Reliance Trends Mobile Application

Executive Summary

Reliance Trends Mobile application is an online platform designed to meet the buying needs of Reliance Trends customers. The application offers several services to the customer, and among them is a convenient online shopping experience. The implementation of the application at Reliance Trends business operations will make shopping accessible to all the customers globally. The customers will be able to view the different brands of clothing and fashion available in the stores and place their orders at their convenience. 

As a result, the company revenues will increase. The use of the mobile application helps to address the increased demand for the products from Reliance Trends Stores since many customers do not have access to the limited stores available. There are other options available to address the issue, but their implementation is not viable in comparison to the use of the mobile application to facilitate online shopping. Thus, the business case project provided attempts to reveal the viability of adopting Reliance Trends Mobile Application as a platform for Online Shopping.
Overview of Reliance Trends

            Reliance Trends is a retail store for fashion and accessories brands. The store has a vast range of products that meet the needs of all its customers. The retail shop is under the umbrella of Reliance Retail Limited. It is a subsidiary company of Reliance Industries. Its operations started in 2006 and had the main stores in Mumbai India (Reliance Trends, 2015). It has the rank of being the largest private retailer in terms of revenue. The other products from the retail stores apart from fashion products are foods, groceries, apparel, footwear, home decoration products, electronic goods, and farm inputs and tools. Reliance Trends mostly focus on clothing by offering quality and fashionable products at significantly low prices. Reliance trends are a one-stop-shop for fashion due to the wide range of apparel and accessories offered. The enterprise has many stores in different cities having a target on the customers who buy the products directly from the stores (Reliance Trends, 2015). However, despite the fact that the company gets huge profits from the approach, it is necessary to consider venturing into online shopping. As the customer base continues to grow, the company should have a strategy for handling the large customer base by introducing a way in which customers can shop from anywhere in the world. The problem forms the basis of the project in the development of a Reliance Trends mobile application to help in the online shopping. The Internet offers a platform for many companies globally to expand their business through online shopping.

Problem Statement

            Reliance Trends Retail Store lacks an online platform for customers around the world to buy goods from it. Thus, the company depends on the direct sales customers who have easy accessibility to the retail stores. The approach of handling business for clothing and fashion products has limitations since many customers find it challenging to travel t to the stores often. However, if the company adopts a mobile application that helps to capture the range of products sold from the store, it is likely that it will have a positive impact on the profits. Online shopping is on the rise due to the easy accessibility and affordability of internet (Shop Smarter Online, 2015). The online shopping platform is essential for clothes and fashion products, footwear, and other assorted products. The dependence on the customers who buy goods directly from the stores leads to slowed growth of the business. Also, it limits the company to only a local market from the people who can access the store with ease. The generated profits are high, but may not necessarily be a reflection of the return on investments expected. Thus, the option of considering the use of a mobile application forms a basis for increased sales. Many of the business that operates through online shopping have a ready market all over the world. As long as the products offered are of a standard quality, the customers are likely to build trust with the company for most of their clothing needs. Mobile shopping applications are easy to use and have the advantage of flexibility.

            Consequently, to solve the problem of increased customer growth; the company should adopt the Reliance Trends Mobile application. The use of the mobile application for online shopping will take all the products from Reliance Trends near to every customer. In the long run, the profits generated will be higher than depending on the physical customers at the stores. The business case provided offers an IT solution to the underlying problem in the business.

Analysis of the Situation

            Reliance Trends has stores in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Nagpur, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, and Lucknow (Reliance Trends, 2015). For the company to set up a store in a particular city, there are many considerations involved. Among them are the availability of a market for the products, and the cost of business operations in the region. Thus, if there is no ready market and also the cost of business operations in a certain region is high; the store is likely to close down. However, considering all the costs involved in setting up a store and managing its operations, the use of online shopping can be an alternative. At present, there are many customers globally who know of the products from Reliance Trends, but cannot access them. There are many others who depend on online shopping for their needs on clothes, shoes, and accessories, but lack a supplier with high-quality products. Thus, the need for adopting an online platform for selling the wide range of products is justifiable. It is essential for the company to take advantage of the many benefits associated with the use of mobile applications for online shopping.

            E-commerce is the application of Information Technology approaches in business. It involves venturing into the business with a broader perspective in market segmentation. E-commerce is very popular and profitable at present due to the many benefits discovered by the buyers. Many people use online shopping due to the better prices offered than visiting the physical store. Many of the online stores have a process that is significantly lower than the normal price. The basis for the low prices is the fact that many people prefer the online sales in search of cheaper products. The application also provides the service of browsing through a range of different websites for comparison purposes. Thus, the decision made is final, and customers end up building trust with certain stores.

Benefits associated with the Proposed Solution to the Customers

            Shopping online is extremely convenient. It is not necessary to drive to the store since one can access the website from the comfort of their homes and offices. It saves time since there is no queuing or waiting to open the stores. Some people work for odd or irregular hours and find it challenging to have access to the store. Thus, the option of online shopping allows them to buy things without affecting their working schedules (QuartSoft, 2013). Another benefit of using online shopping applications is the exposure to a wide variety of products. Many physical stores have limited array of their products. There may be policies guiding the display of certain products. However, the use of online shopping allows the customer to find a range of products that could not be visible in a physical store.

            Many physical stores have a particular design of arranging things such that the popular products are in the back. The customer has to pass along other products before reaching their target. As such, the strategy lures many customers to buy things they never intended (EunHee & SeungYeob, 2014). Also, the physical stores have posters, sales messages, and product differentiation to make the customer buy additional products. However, the use of online shopping does not have such tactics, and the customer cannot buy what they don’t need at the moment.

            Online shopping offers all-year-round selling services regardless of the time of the day. Customers find it very convenient. Some products may be shaming to buy from the physical stores. The products may be out of ordinary, and hence very embarrassing to buy in the full glare of others. For the online shopping, all the transactions are private that boosts the confidence of the buyers (EunHee & SeungYeob, 2014).

            The high dependence on the direct sales from the stores may hinder the business from reaching to its targets in terms of growth. The continued use of the strategy that the customers have to visit the physical site; locks out the business from matching with the current business trends. Many businesses are in the process of changing their mode of operations by using Information Technology that proves to be efficient and cost effective. The conventional modes of operating businesses require huge inputs and the returns do not match them. There are also many risks associated with keeping products in the stores without a clear plan of how to approach the market. The penetration of the market is the most important thing for every enterprise. Thus, the option of adopting a mobile application that has all the products required by customers is a viable business venture for Reliance Trends. The company will have access to a limitless market that translates to increased revenues.

Solution Options
            The best solution for the problem forming the basis of the project is the adoption of Reliance Trends mobile application to facilitate online shopping activities. However, there are other options for the solution that includes; conducting extensive advertisements, and having sales agents in different parts of the world.

Option 1: Adoption of Reliance Trends Mobile Application

            The advancement in technology has enabled the development of mobile applications that run on Smartphones for different purposes. Many businesses use the mobile applications to advertise their products and also facilitate online shopping. The ease of use of the mobile handsets makes it viable for many people to conduct most of their online shopping on it. Thus, in light of this, Reliance Trends should also consider having a mobile application that allows the customers to view the fashion products and clothing wherever they are, and then make online purchases. The application will offer a range of services like viewing products, checking on the prices, confirming the progress of their purchases, and also alerts on new fashions. The customer has the freedom of choosing the right product from a wide range of others. After successfully settling on a certain product, they proceed to place an order whose delivery depends on its availability in the stores and the distance from the store. On arrival of the product, the customer gets an alert from the mobile application for them to collect their products.

            The option of using a mobile application in making online purchases is the best option for dealing with the slowed growth of the business and limited market. The two problems cumulatively lead to reduced revenues. Thus, going for the option of adoption of the mobile application will be a major boost to the annual sales and hence the revenues.

Option 2: Conducting Extensive advertisements

            Reliance Trends Company can consider applying Information Technology techniques of advertising the business. Advertisements are an effective way of ensuring fast market penetration. However, the costs involved in the use of advertisements are extremely high in comparison to the expected returns (Measures, 2015). The use of IT can help to design appealing advertisements to the customers regarding the range of products available for sale from the store. In most instances, people know about products through advertisements. Advertising is a form of marketing communication used to lure the public in their decision-making (Measures, 2015). Reliance Trends can use its existing website and customize it in a way that it captures the audience of particular market segmentation. The IT experts working on the web site require making it appealing to the potential customers by applying different designs and colors. However, the option may not be fully effective in handling the needs of the increased customers. It is because, after viewing the advertisements, they cannot have a convenient access the products. Additionally, the cost of running the advertising websites is high. The use of websites has a limitation of features to include. The easiness of navigation on the website is also an issue especially if it captures a lot of information within a limited space.

Option 3: Having many sales agents in different parts of the world.

            As a solution to the problem of increased customer base, the company has the option of posting many sales agents in the regions where the customers are. The strategy involves opening small openings where customers can have access to some of the products available in the parent store. Customers can also use the agents to place orders of the products they might have known through the website. Use of agents in improving customer services can address the needs of the increased customer base, but the operational costs are high. Thus, in terms of cost-benefit analysis discussed later, the option may not be viable.

Project Description

            The project involves the use of an IT solution to solve a problem at Reliance Trends Limited. The underlying problem is challenges in handling the increased customer base at the physical stores. The best IT solution proposed to address the issue is the use of a mobile application that facilitates online shopping. The mobile application developed has to meet all the customized needs of the customers. Reliance Trends Limited has many customers who know of its products, but lack access to them. The project involves examining the viability of the options available in providing a solution to the problem. The option of developing a mobile application makes the buying experiences convenient and easy. The resources required for the implementation of the proposed solution are low in comparison to the other options. The use of mobile application requires the initial investment in developing the application that can run on the mobile handsets. The other costs incurred are in the maintenance of the application that is low. Another resource required is qualified IT personnel in the development and maintenance of the application.

Assumptions In the project

            The success of the project depends on the fact that many customers will easily adopt the mobile application for online shopping. It may not be possible to have a high percentage of them complying, but the assumption is that they will find it more convenient to purchase products online.

            Another assumption is that there will be effective collaboration among the developers of the application to enhance teamwork. The assumption sheds light on the need to develop an application that will make customer experiences user-friendly.

Dependencies for the project

            The company has another project in progress that relates to the current one. The underway project is on upgrading the Information systems used in operating all the business activities at Reliance Trends. The progress of the proposed project of developing a mobile application to help in online shopping depends on the completion of the other project.

            The success of the project has the dependence on the availability of IT experts who have vast knowledge in developing mobile applications. It may require outsourcing for experts in the field if they are not available locally.

Risks and Mitigation plans associated with the project

Risk	Impact of the risk (High, Medium, Low)	Description and Mitigation plan
Ensuring the security of Customer details	High	The success of the use of mobile application in online shopping depends on the security features in use. Many companies build trust with their customers by ensuring the security of their details. The company can have encryption on all its databases as a security measure. The other method involves regular updates on their customer’s details, and the use of firewalls to non-registered users.
Challenges in maintenance of the application	Medium	Every IT system requires maintenance to assess its performance and improve its efficiency. For the Reliance Trend Mobile application under development, it requires regular updating of the products and the prices. The regular checkups ensure that the system works efficiently. As traffic continues to increase, the maintenance procedures become challenging. Thus, regular updating of the system is important.
Faults in the implementation of the Mobile application	High	For the customer to make a successful transaction over the application, a lot of data entry and optimization is necessary. The implementers of the application may make mistakes in data entry such that what the customers sees is faulty. For instance, the customer may be purchasing a piece of clothing, but the price displayed is for footwear. Other products may have wrong descriptions that belong to other products. It is required that all the details undergo scrutiny before availing it to the user.

Key Stages of the Project

1)      Preliminary processes before the development of the mobile application

2)      Problem Analysis

3)      Communication about the proposed Solution

4)      Approval/ Rejection of the proposal

5)      If approved, it goes to the Design Phase

6)      Actual Development phase

7)      User Acceptance Test

8)      Implementation of the mobile application

9)      Post Review of the project

10)  Application Maintenance and Compliance Checks

Cost-benefit Analysis

Activity	Type (Cost, Benefit, or Saving)	Description	Anticipated Costs and Savings for the first year of operation
Application development , testing and implementation	Cost	The cost of developing the application, its testing expenses, and implementation	170, 000 (U.S $)
IT Staff Training	Cost	Training the staff for the procedures involved in updating and maintenance	160, 000 (U.S $)
Evaluation of the operations of the application	Cost	Evaluation ensures that the applications is efficient in serving its purpose	140,000 (U.S $) per year
Reduced costs in operating many outlet stores	Saving	Costs related to running stores in different states (Hiring Space, Transport, and Legal Fees)	230, 00 (U.S $)
Labor Costs	Saving	Saving from the reduced expenses of having many employees in every store	130, 000 (U.S $)
Customer Satisfaction benefit	Saving	The benefits are as a result of improved customer services, customer experience and customer loyalty.	70, 000 (U.S $)
Total savings			430, 000 (U.S $)

            The Cost-benefit analysis shows that the implementation of the Reliance Trends mobile application will lead to a total savings of 430, 000 U.S dollars (U.S $) every year. Thus, the findings from the cost-benefit analysis are a clear justification to the implementation of the application. The actual cost-benefit analysis may be challenging at the initial stages of the project due to the complexity involved. The implementation of the mobile application for online shopping will lead to an increase in revenue due to the savings anticipated.

Alternative Solutions Analysis

            The costs associated with implementing the mobile application can have comparison with the costs of advertisements and having many sales agents. All the options aim at increasing the customer base and in turn raise the revenues. However, the cost benefit analysis justifies the implementation of the use of the mobile application

Alternative Solution Option	Why the solution is not viable for the particular problem
Conducting Comprehensive Advertisements	Advertisements are an effective way of reaching the market easily. However, a consideration of the costs involved disapproves the option. The cost of developing and maintaining a website is higher than that of developing the mobile application. Also, the website has to have linkage with a powerful search engine common to many customers that call for additional expenses. There are also costs related to running advertisements in various media platforms on a regular basis.
Deploying many sales agents in various Cities	Each of the agents requires having a mini-store for storing the products. The products have to be transported to the site from the main stores thereby requiring extra expenses. There are also legal fees associated with operating the mini-stores. Lastly is the cost of hiring the additional employees for the Company.

Approval of the project

            The project will entail many technical issues that require the approval of Reliance Trends Chief Executive Officer, the Operations Manager, Chief Information Technology Officer, and the project manager.
Recommendations

            Following the cost- benefits analysis of the three problem-solving options, it is necessary that the company executives consider adopting the mobile application. The option is viable considering the benefits associated with it. Many customers consider using online shopping due to its convenience. Thus, the Company should not embark on a process of implementing the application in its business operations. The move helps Reliance Trends to take full advantage of the global market.

            Reliance Trends Mobile application has few risks that are important to address. Thus, in spite of the option being viable, the company must implement all the mitigation plans associated with the risks. The implementation of the project is a major step towards the growth of Reliance Trends business operations.

Bibliography

Arlette Measures (2015) Advantages and Disadvantages of Web Advertising; 

EunHee, K., & SeungYeob, Y. (2014) Online Shopping Behavior Using Social Commerce            Websites: Its Benefit and Cost Factors. International Journal Of Applied Engineering     Research, 9(22), 14415-14430.

Garima (2014) Reliance Trends Latest Spring/ Summer Collection; 

QuartSoft (QS) (2013) Top Five Benefits of Online Shopping; 

Reliance Trends (2015) Reliance Trends Shopping; 

Shop Smarter Online. (2015). PC World, 33(1), 140-144.

The Company Warehouse (n.d) Advantages and Disadvantages of Websites for Business;      

       

Carolyn Morgan is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in legitimate essay writing service. If you need a similar paper you can place your order from research paper services.