英語技術策略案例 EFL technology strategy case

 

Introduction | 1 簡介

 

Globalization and its technological impact on Sri Lanka | 2 全球化及其對斯里蘭卡的技術影響

 

全球化的影響是多樣的，世界經濟的各個方面都帶來了全面的改善.。它附在社會主義革命之后的自由市場策略擁抱上升，導致經濟上的無可匹敵的組合和全世界文化的混合。

 

The effects of Globalization are diverse, moving various aspects of the world economy to bring about overall improvement. The IT revolution attached with the rising embrace of free market strategies in the wake of socialism, have led to the unrivaled combination of economies and mixing of cultures around the world.

 

2.2 Technology and Finance

 

In Sri Lanka over the past 10 years of time drastically changed the overall technology usage. It has being proved that the number of personal computer holders in the statistics.

 

 

Computer own house hold percentage is average 73% in Entire Island which is significant amount increase in rural areas. This is basically due to globalization people are more informative and they cognitively adopted to use the technology. Therefore most of the Srilankan companies tend to use cutting age technologies and trying to uplift their culture values to gain better competitor advantage.

 

E-marketing, E-promotions (BTL) and online payment methods which allowed venture units to explore more probabilities to reach global opportunities.

 

In Financial services such as banking industry have embrace with the technology, most of the banks operating in Sri Lanka are competitive with the way they offering services to consumers. The amount of technology manipulators are getting the ultimate competitor advantage whereas others have to step back or adopt technological changes recurrently. With the liberalization has led overseas banks getting entrance to local market and private investors to explore the banking domain. These banks are governed by the same rules and regulations that govern the domestic banks. HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Deutshe Bank, Citi Bank and Indian Overseas Bank are some of the foreign banks that are operating in Sri Lanka.

 

With the competition especially in the Urban or Suburban areas government banks had to differentiate their products offer with high technology such as ATM, Internet Banking, Online money transferring and implementing payment gateways as their value additions.

 

2.2 International Trade and Sales

 

International trade is the key component of globalization. For countries this has increased access of their products to bigger, international markets. This access has formed new opportunities to benefit from international labor and to be competitive in world market.

 

Trading country benefits from new technologies that are open to it from its international trading partners. This helps the developing countries to be more competitive compared with the developed countries

 

Historically indicate that Sri Lanka was a hub in the silk way in the early days which allowed it to get advantage from international trade. The country was rich with gems, spices and elephant which fascinated the traders from Far East countries to have trade relations with the country this allowed Sri Lanka a core in international trade centuries past.

 

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the main target of the Sales forces. By adopting CRM systems like Sales Force or Microsoft Dynamics CRM allowed organizations to standardize their sales force management and customer relationships management.

 

2.3 Educational / Healthcare / Social networking

 

Above Chart 1.2 shows people are more tend to use technology whatever the filed they involved. Sri Lankan Educational system has being changed to new adoption. New IT subjects has being introduced to school syllabuses which ensure better preparation towards global and local job market. Other technological topics also adjusted for the better result oriented approach according to the subjective.

 

Health care industry is a constantly growing industry with vast potential to grow specially country like Sri Lanka. It has employees a huge rage of professionals spread in all parts of the island. Digitization of health care functionalities were increased in last five to six years of time. Recording patient BHT’s, admission, e-channeling like vice core functionalities were automated. Health Professionals are aware of advantage of using technology for advance their research knowledge for better application of knowledge.

 

Social Media engagement is rapidly growing in Sri Lanka with the outburst of improving internet, Social Media literacy and those cheaper devices coming out in numbers specially Smart phones, PDA’s, computer Tabs, Etc..

 

 

People behaviors over sociality have being changed in last six to ten years specially with the increase of computer literacy rate (45%), Mobile phone usage, Internet usage and most importantly usage of social media networks such as Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, Linked In. Wide range options are influenced people to connect global easily with the improvements and changes during last two to three decades.#p#分頁標題#e#

 

2.3 People behavior and Organizational behavior Change

 

As learnt Maslow's hierarchy of needs. People’s behavior change towards their needs can be redefined as the application of globalization and technology adoption. As an example people shall anticipate their social needs where they can easily access through social media networks such as Facebook, linked In, Myspace witch perceiving their cognitive mind set as social need.

 

 

Since people are more adopting to use new technology as their fashion on demanding the technology and their awareness of the competitors, eventually organizations tend to shift their paradigm in the direction of using new cutting age technologies. Most of the Sri Lankan companies are smearing internet promotions as their marketing strategies. Example Dialog is kind of company which use innovative technology to cater their customers.

 

Couple of software companies where imagine for developing solutions for local companies as well as overseas witch reflecting the demand on future technological tendency in the business.

 

Situational Analysis of EFL | 3

 

3.1 About EFL

 

EFL is a subsidiary company of the Expolanka holdings PLC. It was established in 1982 as a small freight forwarding company situated in Peta. Freight and Logistics was the main line of business of the Expo Group which Expolanka Freight Ltd flagship the main player of the Freight and logistics sector. In 2012 Expolanka Freight Ltd rebranded the sector to establish a common identity and to highlight the strength as a seamless freight forwarder of bundled-together and personalized freight and logistic solutions provider. In the context of upcoming growth mainly due to sector potential in the in the future to dominate the marketplace as first mover.

 

Company Vision - “Makes an innovator and leader in Freight and Logistics not only Sri Lankan context but also in the South Asian region and the Global Arena”

 

EFL main product mix redefined with the structural change. Main product categories defended as Air Fright, Sea Freight, Warehouse & Transportation and Bonded Warehouse.

 

3.2 Organization Structure and Rebranding

 

EFL's worldwide footprint feasts across 4 continents and across 16 countries. EFL consist of 1,742 employees across the globe. With the vision in mind they took strategic move to focus on global operations, company has taken some major decisions to changes their structure. Structural and rebranding changes gave company to stream line the major objectives

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Applying policies and better coordination

 

Earlier it was decentralized and each overseas units have worked independently with little exposure to mother company. With the introduction of Expolanka international as cluster Holdings Company by requiting COO and separate departments for handling HR, IT, Marketing let company to unify the process more efficient manner.

 

Culture value uplift

 

Company positioning in the global market have being implemented with rebranding the logo change and introducing branded product categories. Company need to create strong brand symbol like DHL having on their brand EFL. Therefore continues change process applied with adopting new technology, Starting Value added services, moving to High tech offices. All the preparations have being done for future market opportunities which they anticipate in the future gain

 

People motivation

 

Stepped up the employee wellbeing systems, performance appraisal mechanism and training initiatives. Introduced new medical schemes for OPD hospital treatments, engaged employees to company CSR projects.

 

3.2 EFL strategy over technology

 

Earlier EFL got the IT support from the Expolanka group IT. Currently with the structural change EFL requited separate IT unit to handle IT oversees operations.

 

EFL IT is divided in to two departments

 

System and support services

Based in Expolanka International and Handle all network, system related, desktop related matters. Even say IT centralized some counties have one or two people handle functions. Country like India and Bangladesh have some amount employees comparing to other counties.

 

Software development

Attached to EFL Sri Lanka and department core functionality is to maintain the Cargodrive drive system which is EFL’s core business process system.

 

Company has its fashion to adapt new technology as their corporate strategy. During the last two to three years time new systems were introduced in a quick time on several areas. Align with the vision to get the competitor advantage company felt the necessity of improving governance on information technology and other possible value additions to services.

 

Company has taken huge strategic decisions on technology with the undergoing change. Especially on IT infrastructure development they so amount of IT services involved with the overseas. Growing contribution from international operations they have focus cost effective smart solutions

 

 

Following topics critically analysis the new technologies adapted by the EFL company and future technological embracement.

 

3.2.1 Customer Relationship management (CRM)

 

Nowadays, rigid competition among companies requires that those ones establish techniques in order to be faster, more effective and more powerful for their targets. Customer Relationship Management brings together all techniques and tools that are used to enter into relation with customers and prospects, in order to retain them and offer them a product or a service that is most suitable for their needs.

 

EFL had move to use Microsoft Dynamics CRM system in 2010 which system is catering Customer, Sales and helpdesk functionalities. System was implemented and continues support on maintenance policies by the holdings IT.

 

Benefits

 

Information aids the company to better focus the consumer and to send him offers.

All customer insights were recorded and allow to identify selling and dealing patterns.

Work pressure reduction in sales force by using the system which motivate them.

Job rotation has being easier and reduces the work dominant personalities.

3.2.1 Office 365 Cloud Implementation

 

In worldwide more Enterprise level companies interested with the cloud solutions as a new trend. Particularly the growth of web technologies makes cloud applications more popular among the organizations in the world. Office 365 offers all the familiar Beginning with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook where it need not to install the Office apps on PC, it just need to connect the machine to web and access O365 cloud app. as an early technology adopters EFL had a gut feeling of applying such technology which is totally new to country like Sri Lanka. The system was implemented in 2013 in a quick time.

 

System bundles with set of functionalities which allows users to play around with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook (mail), SharePoint

 

Benefits

 

No need of dedicated employees to troubleshoot and maintaining servers which simplifies the IT operation and smoothen centralized operations.

Streamline the IT support with the expanding of foreign operations.

Get competitor advantage of using cutting age technologies.

Once adaption to the system employees feel less fault tolerance. Which motivate people to use the system.

Less per user licensing cost (1$) earlier it was (3$) show cost reduction

3.2.2 Enterprise data management

 

Enterprise data management (EDM) is a Company's ability to effectively create, integrate, distribute and manage data for all enterprise applications, processes and entities requiring timely and accurate data delivery.#p#分頁標題#e#

 

Business Process management

 

EFL does have separate systems to handle their business process. Cargodrive is their main system which handle Freight Forwarding functionalities whereas warehouse and Transportation departments have separate systems namely Warehouse Management System (WMS) and TMS portal to manage transport related information with some better functionalities (Integrated Geo fencing),

 

Document management

 

EFL is following go green concept therefore in 2011 they introduced document management platform which served on Microsoft SharePoint. System has being utilized healthy during last three years by reducing the paper work and storing space.

 

Human resource Management

 

EFL has introduced their HR system in 2007 with the functionalities of attendance punch, Employee portal to apply leaves, Pay slips and coupled with payroll system.

 

Benefits

 

Having Business process system simplifies the operation and response time.

Management can track start to end of the worker jobs easily referring transaction information therefore Customer satisfaction of 100% secure.

Minimizes the costs due to inefficiency of work Eg: all the EFL Trucks are monitored with GPS tracking.

Paperless environment reduces the cost and utilization space in workplace and easy way of sharing, searching and storing documents especially working on geographically scattered offices.

Proper HR system provide better application of HR governance. Eg : improve attendance, systemize way of taking leaves, better service on employee payments.

3.2.4 Knowledge Management and collaboration

 

3.2.5 Key Challenges, problems and risks

 

Solutions and recommendations | 4 解決方案和建議

 

Improve staff motivation

 

Improve culture

 

Improve customer satisfaction

 

Improve Company efficiency

 

Better way of doing things theoretically