital communication mainly involved entity online communication efforts as to
maximise organisational sales and provide necessary information related to the product and
services to customers (Flew, Martin and Suzor, 2019). It has been identified that large number of
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organisation undertake use of different online channels and apply the same in their workplace
structure in order to ensure effective connectivity with their potential and current customers. In
order to take effective advantage from online channels organisations with the help of digital
professionals can effectively able to maximise efficiency of their online operations. With the
assistance of various social media application company can make large number of individuals
aware about organisation and can further maximise overall sales of entity in best effective
manner.
Flexibility:
It has been identified that technology is changing at a rapid rate on continuous manner.
For this entity is required to have efficient strategies in order to maximum profitability. In this
entity is required to be adoptive towards various changes that take place in technology on daily
basis manner and undertake risk and issues that are associated with change in technology as to
ensure maximum benefit. In context with Marks and Spencer, IT Department of company is
required to engage in efficient research as to identify up to date information related to
technological updates as to ensure more prominent growth.
Passion for story telling:
In order to influence attention of customers in a unique way entity is required to influence
individual interest with string narratives. With the help of Art of storytelling skills Marks and
Spencer marketing team can maximize overall profitability of organisation at great extent.
Empathy:
As to being a communicator in marketplace organisation is required to formulate
formative connection with consumers as to influence their decision related to purchase. Along
with this it has been identified that with Empathy Marks and Spencer can provide large number
of benefit to organisation through which company can develop positive mind set among
consumers and can increase organisational growth.
Curiosity:
Curiosity is having capability to influence maximum number of customers towards
organisational product and services (Bilyalova, Salimova and Zelenina, 2019). By taking
advantage of this factor into marketing and communication process Marks and Spencer can
develop curiosity in mindset of individuals and can further fulfil it with high quality services as
to ensure their loyalty.
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