Mobile Application for Connect Swinburne

Question: Describe about the Innovation through mobile application for the Connect Student Portal of Swinburne Online? Answer: Introduction This report consists of the innovative idea of allowing mobile application for the student portal using Connect which is backed by Swinburne. This way the users will have access to the common platform using mobile phone net connections which is much easier than sitting near laptops and computers. Furthermore this application will allow the users to take the benefit of all the features that face book has to offer. Business background Swinburne has an application called Connect which works to bring together all the students on one platform. The main motive is to allow the users to interact with each other and help the teachers to direct them towards academic requirements and keep a control over their activities. Importance or significance The significance of the report is to allow the users to get in touch with their classmates using a mobile application which is much easier to access. This is so because the mobile phones are easy to use and carry along. In the present day world the mobile phones are also available at cheap rates. Therefore using mobile phones along with internet connections can facilitate the students to easily get connected with their classmates and teacher as well. The importance of this study is therefore to bring facility and comfort in developing an easier mode of connection using Connect. Purpose of report The purpose of the report is to suggest the various plans and features that could be added in the new mobile application of Connect which is the platform for interaction for students and teachers created by Swinburne. Issues to be discussed The issues that are going to be discussed include the followings. Benefits of using mobile applications of Connect. Features that are required to be added in the mobile applications. The main idea behind the above issues discussed is to add value to the business process. The addition of value can result in supporting the business system by adding quality in management and value service to the customers. Limitations and assumptions The limitation of the study is limited to the Swinburne students. The assumption includes the fact that the mobile applications are much easier and compatible to help connect people with each other. Discussion addressing the specifications of this assessment A. Market Gap Analysis; Market Gap Analysis is actually systematic research method of finding out the sales or business enhancement opportunity that is available in the market. Thus by filling these market gaps the company can achieve higher demand for its products and services (Corta, 1993). In our innovation of introducing mobile application for Connect the market gaps that are to filled includes the followings. 1. Access becomes easier: Access to Connect becomes an easier task through use of mobile phone applications. The students will rather find it easy to login and stay connected through their mobile phones applications as mobile phone itself is a compact object that could be carried along throughout the day. Also the requirement is just of the internet connection in the mobile phones which are also easily available. Thus students can stay login throughout the day and give their respond accordingly on Connect. Therefore the access becomes easier through introduction of mobile application. On the other hand, it is rather difficult to stay online using the desktop or laptop as these are bigger objects than mobile phones and cannot be carried along throughout day (Jayachandran, 2004). 2. Easy to understand and apply: Using mobile phone is a regular task for every student. In the present day world every single person has enough knowledge of making full use of mobile phones and its applications on regular basis. Applying mobile application therefore can help the students to easily understand the various features and use it regularly for the main purpose it has been formed. Analytical tools: A number of analytical tools can be used to fill marketing gap. The best used method is rich picture diagram. This is actually the representation of pictures along with arrows to place the possible activities in the clearest way. This method can be displayed as follows that supports the idea of mobile application for Connect. Benefits obtained from filling of the gap: A number of benefits can be obtained from filling of the marketing gap which can be stated as below. Access to Connect becomes easier for every student. It can prove to be a more economical method to stay connected. Student can use their experience of mobile phones to understand the varied features of mobile application. It will help student to stay connected throughout the day. Quick responses can be expected through the mobile applications which help stay connected all the time. Teacher can easily dictate next day task through mobile application which helps the student stay updated with the progress in the class. The demand for the application will rise. New business ventures can be entered. (Kotler Gary, 2006) B. Value Perception customer and business: Value perception is actually the mindset of customer towards the worth of the product or service. The value perception rises with the rising mindset of the customer towards a definite product which can achieve by advertising or other promotional activity. The propose mobile application can help in adding value by increasing it ability to reach out to various students and capability to make them all available online throughout the day adds value perception to this varied feature of mobile application for Connect(Terence, 2002). Competitive advantage is the cutting edge benefit that a business could gain in competition to other companies in the industry. The competitive advantage is actually tried to be achieved by adding a feature in the product that could help it differentiate from other competitors products. Also the promotion of a product with a celebrity adds to the competitive advantage. Some companies may move to achieving economies of scale which help them achieve low cost of production and gain competitive advantage for the company. For example, the company with an ability to produce automobiles with its own produced engines and latest designs instead of buying accessories from other companies will be able to achieve competitive advantage in terms of saving money during the production process(Jayachandran, 2004). The competitive advantage that Swinburne can gain from the mobile application of Connect includes the followings. Economical way to connect: In the present day world there exist a high variety of internet supporting mobile phones which are able at economical rates. This way staying connect is no longer a high cost expenditure. Economical mobile phones with internet packages are available in the market which could help in bringing cost effectiveness in connecting with others through Connect. Ability to compete with other similar applications: The mobile application of Connect will help in competition with other similar applications such as Face Book, Twitter, Whats App which are actually present day popular social connecting applications. The use of Connect can therefore be made to provide similar features but in a more responsible manner. That is the access will be open to the teacher and students of Swinburne so that every respond is received in a more responsible manner. The main motive is to deliver quality education in controlled environment and a responsible way. My thoughts: As a board CEO and a successful business owner I want to implement this proposal as I think this will not only prove to provide connection and quality education to the students but will also prove to be a beneficial deal. Through this online medium the various academic book printing companies can give their advertisements to support the education process. Also various contests can be entered by students that could help them prove their worth on the national front. Finally it can help earn good money by helping develop a business which allows the various companies to look at the proceedings and hire students after going through their records. Thus the application on one hand could help the students get good jobs and on the other hand could help the university earn as a supporting recruiter to help companies hire the most suitable candidate for them after going through the proceedings occurring online. C. ICT strategies: Information Communication Technology or ICT strategies are actually meant to communicate information to the various related parties in an organization using technological upgrade like computers, laptops, mobile phones etc. ICT has helped the present day business in the growth and development process. There exist a relation between ICT and ecommerce. Ecommerce is actually an outcome of ICT strategy which supports the idea of developing platform through online medium. The main feature of ecommerce is to bring customer and employees on one platform so that they could interact with each other for placing orders and giving feedback. Also the employees are also allowed to interact within organization so as to achieve high output and gains for the organization(Harris, 1999). This way the innovation has helped in improving business processes as follows. Proactive actions taken by the management to assist customers. Customers are facilitated to view at various products and services from home. Customer support system helps in assisting them during purchase and even after sale. Easy and quick calculations of sales and output can be retrieved from online portal. Company secrecy is maintained. Customers from distance places can be reached. Huge sales targets can be achieved. (Heger, 2007) Role of various activities that supports and improves business process includes the followings. 1. CRM Activities: CRM or Customer Relationship Management includes the managing of company activities and interactions with the potential customers so that the desired outcome can be achieved. It includes activities like use of computers and net connections for recording, analyzing and reviewing of the information related customer service, sales etc. 2. HRM Activities: HRM or Human Resource Management includes the managing of the employees in an organization. Thus the human resource management activities includes recruitment,selection, training, staffing and organizing of the employees in an organization such that the best person is employed for the specific job. 3. SCM Activities: SCM or Supply Chain Management includes management of the supply chain by coordinating various related activities using technological upgrades. This includes planning and execution of the various processes related to supply chain for achieving organization goals and objectives. 4. ERP System Activities: ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning is management software that helps in collecting and analyzing data related to sales, marketing, inventory etc. This way it is an integrated support system that helps in application of various business activities. The possible security risks and threats with this new technological innovation include the followings. Fear of personal and secret information leakage by cyber hackers. Software problems can lead to loss of important information. Misuse of technology for bothering others. Requirements of seamless internet connection. Expenditures on twenty four support system for the business that has been developed on latest technological up gradation. D. Time to market and costing including Gantt chart: The competitive advantage that the mobile application for Connect can offer to the student and Swinburne includes its compatibility with the student resource. That is the mobile application will help in proceedings of class related projects and other serious talks that could help in learning. Also the availability of student resource through mobile application will help students learn and understand from where ever they want to(Waldman, 2006). For instance if a student is working part time then he can stay connected with the class work and other students and could respond accordingly and learn better just with the help of the mobile applications. The estimated duration and cost of the innovation can be explained as follows. Activity Preceding Activity Duration (months) Cost ($000's) ES EF LF A 1 20 0 1 1 B A 5 45 1 6 6 C A 2 30 1 3 11 D B 4 52 6 10 10 E C 2 40 3 5 13 F D 4 56 10 14 14 G D,E 3 36 10 13 16 H F 2 30 14 16 16 I G,H 4 60 16 20 20 Total 27 369,000 The activities can be defined as follows. Activities Work A Taking thoughts of various students on project through surveys. B Making initial Investment in mobile application through assigning task of making mobile application to the professionals. C Reviewing progress and giving second installation for progress of making mobile application D Making pilot survey of mobile application on selected students. E Third installation made to the professionals along with the feedbacks from surveys for improvements. F Fourth installation made and the application is tried on selected students G Further improvements is suggested H The application is tested on all students offering them access to the application through free registration. I Final installation is paid and the application is bought. This way the whole project will take 27 months and 369,000 dollars as expenditures to achieve a perfect mixture of feature for the project of developing the best mobile application of Connect. Conclusion: In the end, the mobile application can help in achieving various objectives including the benefit to the student who can stay connected with the class work. The students can easily interact with other fellow students and teacher as well to gain knowledge and understand the class proceedings. This way the various class projects can be completed easily in accordance with the connection that supports the availability of teacher and other students online. The varied features in the mobile application will also help in browsing the various student resources so that the students who are working part time could access the information from their mobile phones and make full use of the mobile application in learning process. 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