Introduction
New technologies have an enormous impact on the industry, and scholars are looking for ways in which technology may be utilized to increase the level of efficiency of operations. The impact technology may have on the process of learning is also significant. “Smart Education” is a relatively new term, but it has drawn the attention of many researchers and educators. It can be described as the use of modern technologies to increase the efficiency of learning.
In this paper, six tools will be used to analyze the current smart education industries in Dubai, Doha, and Boston. Such an approach has proven to be efficient and would help develop a better understanding of the complications that may occur for firms implementing smart education projects (David, 2011).
The differences between these three cities are enormous, and they should be acknowledged. Economic and political situations in the countries are also critical and must not be overlooked because they directly affect the decision-making process of investors. Understanding the various factors that may have an impact on a particular industry is critical, and businesses should pay close attention to these factors if they want to be successful in the smart education sector.
Analysis of collected data can help firms determine the strategy that would be the most reasonable in the long term. It is not an easy task to predict all of the challenges that a city may face, and many internal and external factors should be taken into account. Despite these individual differences, smart education has potential around the world and can help facilitate societal development in many areas. Overall, an in-depth analysis of the myriad factors affecting the industry is crucial and can be used to develop a list of recommendations that would help Dubai expand and get ahead of competitors (Kuratko, 2013).
Five Forces
Dubai
In Dubai, the market is well developed, and customers have a wide variety of choices. However, firms are mostly looking at the experiences of other countries, and it would be appropriate for them to invest in the development of unique technologies. The situation is complicated by the fact that expatriates comprise an enormous percentage of the city’s population, so businesses must always focus on and include translations. This effort requires additional resources, and differences between the many cultures coexisting in Dubai should be acknowledged.
The introduction of an alternative product is not likely because smart education has been introduced only recently and includes a range of approaches. The entry of competitors is possible. For instance, a particular company may sign a contract with a foreign enterprise, which could lead to an enormous competitive advantage if the firm is well known and has experience in this industry. However, the company may have to deal with government regulations, and other complications are also possible (Zhang & Lavena, 2015).
All of the enterprises in the smart education sector are big, and it may be hard for smaller ones to compete. The bargaining power of clients is not significant because most of the firms in this sector are already established, so they have the control overpricing. Such techniques as yield management and others are utilized to gain profits, and business clients are willing to pay more because it is an essential part of their strategies. The focus on high-quality education is critical because it has a tremendous impact on the population, and education is particularly valued by many individuals in Dubai (Kakabadse, Abdulla, Abouchakra, & Jawad, 2011). The level of competitiveness is rather high because enterprises are focused on the same target market, and the services and products that they offer are quite similar.
Doha
First of all, it is necessary to mention that the number of firms operating in the smart education sector is relatively small in Doha at the moment. The development of substitute services or products is not likely because it would require enormous resources. Moreover, smart education is still actively developing, so such threats are not very dangerous because firms can modify approaches as necessary depending on the situation.
The bargaining power of consumers is rather small because the demand for such services is enormous, and companies may take advantage of this fact. However, firms may have to lower their prices because consumers’ level of trust is not sufficient and needs to be improved. The entry of new competitors is extremely likely because most customers do not have an understanding of the benefits of smart education, and an enterprise that invests in the advertisement could claim an excellent position on the market.
Moreover, a low price is a factor that is valued by many clients, and a firm that develops more affordable products and services may be highly profitable. The bargaining power of suppliers is not that high because smart education is not widely spread, and most companies prefer standard approaches to education.
They are reluctant to accept changes to learning methodology most of the time. However, consumers in Doha may also influence the price because they are not as interested in these products and services as consumers in other countries, and they are not willing to pay a lot of it is not absolutely necessary. Enterprises should perform a broad assessment of the market situation before making vital decisions (Miles, 2011). Overall, the lack of promotional activities is the most problematic aspect that the smart education industry needs to address in Doha.
Boston
In Boston, firms in the smart education sector are extremely competitive, and it would be hard for an enterprise to develop a suitable strategy because the business is quite risky. The industry is relatively new, and there are no clear leaders. A new firm may enter the market, but only if it has an innovative technique or marketing scheme to attract customers. The entry process may be quite complicated because the development of business in this industry requires enormous amounts of resources, and new technologies are introduced quite often. Some of them can be disruptive, and it is hard to justify this approach if profits are not guaranteed.
Quality is one of the most important factors that affect consumer behavior in this region, and it is critical for firms to focus on this aspect. Substitute products and services are not viewed as a significant threat because alternative technologies are currently unavailable. Smart education is perceived as the most efficient approach to education because of its convenience and flexibility, and it is paramount to take advantage of this situation.
The bargaining power of suppliers is high because the interest in smart education has been growing at an accelerated pace. Consumers lack control over prices, but firms trying to gain a competitive edge may reduce prices to attract customers. However, cheaper alternatives are generally less efficient, and businesses prefer to make purchases from reliable sources. Overall, Boston’s high level of competition in the smart education sector is quite problematic, and entry barriers are quite significant. The similarity between different companies’ products and services is a core factor that leads to enormous tension. Therefore, innovations would be appreciated by clients, and it would be possible to attract individuals who were not previously interested in.
CPM
This Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) technique can be quite useful because it helps assess the strengths and weaknesses of the industry within a particular country (Katsioloudes, 2012). Analysis has shown that the scores for Boston, Doha, and Dubai are rather close. As shown in Table 1, it is possible to determine the areas that are problematic for each city.
Table 1. Competitive Profile Matrix.
It is necessary to understand that a total higher score is not a deciding factor for investors, and anyone of the regions may become much more successful in the future due to various factors. Customer loyalty is a critical indicator for businesses that operate in this sector, so it would be reasonable for businesses to use a variety of techniques to engage customers’ interest in their products. It is quite evident that Boston has many advantages in the smart education sector, but Dubai is rather close behind, and the gap is expected to decrease even further in the future. To improve its competitiveness in this field, Doha needs to improve in such areas as the financial position and product variety.
Efficient management is another one of the most important factors. Overall, the biggest problem is that enterprises in all cities do not devote enough attention to advertising, which hurts businesses in the long term.
Intensive Strategy
Dubai
Market development is an approach that Dubai enterprises should utilize in this case because firms in this sector are quite developed, and each company aims at a particular audience. However, firms frequently have to fight for customers because the services they offer are quite similar. One of the aspects that should not be overlooked is that it is possible to attract new consumers or even previous customers who have not made a recent purchase.
It is reasonable to create a new segment in the market because some of the areas of smart education such as healthcare and arms industries are relatively unexplored. Such tools as questionnaires should be utilized to get a better understanding of the preferences and aspects that customers regard as being the most important. The use of smart learning should be considered in health care because these professionals have to deal with increasing demands and must focus on learning to stay competitive.
Therefore, firms should utilize the questionnaire technique because it may be altered depending on the situation, and it is easy to keep track of progress. Firms should rapidly improve the quality of their smart education products and services to avoid the threat of external enterprises. Overall, it is evident that Dubai’s potential related to market development that is not yet fully realized, and governmental support may be required. It would be appropriate to consider the application of smart education in all industries, and possible profits should be analyzed to determine if it is reasonable to invest in this type of project. A focus on localization is also crucial, as it may be necessary to modify services and products according to differences between the cultures.
Doha
Businesses in Doha should use the penetration strategy because currently there is no saturation in the city’s smart education sector, and it would be reasonable to take advantage of this situation. Moreover, it is quite evident that although customers are incredibly interested in smart education, they are not aware of all the benefits and are currently reluctant to invest in such services and products. A focus on marketing is vital at this point; it would help increase both the level of interest and the price because consumers will come to view smart education as much more valuable. An increase in competition will also follow, and segmentation is possible.
Clients will pick specific services or products based on such criteria as price, quality, or company image. The demand for smart education in Doha is expected to increase significantly in the next few years if this strategy is chosen. It would be appropriate to consider the implementation in such areas as the tourism industry and legal services. Barriers to foreign companies are not significant, so it is entirely possible that they will stake out advantageous positions on the market.
Current smart education programs and services are of high quality, and it is necessary to focus on continuous improvements. Doha is known as a smart city, and innovative approaches related to education are utilized quite often (Knight, 2013). New firms may use such techniques as a penetration pricing strategy to establish an advantageous position on the market and to provide consumers with a broad range of benefits to ensure their loyalty. The client base is critical in this case because companies in this industry are primarily focused on services, and it is paramount to enhance the consumer experience.
Boston
Product and service development is an approach that should be considered in this case because the market in Boston is crowded, but innovations would be appreciated by consumers. One of the central issues that the industry has to deal with at the moment is that clients are not well informed about the benefits of smart education, and marketing strategies could be improved. Enterprises would be incredibly interested in learning techniques, and the use of such approaches as discriminatory pricing should be considered. It would be beneficial to offer discounts to business consumers if they order services regularly.
Moreover, cooperation and contracts can be used to maximize profit, as well as the development of customized products that would meet the demands of a particular organization. For instance, the development of smartphone applications should not be overlooked because this area has potential. They would help to make the process of learning much more convenient, and it is entirely possible that it would change the industry.
It is also important to keep track of the latest developments and emerging technologies to stay ahead of competitors (Hammond, Valentine, Adler, & Payton, 2015). Additionally, it would help attract customers who were not interested in the smart education and who prefer other techniques, and it would be possible to make it an essential part of the process of learning. The utilization of such tools as the Internet to promote products and services can also be critical. The level of accessibility should also increase to increase the number of consumers, and products should be advertised as simple to use. Similarly, efficient product lifecycles are also important, and enterprises should understand when to update a program or technique to meet the changing demands of consumers.
Forward Integration Strategy
It would be appropriate for smart education firms to increase their control over the operations of distributors because the company image is vital for these businesses. The development of the Internet has had an impact on all businesses because it is now much easier for customers to read business-related information that interests them. However, not all of these developments are positive; customer reviews can be quite problematic, especially if they unfair or exceedingly unfavorable.
The situation in Boston is beneficial because many industries utilize smart education, and firms that operate in this sector have access to many resources. On the other hand, in Doha, it can be hard to find a distributor, and long-term relationships are incredibly valuable. The most significant benefit of this approach is that it would be possible to interact with consumers and to discuss various pricing schemes. Most enterprises in Dubai are reluctant to consider such strategies because many lack the necessary experience and knowledge about the distribution process. Although most purchases today are made online, the retail market is still a vital part of business operations.
A well-developed website and promotional campaign can be quite useful and would help attract the attention of the target market. A foreign enterprise may purchase a business in Doha or Dubai, and they should consider promotional activities to increase the number of customers. Advertisements may be modified to avoid complications related to cultural differences. Also, it is possible to distribute the products in other regions. Overall, the forward integration approach is recommended for smart education businesses in Boston, but firms in other countries also should consider this strategy depending on the situation.
SWOT Matrix
Smart education businesses in Dubai should use SO strategies because it is quite evident that external opportunities are currently present. The problem is that they are frequently overlooked and are not viewed as important (see Table 2).
Table 2. Dubai SWOT Matrix.
The application of WO strategies is reasonable for smart education businesses in Doha at the moment because the market is quite vulnerable (see Table 3).
Table 3. Doha SWOT Matrix.
Smart education firms in Boston should focus on ST strategies to protect their well-developed industry from external threats (see Table 4).
Table 4. Boston SWOT Matrix.
BCG
It is quite evident that software is a “star” in Boston. Tablet applications are also commonly used, and they can be incredibly profitable because of in-app purchases. Programs aimed at educational facilities are currently questionable because market share is not as big as expected, but the growth of the industry should be acknowledged, and the lack of promotion is a primary issue. “Question marks” also should be discussed. Smart education for children is an area that is rather uncertain because social interactions are vital at this age, and the utilization of such approaches may not be supported by most childhood education organizations.
It would be reasonable to minimize the expenses used to support such programs because they may not be profitable. There is enormous potential for smart education related to corporations and businesses in all three cities, and it would be beneficial to invest in growth because this is an area that is not yet fully utilized. Although smart education for children currently has a modest market share in both Dubai and Doha, this area is still promising.
It is necessary to review some of the programs developed, and it is paramount to make them more accessible. Though the market share of old software programs and techniques is not increasing, they are still profitable, and can be described as “cash cows”. Firms should devote attention to such aspects as software updates to ensure that consumers remain loyal and do not consider alternative products. Customers are not interested in some of the programs that try to alter the process of learning, and they are viewed as “dogs” according to the BCG. Therefore, it is necessary to reconsider the development of such technologies because market share in this area is not expected to increase.
Competitor Analysis
Overall, Boston is currently in an advantageous position because the smart education market is growing. However, it is entirely possible that Dubai will become the leader of this industry in the future because the city has enormous potential. The situation is quite complicated because of the differences between the cultures that affect the process of learning. Many companies also lack experience, but this problem will be resolved in the future.
Industry in Doha, on the other hand, is developing rather slowly. However, there is an outstanding opportunity for small firms to focus on the smart education area. The problem is that these businesses are technology-intensive, and they require enormous resources. Nevertheless, small businesses may also be profitable if they choose appropriate strategies. The penetration strategy is preferred in Doha’s case because it will lead to enormous profits.
The enterprises are quite vulnerable because the threat from foreign companies is tremendous. It would be beneficial to cooperate with other countries while also focusing on the development of unique software and techniques. Dubai also has to deal with several challenges.
Consumer demand is growing at a rapid rate, and it may not be an easy task to consider all of the needs and wants of consumers. However, suppliers have an advantageous position, and they are aware of the fact that clients are willing to pay much more in some cases. Smart education for businesses is the area that is situated to become the most profitable and should be prioritized. However, the level of competition is rather high, and many firms must focus on other sectors. Smart education technologies are actively used in the process of learning, but it is important to expand in other areas (Wiseman & Anderson, 2014).
Recommendations for Dubai
An analysis of the data through these six tools has helped inform a set of suggestions for smart education enterprises in Dubai to consider. The most attention should be devoted to internal problems and external threats. Firms in Dubai should cooperate with foreign companies and work on products that would meet the demands of an international audience. The industry is growing at a rapid rate, but most companies focus on the same target market.
Therefore, it would be reasonable to assign particular sectors if enterprises want to remain profitable. The need to invest enormous resources in the development of new technologies should not be overlooked because these technologies are one of the biggest benefits of smart education. The use of smart learning technologies for businesses is not yet fully utilized, and it is entirely possible that its implementation would bring economic growth because employees will learn much quicker. In this way, productivity is expected to increase. Smart education is also positioned to become an essential part of corporate training because many companies have recognized that it has a range of benefits.
The needs of young individuals should be considered and analyzed to improve the process of learning. A high level of interactivity is a crucial factor that affects the experience of children, and businesses should take this aspect should into account (Meyer, 2015). The biggest issue that firms in the smart education industry must confront is that it is not an easy task to gain the trust of customers. The data received as the result of the analysis can be combined to get a better understanding of the ways in which current weaknesses may be addressed in the future. Overall, smart education in Dubai has potential, but it is imperative for firms to consider such aspects as the diversity of cultures to stay profitable and facilitate the development of new technologies.
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