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INFOSYS.110 BUSINESS SYSTEMS: DELIVERABLE 2: BUSINESS SECTION2014

Name Weili HuangNetID whua706Group Number: 167Website Link: http://infosys1102014fcgroup167.blogspot.co.nz/

Tutorial DetailsTutor: Day: Time:Helen Sunday 11:33pm

Time Spent on Assignment: 10 hours Word Count: 1725

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ROMAN ROOM APPINTRODUCTION

In Deliverable 1, we discussed the problem of students around the world having trouble to

study and to obtain good grades. (Huang & Jackson, 2014) Our method to deal with this

problem is to encourage the students to use our Roman Room App. (Huang & Jackson,

2014) The basis of our solution is that by making such an app that almost looks like a game -

“User walking into a 3D Corridor” and “going into different rooms” and then “memorising

the objects inside those rooms” - it insures that the student can study more creatively and

have fun at the same time. (as cited in Huang & Jackson, 2014) On the making of Deliverable

1, we feel that this was the best solution to the global problem and a very original/creative

one which we can start a company on.

3. BUSINESS SECTION

3.1 Vision

We want to make studying a fun process where the student will find memorising things a lot

easier than before.

3.2 Industry Analysis: Studying Apps Industry

Industry: Studying Apps Industry. Our Roman Room App competes within the studying apps

industry with other products such as Evernote (which doe the note taking method) and

StudyBlue (using the flash card method) (10 Best College Apps to Help Students Ace Exams,

n.d.) To prove that our app is very original, from the list of 25 apps that recommended by

Ang (from the website Mashable) that helps with studying, none of them uses the 3D visual

image idea along with the Roman Room Technique, which gives us a big advantage over

them. (Ang, 2013). The only software that is similar to our Roman Room App is called

Memory Palace, which is slightly different to the way our app functions. (pregnantkid,

2012). With the above in mind, we have proven that our app is unique and the following

below will all be evident.

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Force: High/Low: Justification:

Buyer power: Low Although there are many study tools buyers can

choose from, our app is unique and different to

all the others. Our app uses a different method to

the methods of notetaking (via Evernote) and the

methods of using flash card memory (via

StudyBlue). We believe that if buyers want to

study the way we introduced they have to buy

our app and none of the others.

Supplier power: Low There are many programming companies (or just

individual programmers) for us to choose from

that will be able to help us make the software and

we will only need to make it once (but we will be

updaitng it a lot with our own team that knows

how to write programs too), after that it’s

distributed to the app store and will be available

to use for many people around the world. There

is estimated around 16,941 programmers in NZ in

2012. (Programmer, n.d.)

Threat of new entrants: Low Studying applications are not very popular

amongst the list of applications that people use

nowdays (only Google Books is amongst the top

apps that are downloaded more than 100 million

times). (List of Most Downloaded Android

Applications, n.d.) Even though our industry

operates in basis of a low cost and easy to enter

environment, it is unlikely that many will create

an app similar to this. We also believe our app is 3

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unique enough that if there were to be new

entrants it will not matter to us.

Threat of substitutes: Low As the threat of new entrants is low, the threat of

substitute is also low as there is just unlikely that

there will be apps that are made to compete with

our application and made to the level of

uniqueness as this one (same reasons as above).

Rivalry among existing

competitors:

Low Our application is unique compared to other

existing applications hence rivalry/competition is

very low.

Overall attractiveness of the industry: As the five forces are all low, we can safely conclude

that the industry is extremely attractive (looking very good) and we can also explore other

options in making this app even more appealing to the customer (by adding extra

functions/customerisation options) so we can be much further ahead of similar studying app

companies.

3.3 Customers and Their Needs

Our main customers include secondary school students and tertiary students who want

study in a more efficient/effective manner and who wants to improve their grades. This app

however also has an extra functionality for people to store their personal life experiences

and memories which will also appeal to grown ups who are in the work force and old people

who are nostalgic about their past life or have memory problems but want to remember

certain occassions/improve their own memory.

3.4 The Product and Service

Our Roman Room App will be able to help students to train their memory and will be able to

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help them to learn the materials they need in class (and hence do better in the exams). It

can also be used as a memory storage place where each room contains different a

memory/theme to another. This will satisfy the students as they will be able to do better in

their tests and exams, while also being able to work on remembering the things they learn

in a long term manner (as they can revisit the same room a few years later and will

remember most of the things again instead of forgetting their materials after the exams).

3.5 Suppliers and Partners

Our supplier will be any freelance programmer specialist that we will work along with or any

of the companies that makes apps like Smudge. We will hire them to work together with us

as our own team knows how to program the software ourselves but wants the extra advice

from someone who is really good (7 years+ experience). Our reseach and development

team will try to come up with new ideas (and examine new trends) and work closely

together with our supplier of our product in order to get it to run successfully and distribute

it around the world.

Our partners can range from big companies like Evernote or Google to other small

software/app businesses that are interested in implementing our own product and ideas

into their own softwares and brands. We will be able to work with them to achieve an even

better product to the customer. We will not give up until the customer is happy.

3.6 Strategy: Cost Leadership Strategy

The Roman Room App is of low cost (buy once for $3.99 NZD and keep forever) and those

who want the premium features or support us can pay a subscription to us for a low cost

(around $5 NZD a month). We are looking to sell this software to a broad market. The Low

Cost and Broad Market means that we are using a Cost Leadership strategy.

The overall strategy is therefore Cost Leadership strategy.

3.7 Value Chain Activity: Technological Development (and R&D)

The most important value chain activity for this business is Technological Development (and

R&D).

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Apps are evolving fast around the world. To keep up we must keep updating our app/

software and make it more effective and user-friendly for the customer. We want the

students to feel comfortable when using our app. We will also experiment with new and

different features (we want to keep our uniqueness and explore new options before other

people are able to and make it our sell point that we are keen for the success in the

memorising things for our students and other users) as well as fix any bugs our customers

are coping with while they are using our application.

3.8 Business Processes

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3.8.1. UPDATING PROCESS - We must make sure that our product is updated regularly and

make sure it works the way we want it to. The Research & Development team and the

supplier will add in the new features as well as make sure to fix any bugs we have from or

existing features.

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3.8.2. PROGRAM TESTING PROCESS - Our research and development team will hire beta

testers and get any feedback from them about what we can improve (done via the internet).

We will summarise the feedback along with the feedback from the forums and do then do

the updating process described above.

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3.9 Functionalities

3.9.1. THE UPDATING PROCESS

Makes a backup of a file everytime we change it (during the updating process) .

Develops the software/app.

3.9.2. PROGRAM TESTING PROCESS

Obtains feedback from the beta testers. Generates a report for us to use during the updating proess.

3.10 Systems

3.10.1. FEEDBACK PROCESSING SYSTEM - A system where beta testers are able to submit

their feedback online and customers complaints on the forum. It generates report files to us

everytime we synchronise our computer with the system. This system will help us to decide

what we need to update in the upcoming maintanance.

3.10.2. SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A system which stores the different versions of

our software and makes a backup automatically everytime after we change it. The system

can also sync it online (via cloud or other forms of technology) so that we can work with the

supplier together on the project.

3.10.3 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM - A program we use to develop our software/app.

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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)

Technology

Development

(and R&D)

1. The Updating Process

1. Make a backup of a file automatically every time we change it.

2. Develops the software/app.

Software Management System

Software Development System

Decision Support System

2. Program

Testing Process

1. Obtains feedback from the beta testers.

2. Generates a report for us to use during the updating proess.

Feedback Processing System Transaction processing System

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CONCLUSION

The Roman Room App is a new and unique idea that focuses on making studying a fun

process for the individual. Although there are other Apps that make studying easier like

Evernote and StudyBlue, the Roman Room App creates an entirely different experience for

the user and in the long term will strengthen the user’s memory. The Roman App delivers its

value by changing the way that we study around the world and makes studying a less painful

experience. Sometimes the extra things we can remember will be useful in situations we can

never dream of.

REFERENCES

1. Huang, A. & Yap, J. (2014, April 6). Roman Room App - Alex and Jackson[Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EybSQFgHc5o

2. List of Most Downloaded Android Applications. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_downloaded_Android_applications

3. Programmer. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs/information-technology/programmer/

4. Winske, C. (n.d.). 10 Best College Apps to Help Students Ace Exams. Retrieved from http://www.higheredtechdecisions.com/article/10_best_college_apps_for_studying_on_the_go/

5. pregnantkid. (2012, March 4). Memory Palace Demonstration Video[Video File]. Retreived from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTZFuv2E7IE

6. Ang, S. (2013). 25 Apps You’ll Need to Survive College. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2013/08/08/apps-for-college/

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