Monday, March 16, 2020
Technology Management Assignment The WritePass Journal
Technology Management Assignment Technology Management Assignment ). Product Description The software that will be offer to customers is similar to â€Å"Moodle,†which is the acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. Moodle is an open-source course management system (CMS) / learning management system (LMS) / virtual leaning environment (VLE). It is used as a tool for creating online dynamic websites for students (Moodle 2013). Recent surveys show that it is considered as one of best e-learning software used by educators and is used by several primary and secondary schools in the UK (The Guardian, 2008). The software is customizable and there will be some modifications depending upon the circumstances and requirements of the clients. Using Moodle, the teacher can upload data form anywhere and student can access it instantly (The Guardian, 2008). Our aim is to introduce Moodle and to customize the software according to the needs of the higher education system in Pakistan. The software will allow tutors to manage their courses according to their requirements and students will be able to access available data from anywhere. University administration will also be able to upload news, results, and other related information using this software. There are various benefits in the application of the e-learning software in Pakistani universities. These include increase in availability of information, quick feedback, and better communication. The Moodle e-learning system provides users with an online platform for communication and sharing of content, information, and news. Communication – is the basic function of the Moodle e-learning software. Professors can post any course-related announcement for students. Students can chat with other students in real time. Discussion threads can be created. Students and teachers can participate in the discussion. Content – is the second core function of the software Teachers can post lectures, articles, assignments and other related information. Teaching calendar of the year can be included. Teachers can post quizzes and exams and allow students to access them via the internet. Students can submit their assignments online. Business Model A business model serves as a guide to help businesses create, deliver, capture and exchange value (Trott, 2005). There are main four components of a business model. Source: Trott, 2005 Core Strategy Core strategy is the first component of business model. It describes how a firm competes with its competitors. The core strategy involves customizing the software according to the needs of the organization and to set an optimum cost. Initially, we are targeting one university only, which is the Bahira University Islamabad. Other education institutions will be approached later on. Mission Statement Our mission is to provide excellent technology services to universities in Pakistan at the best cost. Product Scope The e-learning software will be developed by focusing on the needs and requirements of the clients. E-learning software is popularly used in UK schools. Teachers and students have given positive feedback on the use of e-learning software. We are expecting the same positive response from Pakistan’s education sector. Our focus is to develop the software based on some key points. Ease of use is one of the main objectives of the e-learning software. The product is new so we will ensure that it is easy to use and manage so that our clients will not have difficulty in using it. We will also ensure administrative flexibility so that they can manage it according to their needs. Our aim is to provide maximum value and optimize institutional investments to help them reduce their overhead costs and manage their finances better. We will also develop the software so that it is easily upgraded in the future should the client require changes. Basis for Differentiation There is currently no e-learning software in Pakistan, which is customized for the education sector and has excellent communication and content features. Most universities in Pakistan are using their websites for announcement and other news but they do not have a comprehensive software similar to Moodle. Our core differentiation is that we offer a customizable, flexible and easy to use software for the education sector. Strategic Resources For the development of this software, we will hire the best software developer form Pakistan. The reasons for hiring the software developer from Pakistan are lower labor costs and familiarity with Pakistan’s education sector. This will help us to minimize our costs and be more efficient in our product development. Our strategic asset is our developers and our business plans. Technology Strategy The technology strategy is part the overall corporate strategy takes into consideration the components of the core strategy. In pharmaceutical firms and high tech equipment manufacturers, it is common for the technology strategy to be related to the corporate strategy. This concerns the management and use of technology for further expansion and development (Burgelman Doz, 2001). Our core strategy is to focus on innovation and excellent services for our clients. Our goal is also to build reliable and flexible software that is cost effective and sustainable. The product we offer is based on Moodle. Although Moodle is already available in the market, we will develop a new e-learning software based on the Moodle framework. This new e-learning software will be customized to suit Pakistan’s education sector. Our basic strategy is to understand the client’s requirements and create products that will address all their needs. The service strategy provides guidance on how to design, develop, and implement our service management plans. We will provide not only the software to our clients, but also services such as installation, customization, and post-sales support. We will also provide trainings to teachers and administrative staff on how to upload data and use communication tools. Trainings will also be provided for university students who will be using the e-learning software. Financial Strategy  The financial strategy is an important component of any business plan. Initially, we are going to finance our business using our personal savings and from investments of our family and friends. Our initial capital investment is  £3,000 to  £5,000. For future expansion plans, we will loan from a bank or other financial institutions. Partnership Networks            We are going to start with one project, through the help of a partnership with a small software firm. This will help to minimize our development costs. The partnership contract will be based on profit sharing. The reason for entering into a partnership is to allow us to offer our products to other universities in the future.            It is my responsibility to secure the contract from the university. It is my task to find out the requirements and needs of the university and to negotiate with them in terms of cost and other pertinent issues. Customer Interface            Our target market is the Pakistani education sector. The main reason for targeting this market is the lack of educational software in Pakistan. Initially our target is one university, which will be Bahria University Islamabad. The motive for choosing this organization is the fact that some of our colleagues have studied there and are very familiar with the university.            According to students of Bahria University, the administrative system that their university is currently using is not user friendly compared to other well-known universities in the Pakistan. As such, it will be a great idea to offer the new e-learning software to this university. To get the contract for developing this service, we will talk to the university’s management team. We will present them our product’s features and offer our services to them. Pricing Model            We are new in the market and we want to compete with existing players. Our main focus is to attract a lot of customers and this can be achieved by making our products affordable. We are applying a cost leadership strategy. We will offer the best products at low cost to persuade customers to avail of our products. This is an ideal market entry strategy. maximum customers and for this out for going for cost leadership strategy. We will offer best low cost to facilitate our clients and make them comfortable to deal with us. Initially our motive is to adjust our self on low profit and gain market share. Conclusions            Success of an organization depends on leaning, innovation, and constant change in a systematic and scientific way. Every organization will constantly have to acquire new knowledge to remain competitive. Change and uncertainty is managed by having a plan for the future. With a business plan, uncertainty ceases to be a threat and becomes an opportunity. Different models must be used to avoid uncertainty and risk. In entering a new market, we will use a business model to avoid uncertainty and carry out the innovation process in a manageable way.            Being management student, we admire the importance of literature on technology management and new product innovation. On the basis of that literature and examples, we can conclude that if we ignore all those theories and models, product innovation will not be achieved. Our plan is based on the review of relevant literature and carried out through a business model. References Burgelman, R.A. and Doz, Y.L. (2001). 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V., Phaal, R.  Probert, D.R. (2009). A toolbox of elements to build technology intelligence systems.  International Journal of Technology Management, 47(4), pp. 322-345. NEFFICS, (2010 /11). Business Models and Business Model. Innovation in a Secure and Distributed Cloud Clustering (DISC) Society. p.58(1) , pp. 159-167. Pearson, A. (1991). Managing innovation: an uncertainty reduction process. in Henry, J. and Walker, D. (eds) Managing Innovation, Sage/Oxford University Press: London. p.18–27. Pilkington,  A. Teichert, T. (2006). Management of Technology: Themes, Concepts and Relationships. Technovation. 26(3), pp. 288-299. Trott, P. (2005). Innovation Management and New Product Development. 3rd Edition. Prentice Hall. Tidd, J., Bessant, J. and Pavitt, K. (2005). Managing Innovation. Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change. John Wiley Sons Ltd.
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