Introduction
Club IT is regarded as one of the most original music venues. Its originality is closely linked with the fact that the business model, which is applied by the owners to run nightclub activity is original, and it is oriented at the various audience, and owners pay sufficient attention to interior and remodeling of the party formats. However, there are essential problems with management, audit, and information management. Therefore, there is a need to identify the problems, define the key sources, customers, and supply chain of the club, as well as offer reliable IT solutions for the company that could resolve the stated problems.
Problem Identification
The key problems are closely linked with information technology, data management, and decision-making capabilities. These are closely linked with the fact that the IT sphere is poorly developed in the club, and this severely impacts the effectiveness of management. Therefore, the problems are stated below: difficulties with storing media information, as technical staff experiences difficulties with finding necessary tracks; inability to sell tickets online or through Apple or Blackberry applications, therefore, the club loses part of its target audience; absence of developed, interesting and usable web-site. These problems are serious enough, therefore, they should be resolved to stay on track of nightclub business of such a unique format.
Resources, Customers, and Supply Chain
The key target audience of the club is mostly the net generation and millennials. They use mobile technologies including Blackberries, PDAs, smartphones, and other communication devices. Online shopping is a regular part of their lives. Therefore, services offered by Club IT should be oriented toward these consumers. Resources of the club are intended to improve the service sphere. These are raw materials for appetizers, beverages, as well as souvenir production that are ordered particularly for the Club. Additionally, these may be music collections and broadcast rights for these collections.
The supply chain is defined by the resources needed for an effective business activity of the club. These are recording studios, food retail networks, typographies as well as construction companies that are engaged in interior repairs and reformations.
IT Solutions
The defined problems may be resolved with reliable IT solutions that are linked with data management, e-commerce, and web promotion. Therefore, data management problems may be resolved by implementing reliable cataloging software. Internet is full of various cataloguers, hence, the company is free to choose any: free or shareware. MaxLister is regarded as a reliable one. It may seem as too unfriendly, but this is only the first impression.
It is frequently used by radio DJs who have to find music as quickly as possible, therefore, it is usable and comfortable enough. Because this is a narrow niche software, it may be used as an alternative to other business-oriented ERP systems. (Liberatore, Stout, 2007) These solutions may be used by DJs of the club, as well as by managers responsible for filling the music collections of the organization
E-commerce may be resolved by implementing plastic card terminals, as well as launching web applications (for iPhone, Blackberry, and Android Based phones, as well as for web access) to attract a web active audience. The company may join existing services and offer its ticket booking services online. Additionally, this will help improve the CRM practices implemented by the company. (Dinsmore, Cabanis-Brewin, 2006) Blog, web site and applications will help the company to communicate with its customers in an online regime that will improve the entire CRM practices.
Financial managers and the IT team will have to apply all the efforts possible for increasing the effectiveness of e-commerce applications. They will have to follow online chats, if any, provide recent updates for blogs or websites, as well as control pricing strategies for making the necessary changes on web pages.
As for the website, this may take some time, however WordPress, Google Blog Service, Livejournal, and other blogging services may be used to create a web page of the club with all the necessary information for the audience could find schedules, menus, ticket booking services, etc. The next step will be creating a full-fledged website, though, it is a task for a professional web design studio.
SCM is a separate solution that requires a thorough study of the club’s needs. Therefore, the company will need mailer software for keeping in touch with suppliers and sending supply requests in the case of necessity. SC management team will have to use these applications, as well as create a properly structured database for controlling the possible changes and modifications in the entire chain. (Wilkins, Gupta, 2007)
Conclusion
As for the matters of IT solutions that should be used for proper management and business performance, it should be stated that proper decisions will help to resolve numerous problems associated with supply chain management, customer care strategy, as well as improve the data management process. Nevertheless, the offered solutions should be maintained constantly, otherwise, there will be no effect, and the target audience will be disappointed if there are no recent updates, no customer care if some e-commerce problems occur, etc.
Reference List
Dinsmore, P. C. & Cabanis-Brewin, J. (Eds.). (2006). The AMA Handbook of Project Management (2nd ed.). New York: AMACOM.
Liberatore, M. J., Stout, D. E., (2007). Key Project Management Concepts for Accountants. Management Accounting Quarterly, 8(2), 15.
Wilkins, S. C., & Gupta, P. P. (2007). IT Project Management Approach. Management Accounting Quarterly, 8(2), 1.