Introduction
Small organizations that do not rely on e-business are missing a lot in their business. A good example of a small business that is not currently using e-business is Uni Takeaway, a small fast food company in Trefforest, Wales. Uni Takeaway is a small business venture selling different foods to the people.
The available foods include burgers, pizzas, kebabs, doughnuts, chicken, and other common ready-made foodstuffs. Although Uni Takeaway’s business is currently successful, the enterprise can use e-business to inform its customers about the available foods and begin to deliver the products straight to the potential customers.
Conducting e-Business at Uni Takeaway
More companies are turning to E-business to buy raw materials from suppliers and market their final goods to their consumers. These companies are also relying on the internet to collaborate with their clients and promote their products (Caleb, 2009, p. 17).
Because of this, e-business is the trick towards successful business performance today. Uni Takeaway can therefore rely on the use of e-business to promote its business by marketing its products to the potential consumers. By relying on e-business, the fast food company can find it easier to deliver its foodstuffs to the targeted customers.
The most encouraging thing is that majority of the consumers of Uni Takeaway’s foods are the youth. This means that they have immediate access to the internet and can place their orders online and have the products delivered to them. This approach will improve the organization’s business and attract more customers.
Through e-business, Uni Takeaway can rely on e-business to communicate with the suppliers and promote a successful supply chain. This will promote products awareness and service delivery to the organization’s customers.
The use of e-business will definitely enhance visibility of the organization’s products at minimal costs. This will make it possible to realize the greatest profits for the organization (Ren & Terwiesch, 2010, p. 82).
Uni Takeaway can rely on e-business to develop a supply chain for the required raw materials and equipment used to prepare different foods. The idea is for Uni Takeaway to adopt an e-business strategy for its logistic and chain supply to have different materials and ingredients supplied to the company.
With modern technology, the company will develop a smart supply chain for products obtained from different suppliers. It is acknowledgeable that modern technologies are currently promoting e-business through interconnection, intelligence, and instrumentation (Pasternack, 2009, p. 172).
The food company can successfully rely on modern technology to communicate with different suppliers thereby develop a reputable supply chain for the needed products.
The use of e-business and technologies will help to develop a constant, secure, robust, and sustainable chain supply that will promote the success of the small organization. Uni Takeaway should therefore embrace an e-business strategy to build a reputable, demand-driven, transparent and efficient chain that optimizes the gains and benefits from the business (Pasternack, 2009, p. 172).
In the last few years, Uni Takeaway has relied on the normal supply chains to receive different products from its suppliers. Comparing this process with that of other organizations that rely on modern e-technologies, it is agreeable that the company’s performance has been slow.
The new e-business idea will promote delivery of materials because of the fast procedures in communication and making of required decisions. Modern e-technologies enhance communication, monitoring, and instant feedbacks (Pasternack, 2009, p. 172). The adoption of new technologies will promote a Sustainable Supply Chain (SSCM) thus providing Uni Takeaway with an effective business process.
An e-business approach will ensure the suppliers engage in positive business with the company by delivering the required commodities and ingredients in time.
Uni Takeaway will holistically position itself in such a way that it supports the business. E-business improves speed because of instant feedback and constant updates on the required materials in the company’s kitchen (Carter & Easton, 2011, p. 49).
The other important thing is that the e-business approach will create a new culture, which will become part of the organizational structure and citizenship (Minahan, 2008, p. 42). The suppliers will understand the unique organizational expectations thus help improve the gains of the firm.
By adopting the SSCM model in logistic operations, Uni Takeaway will promote business relationships with its suppliers because the process will promote speed and transparency.
Fast communication offered by e-business promotes the goals of the fast food firm. I would also propose an e-business approach in supply process because it widens the decisions made in the firm.
This is because e-business creates transparency due to the nature of communication and proactive engagement with the stakeholders and suppliers. This promotes traceability of ferried commodities and visibility to the overall chain supply process (Minahan, 2008, p. 43).
Traditional chain supply processes have enormous risks and sometimes result in the loss of the transported products. This causes losses to both the company and the supplier (Levin, 2003, p. 839).
The use of sustainable supply chains for materials needed in the organization will help in the management of risks, promote contingency decisions and planning, and improve the speed of service delivery to the clients and consumers.
Outline of the Expected Benefits
It is agreeable that the benefits of modern technologies and the internet are enormous especially for business organizations. The adoption of e-business can be beneficial for Uni Takeaway despite the fact that it is a small organization.
This will improve service delivery to the firm’s customers because the required raw materials and ingredients will be delivered in a timely manner. E-business is therefore relevant for chain supply operations and logistics because it increases the eventual gains of both the supplier and the company.
For years, the contemporary and traditional methods of transporting products from the supply to the final user have facilitated business growth and realization of profits to both parties (Williamson, 2008, p. 12).
However, the new e-business concepts have brought new aspects and benefits in chain supply. If the firm adopts an e-business for its supply chain operation and coordination, there are enormous benefits from its business.
If Uni Takeaway adopts an e-business strategy for its supply chain, it will be possible to realize the greatest gains from its business. The first benefit from this adoption of e-business is the reduction of risks associated with logistics.
With new technological use and the fast connection offered by the internet, the firm will have a unique instrumentation and connection with its suppliers thereby create a sustainable chain (Williams, 2007, p. 36). This will minimize the risks due to the level of transparency and the speed of deliver thus promoting the delivery of services to the esteemed customers.
Old methods used in transportation and logistics rely on enormous paperwork (Butner, 2010, p. 29). Earlier forms required increased resources and human effort to record and analyze the stock and products needed and transported. The company also incurs increased expenses in the communication and delivery process.
The adoption of e-business comes with a smart supply chain characterized by reduced costs (Welford, 2010, p. 9). This makes it possible for the organization to minimize its costs incurred initially in its supply chain.
This is yet another important reason for the company to embrace an e-business strategy in doing its business. The other benefit resulting from a sustainable supply process powered by e-technology is the creation of a positive intimacy between the supplier companies and the company.
Although contemporary supply chains are empowered by profitability, an e-business promotes a smart chain chains whereby the two parties have the time to interconnect, share, and empower each other (Udehn, 2001, p. 61). The intimacy created will bring a long-lasting relationship between the suppliers and the firm. This will translate to the company’s profitability.
With an e-business strategy in place, the fast food company will find enormous benefits from the process because the process will promote the wave of globalization (Straub, 2010, p. 18).
Globalization, in the end, will help promote the company’s business through increased revenues and growth. A sustainable supply chain will make it possible for different businesses and suppliers to interact thus improving their business gains (Bertalaffny, 2009, p. 28).
Implementing the Proposed e-Business System
An implementation process is necessary when designing a new business approach. The steps below present the process for Uni Takeaway to implement its e-business strategy.
- Explore the Potentials of E-business for the Firm: Before applying the proposed e-business, Uni Takeaway needs to examine its current supply chain and determine how to obtain products and ingredients from the suppliers. This will highlight the weaknesses in the processes and come up with proposals for a better strategy.
- Feasibility Study: A study is necessary after establishing the potential of e-business and the promotion of a smart supply chains. The study will help to identify the best suppliers who can cooperate with the firm in its e-business agenda (Sheu, 2008, p. 33). The most reliable suppliers who embrace an e-business approach will form part of the supply chain.
- Recruit Potential Suppliers: After the potential suppliers offering e-business supply chains is identified, Uni Takeaway should recruit the potential suppliers based on convenience, prices, location, and support of the company’s agenda. This is the first step towards a successful supply chain.
- Initiating a Smart and Sustainable Supply Chain: After the recruitment, the fourth step is to initiate the proposed supply chain process whereby the identified suppliers will be providing the required products and materials where the firm does its business.
- Examination and Review: After forming a sustainable supply chain, frequent analyzes will ensure everything is working positively and promotes the company’s business. These five steps will make it possible for Uni Takeaway to have a takeover in the foodservice industry and realize its business potential.
Conclusion
Different studies show that e-business is the best approach to do successful business in the 21st century. This is because many organizations have found enormous benefits in modern technology and the reason there is need to embrace e-business strategies.
This will make it easier for organizations to engage in a better and sustainable business with its suppliers or customers. E-business is effective for supply chain process because it promotes speed of delivery and reduces the risks involved.
The above discussions justifies why a small organization like Uni Takeaway can realize enormous gains if it promotes an e-approach to its supply chain with the suppliers of its materials and products.
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