E-business Strategies Report: Slices Company Analysis and Roadmap

This report examines the strategic direction of Slices Company, focusing on its e-business strategies within the competitive UAE market. The analysis begins with an executive summary highlighting the importance of strategic direction in modern businesses and the components that shape it, including vision, mission, and core values. The report delves into a case study of Slices, assessing its current strategies using PESTLE and Porter's Five Forces analyses to evaluate external factors and market competitiveness. Based on these assessments, the report proposes new e-business strategies, particularly emphasizing technological improvements and online presence. A detailed roadmap is provided for implementing these strategies, covering vision, objectives, value creation, target segments, and considerations for privacy, ethics, and legal issues. The report concludes with recommendations for Slices to enhance its e-business operations and achieve its objectives, offering a comprehensive overview of strategic improvements.

E-business Strategies
Slices
5 / 4 / 2 0 1 8

E-business Strategies 1
Executive summary
In the era of competition, the role of strategic direction in the companies is continuously
increasing. The strategic direction includes the central forces that propel the business towards the
intended objectives. The formulation of the strategic direction in the company includes vision,
mission, strategies, tactics and the core value that contribute in strategic direction. The report is
based on the case study of Slices Company. It includes the strategic direction of the slices
company which is formed considering the e-business strategies of the company. The paper
includes the brief analysis of the current strategies that are followed by the company in the UAE
market. All these strategies are discussed in detail in the assessment one of strategic direction.
Considering the analysis, the new e-business strategies are discussed which will help the
company in achieving the objective of the company. In the end, some of the recommendations
are stated after the critical view of the strategies.

E-business Strategies 2
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Current strategies assessment..........................................................................................................4
Strategies assessment through PESTLE Analysis.......................................................................4
Strategies assessment through Porter Five forces Analysis.........................................................5
New Strategies.................................................................................................................................6
Roadmap for e-Business strategy implementation......................................................................6
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................13
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14
References......................................................................................................................................15

E-business Strategies 3
Introduction
The aim of the report is to provide the strategy recommendation to the company for the new
strategic changes that company would benefit from. This assessment is based on the first part of
the report and also on the case study that is “Slices: what is next?”. The first part of the
assessment has demonstrated analyses on an organization in an advanced and sophisticated
manner. Moreover, the assessment includes the areas for the strategic changes that will be
beneficial and effective for Slices.

E-business Strategies 4
Current strategies assessment
The current strategies that are discussed in the previous assessment with the help of the PESTLE
analysis and Porter's five forces tool of the management. Over here, the PESTLE analysis
reflects the analysis related to the external factors that can create an impact on the working of
Slices in the Market of UAE. On the other hand, Porter's five forces tool has been used to
analyze the competitiveness in the market (Kotler, 2015). The analysis reflects the strategies that
are formed by the company to overcome the external factors impact.
Strategies assessment through PESTLE Analysis
Slices aim for meeting the very standard related to the food and nutrition due to which they are
able to meet the requirement of the government in the country which makes provide it an
excellence in establishing the strong ground. The perfect pricing strategy of the company helps
them in making the revenue in the first year of the establishment with the support of the buying
power of customers (Lovelock, 2011). Considering the changing needs of the market, the
company started offering their services in the school which was one of the positive current
strategies as because of this the customers has responded positively towards the product and
service of the company. Though, the technology of the company is noticed to be not up to mark
because of the decisions of the company rely on the business strategies instead of the technology.
Therefore this reflects that there is a need for the improvement in the technology of the company
(Jelassi, Enders and Martínez-López, 2014).
Apart from this, considering the legal regulations of the country the Slices Company always
follow the legal laws like consumer law, labor law and safety standards of the products that are
offered by the company. The company always ensure that all the operations were conducted after

E-business Strategies 5
considering the surrounding environment of the country because environment directly creates the
impact on the strategies of the company.
Strategies assessment through Porter Five Forces Analysis
The intense rivalry in the market of Abu Dhabi has made it difficult for the company to for
strategies in the effective way that can affect the working of the company. The companies like
Bord Eau, Li Beirut Restaurant, Villa Toscana and many others give strong competition to Slices
in the UAE market. The company believes that suppliers are the one due to which the company
is able to achieve its objective in the market. The strategy of the company for the suppliers is to
create the effective relationship with the suppliers or vendor for the quality products. The major
suppliers that are present in the market of Abu Dhabi include Raw Coffee, Jam, Milk & Honey
organic outlet and many others (Jelassi, Enders and Martínez-López, 2014).
The potential buyers present in the market are purchasing the products at the affordable prices
and the company is able to offer the products at the affordable prices because of the stable
inflation rate in the market of UAE. Though, the market of UAE is a substituting market in
which the customers can easily switch from one seller to another. Moreover, many other firms
can also find the Abu Dhabi for the appropriate for the expansion of the business which is one of
the leading threats to the company (Jelassi, Enders and Martínez-López, 2014). This can be said
from the overall analysis of the company that they might face the problems and challenges in
managing the consistency in their performance.
Considering the overall analysis, it is clear that it is high time when the company needs to form
new strategies in the market which will help in removing the weak points.

E-business Strategies 6
New Strategies
The new strategies of the company will include the strategies that can help the company in
removing its weakness. The major improvement that the company needs to bring is the technical
aspects. This is the fact that Slices Company is weak in terms of the technology due to which
they might not be able to meet the objective. The rise in the use of the technology is essential for
the company and for this the company should hire an expert that will help them in making the
effective strategies for the e-business (Casadesus-Masanell and Ricart, 2010). Slice needs to
improve its advertisement and communication with customers for which they need to form the e-
business strategies that help them in promoting the products and services offered by the
company.
Roadmap for e-Business strategy implementation
A roadmap or route map mainly reflects the actions that the company can take to achieve the
objective of the business. Businesses need a framework for guiding the mobilization of an
organization around its strategic plan. In simple words, a roadmap enables everyone in the
business to clearly understand every action and the decisions that need to make for
accomplishing the objective (Chang, 2010). Slices can make use of the roadmap for the
implementation of the e-business strategy.
E-business is essential for the Slices as there is a rise in the online business because of the
increase in the use of the online services (Reynolds, 2010). In the current busy life, most of the
people make use of online mode through which they can get the products easily at their homes.
Moreover, people who do job prefer to eat healthy food at home on a daily basis as they don't
like to visit out. Considering the needs and demand of the customers, restaurant owners have

E-business Strategies 7
started taking the orders and delivering them on time through online. Therefore, slices need to
introduce the online order facility with the delivery which is one of effective e-business strategy.
This strategy will accomplish the many other objectives of the company. The below given is the
roadmap that is used by the company for the implementation of the e-business strategy in their
business (Jelassi, Enders and Martínez-López, 2014).

E-business Strategies 8
The below given is the description related to each element of the e-business strategy
implementation plan from the perspective of the slices company.
Vision- The vision of the slices is to become the leading restaurant that offers healthy food not
only in UAE but also across the world.
Vision
Objectives
Value Creation
Target
Segment(s)
Privacy, ethical,
and legal issues
External
Partners
Organisational
Model
Revenue and
Cost model
Strategy
Alignment

E-business Strategies 9
Objective- The objective of the company is to get recognition at both national and international
level because the company is still new. This will be possible only because of the e-business as
the company should generate their online presence in the market which will help them in
achieving the objective of the company.
Value creation
The value creation includes the value that Slices offers to its customers while dealing online with
the clients. The value that slices believe in offering to their customers include: -
 Fresh and highest quality product: - Slices are confident about the quality of the
products that they offer to their customers. Most of the suppliers of the product are local
farmers and the fresh food distributor that provide the raw materials on the daily basis to
the outlets of company. The company will ensure that they always deliver the fresh food
to their customers.
 Ensure the excellent services: - Slices believes in offering the excellent services to their
customers by taking the timely order and delivering the order on time. Moreover, the
company appoints the trained and skilled employees because in delivering the services
effectively employees of the company play a vital role.
 Supplier network and relationships: - Company believes in maintaining the strong
relationship with the suppliers or vendors in the market as this is the effective way to
ensure the control of the business over the products. Moreover, this relationship and
network will contribute in delivering the effective services in online business (Amit and
Zott, 2012).
Target segment

E-business Strategies 10
Target segment for the slices is the group of customers within a business serviceable available
market that the company has decided to aim its marketing efforts towards. The target segment of
the company is a demographic segment which includes the factors like age, income, education,
family size and many others (Lee and Carter, 2011). Considering the new strategy of the online
order, the company need to add to the customer segment. Slice will further target the people of
the different age group who go job and are a bachelor. The major emphasis will be on the people
with the age group of 20-35 years with the income group of middle and high. This customer
segment has been selected because it is found that people of this group perform more of online
business transactions. The value proposition that the company offers to this target segment is
healthy and on time food delivery of the online order.
The company also targets the children’s of all ages but mainly under the age of 5 because they
are anemic. Therefore, the value proposition that they offer to the children is healthy and fresh
food & diet. This is the effective way to which they can develop the healthy habits from
childhood.
Privacy, ethical and legal issues
Slices will consider the issues related to the privacy, ethical and legal while implementing the e-
business strategy that is online order of food. Talking about the privacy issues, the online
transaction needs the details of the customers without which it is not possible to perform the
online transactions. The company will ensure that they take care of customer’s personal data,
details of customer’s payment cards, social security network software in the restaurant and many
others (Gross, 2018).

E-business Strategies 11
Moreover, slices will perform its operation ethically which will help them in treating each and
every customer equally important without any discrimination (Greenaway, Chan and Crossler,
2015). Along with this, the company also perform the ethical behavior with the employees of the
company as this is one of the most important elements that need to consider by the Slices
Company. Legal issues that will be taken care by the company is meeting the standard of the
food offered by the company, copyright, and patent issues, consumer rights, no discrimination
among the employees of the company (Cross, and Miller, 2011). Generally, implementing the
online order strategy leads to the discrimination among the employees of the company.
External partners
The company will implement the e-business strategy with the external partners. The company is
based on the partners so Slices will share the details related to the online order system in UAE
with their all the partners. Moreover, the company can involve their current and potential
customers as they can provide the company feedback for their preference which will help the
company in the effective implementation of the strategy.
It is very important for the company to involve the suppliers while implementation of the
strategy because they are the one who supplies the raw material to the company. The online
order will only be possible if the suppliers of the company will be able to provide the fresh
products to the Slice on time. Therefore, all these external partners contribute to the
implementation of the e-business strategy.
Organisational model
Currently, the company is following the functional organization model. The organizational
model for the slices company will be same but it will add one more functional manager that is for