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Term Project

İstanbul - January, 2010

MIS 49EE-Business Management

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Table of Contents

I. BUSINESS IDEA___________________________________________________________4

III. E-BUSINESS MODEL COMPONENTS________________________________________5

a. Targeted Customers___________________________________________________________5

b. Value Proposition_____________________________________________________________6

c. Analysis of Business___________________________________________________________8

d. Business Processes____________________________________________________________8

e. Revenue Model______________________________________________________________8

IV. COMPETITOR ANALYSIS_________________________________________________9

V. STRATEGIC PLAN________________________________________________________10

a. Mission of the Business_______________________________________________________10

b. Main Objectives_____________________________________________________________10

c. Alternative growth routes_____________________________________________________11

VI. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN________________________________________________11

a. Implementation of Back Office Systems__________________________________________11

b. Implementation of Marketing Activities__________________________________________11

VII. REFERENCES__________________________________________________________11


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I. BUSINESS IDEA

Today, the weight and the importance of customer support are sharply increasing in the competitive business to business (B2B) environment (Harris, 2000). Therefore, good customer service is important in attracting current and new potential customers. We as a company set up our business model based on internet-based business to business e-commerce approach. Consumers have several options to choose outsourcing companies in the market and other than price and quality, the post-sale technical support and service they received is the key factor in attracting new customers and retaining existing ones. A lot of companies, in the other word buyers of many services are becoming the best players of e-marketplace (Weller, 2000). These buyer-companies do help to emerge of independent outsourcing companies in the internet. By the way, FastClick Company was founded in 2009 and located in Istanbul with the aim of providing remote help desk and online training support to its potential customers in the future. As customer complaints and problems are the one side of the customer support, remote support is becoming an advantage for many companies which are tend to buy outsourcing services. Even if many companies can manage the function of customer support, quality problems and service-after evaluations make the need of a further support visible. In addition to this, the companies are likely to use outsourcing companies to complete or make excellence of their jobs, processes, etc. as soon as possible. FastClick Company does aims to provide remote services and online trainings from several different points in Turkey. İstanbul is the main office of the company and other outsourced offices are located in İzmir, Ankara, Bursa and Adana, respectively. Shortly, main office will transfer the technical staff to the place where the customer is located. Thus, FastClick Company is an outsourcing company that out sources some services from its partnerships. According to the fact that information technology is now central to the minute-to-minute operation of the business, customers’ decision to outsource information technology processes now involves a much heavier confidence on the quality of the service provided by the outsourcer.

On the other hand, in the point of IT costs of the companies, outsourcing of some services is becoming very popular and beneficial for especially the sales and marketing based companies. Additionally, there are a lot of reasons that force companies to outsource some or many of the work activities. IT department costs, better service expectation rather than the current one and expert IT specialists can be on the list of reasons (Whitacre et. al, 2008). On the other hand, outsourcing companies make the companies to focus on their core business & activities and invest IT over budgets to the other departments into the company. FastClick is a company that aims to fulfill its customer technical and operational needs with a high quality perspective.


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II. SCOPE OF THE BUSINESS

Support client computers remotely anywhere over the Internet with our inexpensive, cost effective desktop remote access & computer remote control and online training of clients of the company support real business solutions including;

Remote help-desk service for clientso Technical support

Installation Maintenance Problem solving

o Software & Application support MS Office MS ERP SAP Siebel

Remote online education for clientso MS Office webinarso MS ERP webinarso SAP webinarso Siebel webinars

As listed above, well training of clients in the company and supporting of help desk related services form the main scope of the company. FastClick Company is available to recommend extra more IT professional and skilled services except above list for different demands of customers in the further time.

III. E-BUSINESS MODEL COMPONENTS

a. Targeted CustomersSectoral differences have an important effect on the priorities of the companies those pay enormous effort to perform their yearly tasks. FastClick Company will set its marketing activities and customer contacts based on business sectors. Additionally, the companies which are not IT-based and mainly focus on marketing and sales departments will be on the target list. For instances, pharmaceutical companies have IT department they can show eagerness to outsource this department in order to allocate their time to main departments such as medical and marketing. That’s why outsource companies are getting popular and demandable day by day. Furthermore, research and development oriented companies have the potential to outsource their IT and training services such as their media services. Sectors of such targeted customers can be listed below:

Pharmacy Banking


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http://www.4remotesupport.com/4serviceinfo/4conten_blank/remote_support_software_howitworks.html

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Automotive Education Assurance Tourism

Above all, our targeted customers will be formed dependent on the weight of the IT services used in those kinds of companies.

b. Value Proposition In the global marketplace, companies are aware of rapidness of the dynamic market and they challenge with their direct and invisible indirect competitors. For that reason, FastClick Company will be focus on time-based service perspective and improving quality job approach with using cutting edge technologies. Our value proposition is mainly based on outstanding prompt service delivery, excellence job result, being flexible locally, real time solutions and successful relationships with the companies for the long run.

Prompt Service Offering prompt service to our customers make us the most preferable outsourcing company in that sector. FastClick company is aware of the need of prompt service especially in the stuck times, so prompt and effective service perspective is a measurement of our value in the viewpoint of our customers.

Job QualityDemanding prompt service has an underlying expectation of quality job. Our focus is improving our services day be day and extending our business scope with the help of customer feedbacks. Offering high quality outcomes with qualified specialists are the benefits neither from customer side nor from our side.

Preparedness to be flexible locallyAs an outsourcing company we have to be flexible locally in order to provide services to local customers. Therefore, we have some important contracts with our partners to manage and direct them to customers locally when the customers request any service.

Real time solutionsReal time solutions enable either the customers or us as a company not facing any possible time loss and also any interruption of the ongoing job. That is the most known expectation of many customers who face any error or systematic problem when they focus more on their job. Thus, solutions given on time are very beneficial for the customers.

Successful RelationshipsOur further development in the sector highly based on valuable relationships with our customers. Hence, we aim to build continuing relationships with service level agreements.


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Outsourcing of IT services requires more human and back office resources. Thus, Fast Click Company has some partners in the different regions of Turkey. As a company, we can experience many hardships before obtain an installed base of customers because of security issues and privacy statements. Customers normally want to their outsourced jobs to be depended on privacy statements.

On the other hand, managing partnership and developing relationship with them can be the negative effect of this business model because these partnerships or relationships have a great potential to create indirect competitors in the outsourcing environment.

Furthermore, Security and privacy issues are barrier for this kind of business model. Security threats are big concern for customer, also there is a lack of trust in e-commerce activities especially for those providing services. Traditional IT support services restricted non-experimental services. There is fallacy is going on that claim distance education and support is very difficult even impossible. Those who claims this idea also advocate that for education, and services there must be face to face communication etc. All this fallacy and believes result in difficulties for FastClick company. Providing high security and ensure customer that all privacy issues are guaranteed is critical problem. Ensuring privacy and providing high security is must for this kind of business. However our high skilled, intelligent, developing team overcome this issue and will improved service quality more than the average level and standards.

Scalability is another barrier for FastClick business. Because of the fact that FastClik company is relatively new company and the working team and resources are limited, it is not possible to services unlimited customer and function those efficiently and effectively. The employee and other sources are limited. So that the business of company, and its function is limited to regarding to this resources. Ubiquity might be another problem that our company might face in the short run. It will be difficult to function 7/24/365. The working hours of company is limited to working hours.

The cost of hiring offices, purchasing software and hardware and all other equipment that required for maintaining business activities and building “infrastructure” for company cost too much. To finance this cost and other cost such as maintenance and development cost and so on might brings financial difficulties in the short run.

Outsourcing business model is an innovative for many companies and normally innovations causes fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) effect on the side of customers. Lack of experience of many customers by the subject of outsourcing IT services and lack of confidence of technical quality can be obstacle and it may sounds disadvantageous for us. However, we aim to develop long term relationships with the customers and this will provide us many new potential customers thanks to positive worth of mouth. Additionally, our service level


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agreements and performance agreements that are included in contracts and also appropriate outsourcing experience and proven customer satisfaction will play an effective role to prevent FUD factor on the customers.

c. Analysis of BusinessFast Click Company was founded in Istanbul. The central office is in Istanbul and company has 4 local offices including Ankara Office, Izmir Office, Adana Office, and Bursa offices. Main activates and services are provided by Istanbul offices. Local offices are responsible for giving support in customer companies for services that is not difficult to provide from distance connection. Briefly, Local services are responsible for installation and building required hardware and software structure at client Company. The headquarters is located in Istanbul and 32 people is working and in each local offices 6 employee is working including technical specialist and consultant . also if required technical specialist and consultant visits our local offices. Employee in local offices are also responsible provides services to other customer in another cities if available.


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d. Business ProcessesAs we mentioned before FasClick mainly provides three type of services including remote help-desk service for clients, Software & Application support and finaly remote online education for mainly ends user. We provide those services by using VPN. On internet. What is VPN or is it secure for customer is the question that need to be answered at this point.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a virtual computer network that exists over the top of an existing network. It designed for the purpose of communicate between different computer system over internet. Trough VPNs almost all activities might be done except those need physical power of user. The purpose of a VPN is to allow communications between systems connected to the VPN using an existing shared network infrastructure as the transport, without the VPN network being aware of the existence of the underlying network backbone or without the VPN interfering with other network traffic on the backbone.There are two type of VPS: secure VPNs and Trusted VPNs. In our business we used secure VPNs which enable remote Access to another computer security. VPNs are designed to provides authentication and confidentiality for secure traffic travelling over internet. For the purpose of remote access facilities to connect our client computer we used this VPNs type. It is supported by IPSec, SSL, PPTP and MMPE protocols.

After an introduction to our business activities and processes, below how these services are provided will explain in more details.

Technical support: Our technical support include, software installation, maintenance, problem. We provide software installation such as installing operating system, drivers, installing software programs. Also when needed reinstalling programs or make required settings properties of each hardware and software system. Maintain system periodically or based on required is another activities that our technical specialist provides. If any problem occurred related to hardware or software and also related to system and software installation our technical specialist remote connect to client computer and solve the problem. To be clearer, we provides all activities that an IT network specialist does. This services is also called FastClick BASIS.

For this services the process is start with request of client from “ticketing” services. Client enter the system and input his or her problems. From problem type select FastClick BASIS then select specific problem type such as installation, maintenance or problem solving. Then enter the details of problem and submit BASIS report to our specialist. When send the request, available information such as Mac number, IP addresses and client number also obtained by system. All this information send to our technical specialist. Trough out Decision Support System the request directed to specialist person that best fits and available for this request. This DSS system also provides customer to solve problem through out a process by using know-how and FastClick Solution library. After a request send to specialist, he connect to client system and when he connected to system the messaging panel opened and they can communicate each other via this system. Before connecting to system, client also receive a message that FastClick BASIS specialist remote connect to system and send agreement message. After our specialist connect to system, he solve the problem and returned to a job report to both customer and system. It is saved to solution database for internal know-how generation. If the problem is not solved the specialist redirect the


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problem to the local person that available via DSS system. Our local specialist investigate the problem and try to find the solution for this problem. If required in some cases replacement of hardware might be needed, in that cases reconnect to client company and inform them about the problem and suggested solution immediately.

Software Application Support (SAS) is another service that Fast Click provides. This services is provided is the same way we provide FastClick BASIS services. What we offer by this services is the how to using MS office Programs, MS ERP system which is also know as Microsoft Axapta or Microsoft Dynamics, all SAP module and Siebel CRM system. These are the main software or back-bone system of companies that we provide solutions. These solution support system, is mainly for the end user of client employees. If they have any problem for example user might have difficulties to enter a transaction into receivable account in SAP FI module, or can not get report from excel trough connecting info cube they used. In simplest way, user may have difficulties to create a table in Microsoft office word or have calculation problem in excel. All these problem are some of problem are end user have faced in daily activities of their daily working hours. To overcome these problems user sometimes lost lots of time and most of the time they need an external consultant or specialist to do so. Therefore the business process interrupted, customer might dissatisfied, all in all cost increases and benefit is decreasing if not solve this problem in a short time. What Fast Click provides is the real time solution for almost every problem that an end user might be encountered. SAS package service content includes:Microsoft office: Microsoft Access 2007, Microsoft Communicator 2007, Microsoft Excel 2007, Microsoft Groove 2007, Microsoft InfoPath 2007, Microsoft OneNote 2007, Microsoft Outlook 2007, Microsoft PowerPoint 2007, Microsoft Publisher 2007, Microsoft Word 2007Microsoft ERP: Axapta or Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft BizTalk Server (Biztalk), Microsoft Sharepoint ServerSAP: SAP Basis, FI (Financial Accounting), CO (Controlling), EC (Enterprise Controlling), IM (Investment Management), HR (Human Resource), SD (Sales and Distribution), Logistics Information System, MM (Materials Management), PM (Plant Maintenance), PP (Production Planning), BW (Business Warehousing), SCM (SAP Supply Chain Management), Netweaver, mySAP SRM (Supplier Relationship Management)Siebel: Siebel customer relationship management (CRM) applications

The process is going on similar to Fast Click BASIS activities. Client send request to SAS specialist. Client send problem type and details and connection information to system. The best person is selected via DSS system and this request assigned to that person. SAS specialist connect to system and solve the problem and report the job after it is completed or if necessary redirect problem or job to local specialist. Finally problem is solved and customer is informed about the solution. One of the best thing that system does is asking customer about their feedback, about solution, about Fast Click and his specialist. Every tenth person is asked to fill a survey about Fast Click solution and services.


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FastClick Webinars: last but not least service that FastClick provide is the webinars about Microsoft products training, Microsoft ERP webinars, SAP webinars for end users for almost all modules and webinars on Siebel customer relationship software. However, if required webinars for other software product might be designed for companies. Webinars package is sold to client company. Client company request how many employee will attend to each webinars. For each employee, a login name and password is assigned. User can enter webinar by using this login name and password. Besides PowerPoint documents, and world and pdf document video and demo exercise are also used. From simple cases to complex and advance subject are examined in webinars. Remote online education for clients

SAP webinars module based for end users MS Office webinars for end users MS ERP webinars for end users Siebel webinars for end users

e. Revenue ModelFastClick Company will generate its revenue either from its customer or its partners. By the customer side, service fee will be calculated according to number of clients or users in the company and agreement will be yearly based. FastClick make its profit after extracting partners fee from the total revenue. Paid fee to partners in the different locations will be based on number of services given.

IV. COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

SAS is relatively a new phenomena , so that there is not any strong competitors in Turkey. There are not so many online support companies that has local offices and provides services . Some companies provides webinars but only for only a product. In order to meet corporate need of companies, need of companies should be provided in an package all together to maximize overall corporate benefit. Since FasClick is an innovator company that moves to market first it has some advantages. FastClick company has some indirect competitors and due to there is not similar business in Turkey there are not any powerful direct competitors. Some of main competitors are : Consultancy Companies, Computer Technical services, specialist, Software provider companies

In order to gain competitive advantage FastClick aims to open new local offices in the future. Increasing local networking leverage to increase market share of company. Furthermore, it aims to provide call center services to its customer which is plan to be available 7/12 via internet or phone. FastClick company has some partnership with consultancy companies and software provider companies. FastClick focus on Benchmarking and aim to learn from partner consultancy companies for future benefit of company. To put it in another way competitive benchmarking is used to CRM activities is another also important that FastClick wan t to differentiate itself from its competitors. For the purpose of gaining competitive advantage against competitors, FastClick record every ticketing activities of customer and also ask their feedback by sending a surver to every tenth customer and want to evaluate services quality and measures expectations. By


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recording problems and solution in its library, FastClick aim to build a solution library and generate know-how in the company. This will be also used in order to increases customer satisfaction and meet their current and future expectation. .

Competitive environment will be heavier in future compare to today it is very dynamic environment. In order maintain competitive advantage in the future too, long term contract with customer must be signed.

how competitors use e-commerce to acquire and retain customers. Internet competition is heavier than offline competition because: New services are launched and promotions changed much more rapidly than through

print communications. Traditional competitors are well-known but knowing the total set of e-competitors is

more difficult. Competitor benchmarking, which means comparing e-commerce services within a

market, is not a one-time activity but needs to be continuous.

A competitive advantage is achieved when: a firm can produce a superior product/service bring it to the market at a lower price than most or all competitors achieve scope (gain a large international/global market instead of a local,

regional or national market). Competitive advantage can be achieved if:

The firm gets favorable terms from suppliers, shippers or source of labor. The firm has more experience in and knowledge about a market. The firm has a strong base of knowledgable and loyal employees. The firm has a patent on a product that others cannot imitate. The firm has a strong brand name and popular image. The firm has higher financial backing and has access to a larger amount of

investment capital.Know-how power

Learning Effect: As a company’s output increases, its experience also increases. It can begin to conduct business more efficiently, reduce costs and increase quality.

Brand and Reputation: First-movers generally impress consumers quite strongly thus gaining

reputation and brand awareness. High media coverage creates free and strong publicity. If the first contacts are successful the company strengthens this image. However, successful followers can always beat this advantage.

V. STRATEGIC PLAN

a. Mission of the BusinessFrom large scale companies to small ones, FastClick Company based in İstanbul will provide many IT services to companies those prefer to outsource their IT services. With high quality service and expert technical and operational specialists, we target the best customer satisfaction and we will offer many services to many different types of companies where we can make a difference in


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this business area. Firstly we have to understand why outsource demanding company wants our business and what their goal is for the outsourcing program. Our realized mission mainly depend on the answer of this question.

b. Main ObjectivesIn order to define main objectives first swotCorporate level strategy: To be market leader Business Unit Strategy:Operational Strategy:In the context of e-business, this includes issues such as optimal Web site design, hardware and software requirements, and the management of the logistics process.Short term objectives:Long term objectives:Resource management: using employee and other resources in a way that benefit most.Lower costs: Higher benefits:

SWOT Analysis

Strengths• First mover into b2b

service support company

• Keep costs below company IT departmant

Weaknesses• Sector is not ready entirely for e

service phenoma.

Opportunities• Current outsorcing trend

for companies.• İnnovative idea•

Threats• Security issue• Privacy issue• Customer residence to e-service• Network chain

c. Alternative growth routes Affiliated marketing Sponsoring with software companies Selling software packages SAAS software as a service

VI. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN


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a. Implementation of Back Office SystemsLogistic and distribution: employee, local offices Payment:

Pay per use: every time used servicesPay per period:

For quarterFor yearSecurity and pravicy : ıtıl van etc

b. Implementation of Marketing ActivitiesMarketing activities of FastClick Company mainly depends on customer relationships. We aim to have benefit of buzz marketing that occurs between our customers in the web environment. Above all, we will generate some report that states the further needs of companies such as more training of the clients, monthly maintenance of some devices, etc.

VII. REFERENCES

[1] Randall, D.H. 2000. “B2B E-Commerce: Business Models and Revenue Generating Activities”

[2] Whitacre, B.E, Fannin, J.M, Barnes, J.N. 2008. “Factors Affecting Outsourcing for Information Technology Services in Rural Hospitals: Theory and Evidence”

[3] Turban, E. et al., Electronic Commerce: A Managerial Perspective 2008, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008,

[4] Electronic source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network


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