Sobey's Distribution Department Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sobey's Distribution Department - Case Study Example The following discourse focuses on Sobey in terms of the probable applicability of technology to improve its operations. Introduction E-commerce can be done in two ways. The first is a case in which a company produces goods and services that can be exchanged online. These include such goods as computer software and even books, commonly referred to as e-books. In such transactions, the buyer contacts a seller mainly through the seller’s website and places an order for the given product. After this, the buyer is directed on how to make the payment. This is done online too with the buyer offered a dialogue box in which he enters his credit or debit card number. The card must, in this case, be globally recognized. The transaction takes place in the major currencies which in most cases is the American dollar. After entering the card number, an amount that is the price of the product is deducted. Thereafter, the buyer is allowed to download the product. This is an entirely online pr ocess with the two parties requiring no physical contact (Stefan, Christ and Jochen, 2008). The other model involves the basics of the transaction being done online such as in marketing. In this case, the client and the buyer meet online and the buyer gets to the goods specifications in which he is interested. After this, the buyer makes the payment as would be the company policy and waits for the seller to deliver the goods. This takes place when the goods can not be physically exchanged. Sobeys, given its business nature, thus belongs to the second category. It would only carry out extensive marketing and some of the most basic transactions online. However, the remaining part of the transactions would require physical contact between the seller (Sobey) and the buyers. Primary Data Through interviews and observation of the firm operations, it became eminent that the store has a wide customer base and has in the past placed in place strategies that aim to increase its sales. Some of these include product promotions and some other value added services. Sobeys is a chain distribution department with presence in all the provinces of the country and has two hundred branches currently. It majors in the sale of grocery and other fundamental house wares. The use of ICT is appreciated in the firm as the company has a website and is at advance stage of launching on-line transactions with its clients. The use of social sites such as facebook and twitter is rife as the company runs several accounts and fun pages with which it keeps contact with some of its esteemed customer. They have used the on-line platform to carry out market researches and this has played a part in their determination of yet some newer locations of expansion. From the study on how the store uses technology, the following were determined: Key characters and the difficulties they currently face Among some of the key personalities of the firm is the president who also sums up as the chief executive off icer of the firm. Currently, this position is held by William Bill Mc Ewan. Given the fact that firm has a presence throughout Canada, communication and information flow has proved to be a challenge to its operations. This is a challenge which is well understood by the organization’s CEO. For instance, there are several incidences and transactions always warrant his presence or authorization but due to the job’s nature, the president can not always oversee all these in person. Consequently, he normally delegates some of these