Technology advancement and globalization have resulted in stiff competition among firms operating in domestic and global markets. Sustaining the current competition requires firms that can manage their value chain effectively by integrating modern technologies, looking for advanced competitive advantages, and fostering customer delight (Presutti Jr. & Mawhinney, 2013). Enterprise application software (EAS) has become a great asset for a range of modern businesses in maintaining their value chain. EAS is a system platform designed to hold and improve access to large amounts of data in a corporate environment. EAS comprises organizational modeling utilities, shared business applications, and a group of programs that make the software scalable, distributed, component-based, and mission-critical with unparalleled functionalities. Today, businesses are driven by data, and EAS improves efficiency and productivity in any firm that utilizes a computer-based information system. Therefore, the unit 5 assignment makes a compelling argument about how EAS can be used successfully to manage an enterprise’s value chain to achieve competitive advantage and customer value.
Evaluation
Compelling Argument
EAS performs a range of functions such as procurement, production scheduling, order processing, customer information management, accounting, and energy management. All these business functions comprise an enterprise’s value chain. The EAS ensures they are typically hosted on servers over a computer network, making it possible to provide simultaneous services to many users. EAS satisfies organizational needs rather than individual users by ensuring information flows throughout the organization. Ensuring all the phases of an enterprise’s operations are integrated into computer systems improves efficiency, coordination, and decision making. As a result, the firm can achieve uniform business processes and data standards in all departments, which help in achieving customer value. Apart from improving relationships between an enterprise and customers, EAS makes a company more efficient, lowers costs and resources, and saves time and money, which are excellent sources of competitive advantage.
Three Types of Enterprise Application Software
Many types of EAS fit into different organizations or departments to manage a firm’s value chain and achieve superior customer satisfaction and competitive advantage. Examples of EAS are business intelligence (BI), customer relationship management (CRM), precise analytics, and accounting software. Different types of EAS perform additional tasks in an organization to manage an enterprise’s value chain and achieve customer value and competitive advantage.
Business Intelligence (BI) Software
BI software supports collecting and analyzing large amounts of data in an organization. Data analysis in an organization is vital because it provides a firm’s current status and position based on the past, present, and future data. Understanding the firm’s production or service delivery situation helps make informed decisions on how to achieve customer value. Using past data can help improve the firm’s current performance in fostering customer delight and attaining a competitive advantage. BI software can handle large amounts of data quickly, thus promoting analysis and informed decision-making. As a result, the firm can improve the quality of goods or services using the data analysis capacity of BI software, which is an added competitive advantage in the current stiff market and fosters customer satisfaction.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
CRM software helps manage the relationship between a business and its clients. CRM software comes with live chat applications and a calling system where customers can air their complaints and get quick responses that build trust and satisfaction. A business can use the software to get information about their clients, such as their location, age, gender, preferences, and ambitions. As a result, they can integrate all this information in product development or improving service delivery. A better understanding of the target customers gives a firm a competitive edge over its rivals in delivering goods or services tailored to achieve superior customer satisfaction.
Clear Analytics Software
Clear analytics is an excel based software used to analyze, generate, and visualize a firm’s critical data useful in organizational management and visualizing the overall business outlook. Clear analytics software has the potential of consolidating a vast range of data that can take human days to complete. Apart from saving time in data analysis, the software provides a firm with the intelligence required to add value to customer needs. As a result, a business using clear analytics software is best placed to compete favorably in the market by offering superior customer satisfaction through data-driven production.
Accounting Software
Accounting software is used in keeping financial records for an enterprise. Accurate calculations and storage of financial data for easy retrieval are crucial for any business entity because it provides information on organizational performance and a basis for comparison with other market players. Financial calculations are among businesses processes that are time-consuming and tedious for any firm, but accounting software makes data compilations and analyses more straightforward and more accurate. As a result, the software saves on time and gives a firm more accurate data for decision-making on product development and performance in the market.
Examples of Use of Enterprise Application Software
Google Company is an example of a Fortune 500 Company that has successfully used EAS in the management of the value chain. The firm uses Google Analytics software to locate its customers’ locations worldwide and obtain more information regarding their needs and preferences, which allows the firms to create products and services tailored to meet their specific needs (Google Analyitcs, n.d.). A range of firms has adopted Google analytics to help better understand their clients to offer better services to customers.
However, a corporation like Vodafone Group is among the Fortune 500 Companies that have not been successful with using EAS in managing the value chain. At one point, Vodafone failed to transfer its billing and customer relations to the Siebel platform that supports the EAS billing system and CRM software (Vodafone Group, 2022). The migration process took longer than expected, and after completion, the platform could not take in all Vodafone’s customers. As a result, the firm was forced to operate both the new and old systems, especially for customers’ transactions that could not reflect in the new billing system.
Conclusion
EAS has significantly transformed the business world, especially in managing day-to-day operations. Many types of EAS can fit in different businesses and functions. However, applying the technology correctly is paramount because it determines the ability of the firm to compete with its rivals, sustain the current competition, achieve a competitive edge, and provide superior customer satisfaction. Failure to apply the EAS technology correctly can ruin a firm’s performance, as with Vodafone Group.
References
Google Analytics. (n.d.). Welcome to Google Analytics. https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/provision/#/provision
Presutti, Jr., W.D., & Mawhinney, J. R. (2013). Understanding the dynamics of the value chain. Business Expert Press, LLC.
Vodafone Group. (2020). About Vodafone Group. https://www.vodafone.com/about-vodafone
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