Hard Rock Café was established in 1971 by two Mexicans namely Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett. Since then the café has seen numerous establishments of other branches in other parts of the world. In fact the café has several branches in every continent.
The café is very popular because it has a wide range of music instruments collected from legends of music as well as celebrities. The clients of this café are given an opportunity to take photographs of these artifacts immediately they walk into the café.
The café’s official web address is hardrock.com. Actually the café has embraced information communication and technology with the aim of gaining competitive advantage. Clients can check the café’s menu and services that are available on their web page. The café lists its menu and special events together with other items that are sold in its shop. The shop is available virtually and sells a wide variety of clothing and house hold items such as glasses and plates.
The café can utilize ICT and e-commerce models by hiring customer care executives who can work from their homes and submit their completed work loads to the café’s head quarters. The organizations website has a site map that can be referred by clients who are visiting Orlando for the first time. Since there so many scams on the internet the availability of a site map and physical address builds on the credibility of this café.
The organization’s website is designed in a way that is simple to use. The website links all the branches of the café world wide. The items that are available online are paid for using credit cards and visa cards. Once a client has paid for his purchase the item is shipped to the client’s address within the next 24 hours using UPS. The reliability of this virtual shop is enhanced by the fact that clients can report their complaints to the support team through their telephone numbers.
The café can integrate business systems which could improve its service delivery. This can be achieved by introducing a supply chain control program. This means that all financial transactions and statements can be delivered to the headquarters within a very short time. According to Roger (2002) the purpose of integrating e-commerce into the operations of the café is to reduce the costs incurred during operations. This technology will improve productivity of the café because all the resources of this particular institution are centrally stored hence transactions will be processed much faster than usual because there is very little paper work involved.
Paperless transactions are better compared to manual transactions because if there happens to be any mistakes concerning the details of a given transaction, corrections are done at ease as opposed to manual transactions that leave the transactions document untidy. Electronic business is not limited to improving the performance of an organization but it also eases the administration of an organization. For instance payroll systems make it easier for employers to inject salaries into the bank accounts of their employees at the click of a button.
Electronic banking transactions main branch managers of this café have little to worry about when it comes to handling money. Pat (2001) insists that clients too can pay for their bills using credit cards and also check the available reservations online. They can also make reservations online which is very cost effective to the client.
Relating to IBM chairman Louis Gerstner’s comment that stresses on customer focus and productivity, this organization would benefit the café because clients always go for the most convenient and reliable options. The café can utilize the internet to increase its market share. This can be done by advertising the café on the World Wide Web because the internet is accessed by very many people at a go.
Many people rely on their pals to give them important leads to service providers because they feel they are too busy to search for such people. It is therefore important for this café to develop good relationships with its clients because the same clients will come back with their friends or simply refer them. Some organizations conduct quick surveys on their websites concerning the efficiency of their service delivery.
The suggestions collected from clients are analyzed to identify what can be done to deliver satisfactory services to the clients of this café. The rate of response to client requirements can bring positive or negative impacts into the business. If the restaurant staff are lazy bones client will be disappointed by their services hence its advisable to hire employees who have passion for their work. However, an enhanced e-commerce system can be able to oversee the processes involved in business and provide report for analysis. Managers can use reports generated from the website to implement sustainable strategies with regards to customer’s response.
When the café sells its merchandise online it is not only targeting local clients but also international buyers. Timmers (2000) argues there is a considerable number of people who prefer to shop online but they hesitate because they can’t comprise with the security of their credit and debit cards because there are people who may hack account information. Thus security is quite vital. Through online procurement system, Hard Rock Café benefits from volume purchases and gets the most ideal deals available. E-commerce also enables the company to offer after sales services through interactive websites which collect customer feedbacks and provide assistance.
Security of web shoppers is guaranteed by the presence of verification certificates. Closed circuit television can be used to monitor the progress of work at the café. The owner can inform the employees about the hidden security cameras. The employees will not just idle around because they know someone somewhere is keeping an eye on them though they can’t see him/her. Thus employees who do not perform their duties as expected risk loosing their jobs. Electronic tax registers are also very reliable in keeping track on the taxes the organization is supposed to pay to the authorities. It is advisable for the café to equip all its cashiers with electronic tax register.
The above mentioned technologies have been enhanced by globalization. This is the merging of business processes due to the direct linkage presented by information communication and technology. This is because nowadays people can exchange business details very fast unlike in the past.
References
Pat, S. (2001). Customers.com. USA: Crown Business Books (Random House).
Roger, M. (2002). The Legal and E- commerce Environment Today (Hardcover Ed) New York: Thomson Learning.
Timmers, P. (2000). Electronic Commerce-Strategies and Models for Business-to-Business Trading: New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.