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INFOSYS.110 BUSINESS SYSTEMS:

DELIVERABLE 2: BUSINESS SECTION
2014

Name Kailey Barrett
NetID kbar400
Group Number: 079
Website Link: http://infosys1102014fcgroup079.blogspot.co.nz/
Tutorial Details
Tutor: Day: Time:
Kayur Ramson Monday 12pm
Time Spent on
Assignment:
20 hours Word Count: 1618

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MAIL SENSOR APPLICATION
INTRODUCTION
Peoples lives are becoming increasingly busier with time becoming progessively more and
more valuable. Checking the mailbox or PO Box has become a time consuming task that can
even waste expensive resources such as petrol if the driveway is long or the PO Box is
situated a while away. This mail sensor application tells you when you have actually
received mail with the use of a sensor in the mailbox which can reduce the amount of time
and resources used, improving efficiency, and it is appealing as it involves the use of modern
technology.
3. BUSINESS SECTION
3.1 Vision
To improve personal productivity by minimising the time and resources used for completing
the simple everday task of checking the mail.
3.2 Industry Analysis: Mail Mobile Application Industry
Industry: Mail Mobile Application Industry.
Force: High/Low: Justification:
Buyer power: Low Buyer power is low because there is currently no
other software like this in New Zealand to alert
people when mail is received in their letterbox or
PO Box. (Apple, 2014).
Supplier power: Low Supplier power is low because there is a very
large number of software and application
developers in New Zealand, so people creating
applications have a lot of choice when deciding

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on a supplier for creating their application.
(indexNZ, 2014).
Threat of new entrants: High Threat of new entrants is high as capital
requirements for making an application are low,
and the App Store approves approximately 8500
new applications each week to be sold. (Suter,
2012).
Threat of substitutes: Low Threat of substitutes is low as there are no other
technological ways to know when you have
received mail. The only possible other substitute
is physically checking the mail or having your mail
tracked. (NZ Post, 2014).
Rivalry among existing
competitors:
Low Rivalry is low because there are no other existing
competitors in the mobile mail application
industry, so there is minimal competition. (Apple,
2014).
Overall attractiveness of the industry: The mobile mail application industry is rather
attractive as there is a lot of choice when it comes to suppliers for producing the application
and there is not a lot of capital expenditure required. As this is the only company in this
industry buyers have little power and being the only competitor in the industry also means
that competition is very low, which is appealing to businesses.
3.3 Customers and Thei r Needs
The target group of customers for this product includes homeowners and PO box owners.
With the continual increase in the cost of living, people need to be able to reduce any
unnecessary expenses. (Sachdeva, 2013).They need to be able to be informed of when they
actually have mail, so that they are not wasting their valuable time and resources, such as

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petrol, going to check their mailbox or PO box, which could be situated a while away. While
people are leading these busy lives with limited resources, they need affordable and
convenient ways to reduce the time and money spent on these avoidable tasks, such as
checking their mailbox or PO box when they do not in fact have any mail. (Zimmerman,
n.d.).
3.4 The Product and Service
The mailbox sensor and app fulfills the customers needs of knowing when they actually
have mail so as not to waste time and resources. It allows them to take time out of their
busy lives to check their letterbox or drive to check their PO box only when they know they
actually have mail, and wont be going to this effort only to discover that they do not in fact
have any mail. The sensor and app are very easy and convenient for the user, and the app is
low cost, meeting the customers needs for ease, convenience and affordability. Our
product targets all the causes of our core problem, such as a lack of incentive and time
wastage. This product encourages the use of the postal system which stimulates the mail
industry, which allows for postal services to remain for customers.
3.5 Suppliers and Partners
Potential suppliers of this product are companies with tools for making applications, such as
software developers like Dominion Software Developers and Smudge Apps, and companies
who sell app development and coding templates, like SharePoint. Potential partners of this
product include NZ Post as they are central to the New Zealand mail industry and will be
able to advertise and help implement the use of the sensors and app. Other partners of the
product are Google Play and the App Store, who will be the distributors of the app.
3.6 Strategy: Cost Leadership
This product is targeted at a broad market. This is because most people have some sort of
letterbox or PO box, so the app appeals to a wide range of people. The app is low cost in
order to appeal to more people and make it easier for people to have and use the app, as
the competitive scope of this product is broad market so the more people that download

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the app, the better. The low cost allows us to have a competitive advantage and to be
strong competitors within the app industry. Our strategy is therefore Cost Leadership.
3.7 Value Chain Activity: Marketing and Sales
Marketing and sales is the most important value chain activity as this is how consumers will
become aware that this product is available and learn about the features and benefits of the
product. People would have been used to physically checking their mail for their whole lives
and will still consider this the only way to know if they have mail. So therefore marketing
and sales is extremely important in order to highlight the advantages of the product, such as
improving their personal productivity, and convince people to switch to this method of
checking their mail by downloading the app. The product has a broad market strategy so
marketing and sales is also very important in reaching all of the different members of the
target market to encourage as many downloads of the app as possible, and this will help to
increase revenue and profit seeing as the product has a low cost strategy.
3.8 Business Processes
3.8.1. ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT PROCESS This process is important to the organisation
as this product is introduces a very new idea to people who are used to physically checking
their mail. Therefore, advertising must be used to present the features and benefits of the
app to convince them to download the app. It is through this process that the product is
made appealing to consumers, encouraging them to download it.

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3.8.2. APP DOWNLOAD PROCESS This process is important to the organisation as this is how
customers get access to the app. If this process failed, then customers would not be able to
use the app and then the app would not be able to solve the original problem of time and
resource wastage. The process will help the download to be as quick and easy as possible,
with no problems with the download, to make it even more convenient for users.

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3.9 Functionalities
3.9.1. ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT PROCESS
Advertised on websites
Advertised in newspapers
3.9.2. APP DOWNLOAD PROCESS
Quick and easy download
Aligns to mobile phone system
3.10 Systems

3.10. 1. SOFTWARE UPDATE SYSTEM This system enables the app to be updated regularly to
ensure that it is always up to date with no bugs so that the app is helping and not hindering
the consumer by using up more of their time and going against the vision of improving
personal productivity. The update will include any new features that have been developed
so that the app is constantly at its best. The update will be downloaded through Google Play
or the App Store, depending on where the app was downloaded from by the user.
3.10. 2. CUSTOMER FEEDBACK SYSTEM This system enables us to see how the customers
feel about the app and to hear their suggestions. This allows us to develop or improve
features based on what the customers want based on their expectations from the
advertising of the product. This system allows the app to remain as convenient as possible
for consumers as future downloads will incorporate these features. Feedback on the actual
download process will be given too, enabling the download process to be improved upon to
make it better for the customers.
3.10. 3. SALES PROCESSING SYSTEM This system enables sales to be recorded and allows
analysis of specific locations where downloads are prevalent or vice versa. Trends in sales
can also be determined. These both allow for marketing to be adjusted to effectively target
the entire market by tailoring advertising to all segments of the target market , resulting in
an increase in downloads. They also allow for sales processes to be improved upon, making
the purchase and download of the app as easy as possible for the customer.

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3.11. Summary Table: Value Chain to Systems

Value Chain
Activity
Processes Functionalities Specific Information
System(s)
Broad Information
System(s)

Marketing
and Sales
1. Advertising
Management
Process
1. Advertised on websites

2. Advertised in newspapers
Sales processing system


Transaction processing
system


2. App Download
Process
1. Quick and easy download

2. Aligns to mobile phone system
Customer feedback system

Software update system
Customer relationship
management system
Transaction processing
system



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CONCLUSION
Improving productivity and being more efficient is essential in this dynamic world, and this
mail sensor app combines both appealing modern technology and a helpful tool to do just
this. The app would not be possible without the use of information systems and technology,
as these are the basis on which the product is formed, allowing the product to deliver
maximum value to the customer, and helping them to achieve increased personal
productivity.
REFERENCES

1. Suter, F. (2012). Analysis of the app market based on Michael Porters five
competitive forces | Triple Happiness. Retrieved from
http://3xhappiness.com/analysis-of-the-app-market-based-on-michael-porters-
five-competitive-forces

2. Apple (2014). The App Store. Retrieved from
https://itunes.apple.com/nz/genre/ios/id36?mt=8

3. indexNZ (2014). Software Firms. Retrieved from
http://www.indexnz.com/Top/Computers-and-Internet/Software/Software-Firms

4. Sachdeva, S. (2013). Third Petrol Price Rise in a Fortnight. Retrieved from
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8304791/Third-petrol-price-rise-in-a-
fortnight
5. Zimmerman, A. (n.d.). The Worlds Most Valuable Commodity. Retrieved from
http://www.labrada.com/blog/motivational/the-worlds-most-valuable-commodity/

6. NZ Post. (2014). Tracking. Retrieved from https://www.nzpost.co.nz/tools/tracking