***** NEED A MALE BE WILLING TO RECORD A SHORT ORAL PRESENTATION*****We have arrived at the final element of the business research and analysis process. You are to prepare a visual and oral presentation for a general business audience (your classmates and instructor). Design your slideshow presentation utilizing PowerPoint, such as PowerPoint or Prezi. As you design your presentation, remember to follow the steps provided in the module for developing an effective presentation and slideshow. After completing the slideshow, record a real-time oral presentation of the slideshow, highlighting and explaining key pieces of information as they appear on the slides. During the presentation, be sure to focus on findings, conclusions, and final recommended business strategy(ies) for company improvement.SHOULD BE AT LEAST 5 MINUTES LONGUSE THE ATTACHED FINAL PAPER TO CREATE POWER POINT AND ORAL PRESENTATION.
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Running head: FINAL REPORT
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Module 05 Course Project
Analyzing Data and Writing Your Report
Matthew Marquette
Rasmussen College B312/GEB3124
Author Note
This paper is being submitted on May 5th, 2019, for Professor Elizabeth MacDonald
B312/GEB3124 Section 01 Business Research and Analysis- Online Plus
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Executive Summary
In today’s highly competitive business environment, companies are adopting
innovative business strategies as a means of; enhancing customer experience, increasing their
satisfaction, and ensuring loyalty. Amazon Inc., which operates on an e-commerce model, is
innovation driven, hence most of its processes are technology enhanced. Starting with its
initial model of purchasing books online, Amazon has advanced its strategy since its
founding, by adding more products in its portfolio and improving its delivery system in order
to enhance customer satisfaction. This study sought to measure effectiveness of Amazon’s
strategy by gathering information on how technology shapes and influences the company’s
strategy and contributes to customer experience.
As per respondents’ feedback, Amazon’s products and services are more popular and
most appreciated among age group 26-45, and are especially popular among tech savvy
professionals who have a relatively high disposable income. Most of Amazon’s frequent
customers feel good about the company’s services, with 79% of the customer base purchasing
products on Amazon due to the model’s convenience. At least 83% of the respondents rated
the company’s products and services as fair, good, or excellent, thus indicating a very high
satisfaction level. However most of the respondents were unhappy with certain aspects of
Amazon’s services, especially the delivery system which they cited as slow or lacking of
transparency. Most customers also indicated that they were unhappy with Amazon’s
approach to correcting purchase errors, as well as their approach to addressing returns.
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Table of Contents
1. Cover Page ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
2. Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
3. Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
4. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
5. Problem Statement …………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
6. Research Objectives …………………………………………………………………………………….. 5-6
7. Background research/Literature Review ……………………………………………………….. 6-8
8. Sampling Design ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
9. Research Design ………………………………………………………………………………………. 9-11
10. Data Analysis ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 12-17
Dmographics …………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
Rating of Amazon services per demographics ……………………………………………. 12
Overall rating on Quality of Amazon’s services …………………………………….. 13-14
Popular Products and Services …………………………………………………………….. 15-16
Responses on Satisfaction with Amazon’s delivery time ……………………………… 16
Satisfaction with Amazon’s response in case of an error ……………………………… 17
Satisfaction with Customer Services …………………………………………………………. 17
11. Limitations ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 17-18
12. Findings ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 18-19
13. Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19
14. Recommendations ………………………………………………………………………………………. 19
15. References …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20-21
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Introduction
Digital technology has become an integral part of any business growth and expansion
strategy. The development of e-commerce, internet, and mobile applications have
revolutionized businesses operations and introduced new opportunities for increasing
customer experience. E-commerce and other technological developments have improved
customer experience. Today customers are making online purchases using their mobile
devices at any place. They can compare prices, find alternative goods and services, and find
stores much easier than before, thanks to digital innovation. Amazon is one of the few
companies which have embraced digital technology as part of their business growth strategy.
The company has grown to become the leading retailer of books online and other products.
This success is mostly attributable to the implementation of a business strategy that focuses
on digital technology innovation. The company provides a wide range of services such as
technology, web services, and digital storage, and an online platform for sellers and buyers to
exchange goods and services. Technology has led to improved business standards because
Amazon can immediately respond to customer needs, track online activities and identify
patterns that can be used to enhanced service delivery and increase satisfaction.
In the past few years, Amazon has moved from a small retailer in Seattle to a global
empire with more than 300 million customers globally. It is the largest bookstore and one of
the most successful online ventures globally. Since it’ founding in 1994 by Jeff Bezos,
Amazon has expanded its operations by adding products ranging from accessories, video
games, fashion items, and music (Kandemirli, Bahadir, 2018). The company has a network of
40 million centers in seven countries (Amazon, 2019). This success story can be attributed to
Amazon’s business strategy that emphasizes innovative technology to streamline operations
and ensure great customer experience. Current Amazon’s employees work in technologyenabled environment where innovative technology is used to improve processes. One of the
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most significant steps taken by Amazon was to provide an avenue for customers to search
and purchase items online. Amazon utilizes its Amazon.com portal in selling various
products, such as appliances and accessories, to its consumers. This study was carried out
with the key focus of establishing customer satisfaction with this business model, by
specifically highlighting how technology has shaped and influenced Amazon’s business
strategy and has enhanced customer experience.
Problem Statement
Companies such as Amazon, whose ability to meet customer needs is anchored on
innovation, need to be keen to ensure that innovations are driven by customer needs of
convenience, quality products, quality customer service, and ensuring that customers have an
overall great experience. However, these companies rarely gather information on whether
their innovation based business strategies meet customer needs. These organizations also
rarely gather information on how their customers feel about these innovations. This study
focused on filling this gap for Amazon. Inc. by determining how technology has shaped and
influenced Amazon’s business strategy and how it has contributed to greater customer
experience for Amazon customers.
Research Objectives
This study was about customers’ satisfaction with Amazon’s business strategies. The study
sought to help Amazon:
➢ Identify products which are most popular among consumers.
➢ Establish customer opinions of the company’s customer service.
➢ Identify product and service preferences as per demographics such as age and level of
education.
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➢ Establish customer satisfaction with the overall business model and innovations.
Hypothesis: Technology shapes and influences business strategy at Amazon and contributes
to great customer experience.
Research Question: How does technology shape and influence business strategy at Amazon
and contribute to greater customer experience?
Background research/literature review
Amazon has adopted innovative technology to ensure excellent customer experience;
new features allow users to find books with ease and read reviews by clicking review buttons
instead of the traditional methods (Amazon, 2019). The current business strategy at Amazon
focuses on the provision of a variety of goods and services at affordable prices to achieve
economies of scale and improved customer experience. Amazon’s digital strategy is expected
to enable limitless inventory, boost customer care and ensure lowest prices and high margin.
The company has nearly 600 billion products for sale on its platform and has been ranked for
nine consecutive years as the best company in terms of customer satisfaction. Some of the
innovative technology adopted by Amazon to ensure high margin include KIVA Robotic
Fulfilment, AWS, Amazon Robotics, Internet and digital services and content support.
Customer experience has become a significant competitive factor in today’s market.
Companies are focusing on innovative technology to put their business ahead of the
competition by improving customer experience. Customer experience refers to the quality of
all customers contact a company’s products (Hill, & Brierley, 2017). It includes different
aspects of a firm’s provision of goods and services, which range from packaging, advertising,
the product itself, customer care and reliability of service features.
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Customer experience is a significant determinant of a company’s domination in the
market, and many companies understand that the key to success lies in providing excellent
customer experience. According to Visnjic, Weingarten & Neely, the focus has moved from
the narrow emphasis on introducing innovation to ensuring that the innovation, whether new
or old, is the best there is in the market (Visnjic 2016). Companies can provide the best
customer experience not by inventing new technology but by harnessing the power of
existing innovations to offer goods and services that exceed expectations.
Several Studies have focused on the role of innovation, and especially digital
innovation, in ensuring growth and improved customer experience. According to
Chesbrough, companies that ignore innovation die and not all innovations became a success
story. Today’s market is dynamic and innovative products keep popping up (Chesbrough,
2006). This means that managing innovation is a crucial part of any business growth and
expansion strategy. According to Visnjic, Weingarten & Neely, industries like manufacturing
and services witness 95 percent failed innovations (Visnjic, Weingarten & Neely, 2016). This
means that successful innovation is a complicated process that requires the integration of
many factors.
Technological innovation is a privilege for improving productivity and streamlining
customer experience. This suggests that companies must ensure they have innovative goods
and services and advanced technology to attract customers and guarantee satisfaction. One of
the main concerns of digital innovation is trust, which involves security and reliability of
digital technology. The role of trust is more widespread in E-commerce activities’ where
customers do not interact directly with companies. Economic efficiency theories state that
businesses should ensure the lowest cost per output unit (Waldman, & Jensen, 2016). These
theories posit that high rates of competition should deter companies from raising prices to
unreasonable levels when attempting to maximize profits. This means that companies must
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look for other ways of competing effectively in the market. According to Chen & Quester,
the application of technology is the key to improving services (Chen & Quester, 2015). Other
studies found that technological innovation enhances the efficiency of operations and reduces
transaction costs for customers.
A study by Chappuis investigated the role of multiple digital technologies in the
consumer market. The study found that smartphone users are more likely to pay for digital
services and content than traditional users. Three of four iPhone users in the study were
repaying for one or more applications every month (Chappuis et al., 2011). The findings
suggest that as more services and content are distributed online using mobile channels,
demand for innovative digital technology will rise and competition will increase.
Many businesses are turning to self-service enabled technologies to streamline
customer experience by relieving from the burden of having to queue up. Some of these
technologies range from researching goods and services online before making a purchase
decision to self-scanning. Customers also look for products in the store before purchasing
them. According to Fernandez & Estevez, retailers are expected to provide a shopping
experience that can lead to customer loyalty and increased satisfaction. The introduction and
innovation of technology applications can be more relevant when customers are making
purchase decisions because they are less concerned with the variability of price (Fernandez &
Estevez, 2016). Online marketing has made it possible for businesses to build a brand and
attract customers from all over the world almost effortlessly. Most companies have a mobile
application to help customers get information and communicate with the customer care desk
for assistance.
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Sampling design
The selection of a sample of Amazon’s customers for this research was carried out
randomly. Written questionnaires and interviews, based on standard questions, were
administered on a randomly selected audience of 200 Amazon customers. Each of Amazon’s
customers had an equal probability of being selected since the exercise was random.
However, 63 of the responses were identified as outliers due to being incomplete and
subjective, and only 137 were compiled for the final report. This sample was assumed to
represent the opinions of the entire Amazon customers’ community.
Research design
This research was a case study analysis of Amazon Inc. The purpose of the study was
to explore technology innovation as a business strategy. The qualitative research relied on
secondary data from literature reviews related to the study and materials from the company’s
website. Data was also collected from the company’s customers and was analyzed
thematically to expose the role of technology in ensuring improved customer experience.
The qualitative approach was chosen due to various compelling reasons. Qualitative research
approaches are useful in identifying the meaning that people have attached to certain
experiences. The qualitative research method was applied in discovering the customers’
feelings on Amazon’s innovativeness as a business. Qualitative research was chosen as it
would help explore how the customers feel about Amazon services. The study focused on
answering the following questions:
➢ How does technology shape and influence business strategy at Amazon and contribute
to greater customer experience?
➢ How do customers feel about Amazon services?
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The research findings are based on responses from 137 randomly selected individuals
who have purchased products on Amazon at some point. The participants selected were of
different age groups between 18 and 60, and entailed both male and women. In order to avoid
biases, participants were selected randomly. In order to capture varied responses from a large
number of participants, both hardcopy and softcopy questionnaires, as well as online phone
interviews were undertaken.
The qualitative data collected was compiled and was appropriately analyzed in order
to make data driven conclusions. In order to obtain data about customers’ experience with
Amazon services, questionnaires and interviews with customers were undertaken.
Questionnaires were administered randomly to selected respondents and interviews were
carried out through the telephone and online platforms where customers were asked to rate
their Amazon customer service experience. The open-ended interviews were conducted to
find out how technology shapes and influences business strategy at Amazon and how it
contributes to greater customer service. Before undertaking the interview, the participants
were alerted on the purpose of the study. Grounded theory was utilized in the research which
flows from the transition of Strauss, Charmaz, and Corbin. The grounded theory allows the
researcher to be open-minded. It allows the researcher to link data collection with data
analysis and come up with a good model to describe the situation.
Investigative questions were applied to explore the customer experience with the
Amazon business strategy. Ideally, Amazon has come up with various smart devices which
have improved customers experience (Parise, Guinan, & Kafka, 2016). The investigative
questions that were applied include the following.
•
Which types of goods or services do you order through Amazon products or services
do you through the Amazon?
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•
Do they offer a variety of products?
•
How efficient is it to trace the product you wish to buy from the Amazon website?
•
What are the qualities of products that are offered by Amazon?
•
How long does it take for Amazon to do delivery?
•
In case of errors, how long does it take to get a refund?
•
How have innovative devices improved customer service?
Measurement was instrumental in identifying the customers’ satisfaction with the
Amazon technological innovativeness (Visnjic, Weingarten, & Neely, 2016). This
measurement was delivered from interviewing the participants. In this regard, the random
interviews were undertaken to capture the customers’ satisfaction. Customers were asked to
rate their satisfaction with Amazon products and services, with their responses being
distributed as excellent, good, fair, poor, and very poor. The measurement questions below
were utilized in this exercise.
➢ How many orders do you make in a week?
➢ How do you like Amazon products?
The measurement scale was applied to quantify and categorize variables. The nominal
and ordinal scales were applied to categorize the customer satisfaction towards Amazon
goods or services. For instance, the most preferred Amazon goods and services were ranked
per percentage of number of respondents who preferred the product. Also, the nominal
measurement was applied to measure the customers’ responses. Questions were designed to
capture which gender between male and female prefer purchasing goods or services from
Amazon. Similarly, the ordinal measurements were applied to rank customers’ responses to
the level of satisfaction they derive from Amazon. These responses were ranked from
excellent to very poor.
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Data Analysis
Demographics
Of all the respondents interviewed, only 137 respondents provided comprehensive
responses as per the questions administered in the research. 62 of these respondents were
male while 75 were female. Most of the responds were at least college graduates, while
majority are fulltime employees and a few are students and business ow …
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