INDUSTRY PROFILE
Business-to-business (B2B or, in some countries, BtoB) refers to a situation where one business makes a commercial transaction with another. This typically occurs when:
A business is sourcing materials for their production process (e.g. a food manufacturer purchasing salt).
A business needs the services of another for operational reasons (e.g. a food manufacturer employing an accountancy firm to audit their finances).
A business re-sells goods and services produced by others (e.g. a retailer buying the end product from the food manufacturer).
B2B is often contrasted against business to customer (B2C). In B2B commerce it is often the case that the parties to the relationship have comparable negotiating power, and even when they don't, each party typically involves professional staff and legal counsel in the negotiation of terms, whereas B2C is shaped to a far greater degree by economic implications of information symmetry. In most cases, the overall volume of B2B (business-to-business) transactions is much higher than the volume of B2C transactions. The primary reason for this is that in a typical supply chain there will be many B2B transactions involving subcomponents or raw materials and only one B2C transaction, specifically sale of the finished product to the end customer. For example, an automobile manufacturer makes several B2B transactions such as buying tires, glass for windscreens, and rubber hoses for its vehicles. The final transaction, a finished vehicle sold to the consumer, is a single (B2C) transaction. However, in certain cases, for example a toothbrush manufacturer may make lesser B2B transactions of raw materials than the number of B2C transactions of toothbrush units that are sold.
1|Page
B2B Marketing, or sometime refers as Industrial Marketing are commonly refers to business transactions between companies. The transacted products and/or services are used in manufacturing that are not marketed to the general consuming public. Industrial products can be process inputs – products consumed in the manufacturing/ construction process (such as steel formworks and scaffolding); or product inputs products that remains as ingredients of the final product (such as wall & floor tiling and sanitary wares). The transactions of industrial products are usually has relatively high value compared to consumer products, repeat-purchase in nature and are integral to the success of both parties (Hutt & Speh, 2001). Research by De Chernatony & McDonald (1998) outlined some key characteristics that are suggested to differentiate industrial markets from consumer markets, which includes:
Fewer, but larger buyers B2B transactions are transaction between companies; items purchased are commonly to be consumed during the processes in producing end products that selling to general public. Quantity purchased is relatively large as compared to consumer purchase, but the industrial products are only needed by companies that involves in the market segment as relates to the selling company.
More people involved in decision making process, Unlike consumer purchases where the buyer is the decision maker and the user of the product; The purchaser is rarely the user of the purchase items, B2B purchases generally involves various professional that responsible for different roles & functions in an organization. Decision are only be made after systematic and careful search and evaluation of information relates to the purchase items and its alternative goods/ solutions.
Closer buyer-seller relationships, In view that B2B transaction is integral to the success of both buying and selling company, and the transactions are commonly repeats in nature. It is critical for the selling company to have a good understanding on the operation of buying company, and to establish a trustworthy business partner relationship with the 2|Page
client. In fact, relationship marketing is a key study area by many academic researchers in the area of B2B marketing.
Products often need customizing to customers’ needs, Consumer products are generally off-the-shelf items with little or no customization. However, industrial products are commonly uses as an ingredient/ component items to the buying company’s end products, hence require substantial customization to match its specific requirements in term of technical, financial, delivery arrangement, after-sales supports and etc.
Purchases are negotiated less frequently, Most negotiation on the purchase of industrial products took place during initial stage. Once the suitable item is selected, it will become repeat 16 purchase unless the selected items fail to perform, or there are major chances in the requirement that the selected fail to accommodate.
Greater loyalty, Trust and loyalty is the key to the integral success of both buying and selling company. Buying company would usually place repeat orders in reducing perceived purchase risks, and it will take a lengthy process for the purchasing committee to select a new supplier that can understand their operation, specific requirement and committed to the mutual success of both companies.
More rational buying behavior, The purchasing process goes through a systematic and objective procedure, where many professional that responsible for different roles & function involves in the selection process. Such procedure is able to reduce the chances of individual bias and/or preferences over the purchase item.
Better informed buyers. The purchasing committee includes professional that has extensive knowledge and exposure in the area of their expertise; extensive information search is to be carry out during the selection process; and most available alternative items/ solutions are being study and evaluate before the selection in done.
3|Page
B2B Relation Development Business to business transactions require planning to be successful. Such transactions rely on a company’s account management personnel to establish business client relationships. Business to business relationships also must be nurtured, typically through professional interactions prior to sales, for successful transactions to take place. Traditional marketing practices also help businesses connect with business clients. Trade publications aid in this effort, offering businesses opportunities to advertise in print and online. A business’s presence at conferences and trade shows also builds awareness of the
products
and
services
it
provides
to
other
businesses.
B2B E-Commerce The internet provides a robust environment in which businesses can find out about products and services and lay the groundwork for future business to business transactions. Company websites allow interested parties to learn about a business's products and services and initiate contact. Online product and supply exchange websites allow businesses to search for products directories providing information about particular industries, companies and the products and services they provide also facilitate business to business transactions.
B2B Examples Business to business transactions are the backbone of the automobile industry. Many vehicle components are manufactured independently and auto manufacturers purchase these parts to assemble automobiles. Tires, batteries, electronics, hoses and door locks, for example, usually are manufactured by various companies and sold directly to automobile manufacturers. Service providers also engage in business to business transactions. Companies specializing in property management, housekeeping and industrial cleanup, for example, often sell these services exclusively to other businesses, rather than individual consumers. 4|Page
On the Internet, B2B (business-to-business), also known as e-biz, is the exchange of products, services or information (aka e-commerce) between businesses, rather than between businesses and consumers. Although early interest centered on the growth of retailing on the internet (sometimes called e-tailing), forecasts have predicted that B2B revenue will soon far exceed businessto-consumers (B2C) revenue. B2B websites can be sorted into the following categories:
Company websites. The target audience of many company sites is other companies and their employees. These sites can be thought of as round-the-clock mini-trade exhibits. Sometimes, a company website serves as the entrance to an exclusive extranet, available only to customers or registered site users. Some company sites sell directly from the site, effectively e-tailing to other businesses.
Product supply and procurement exchanges. These are exchanges in which a company purchasing agent can shop for supplies from vendors, request proposals and, in some cases, bid to make a purchase at a desired price. Sometimes referred to as e-procurement sites, some serve a range of industries, while others focus on a niche market.
Specialized or vertical industry portals. These portals provide a "sub-web" of information, product listings, discussion groups and other features. Vertical portal sites have a broader purpose than procurement sites (although they may also support buying and selling).
Brokering sites. These sites act as an intermediary between providers and potential customers that need their specific services, such as equipment leasing.
Information sites. Sometimes known as infomediaries, these sites provide information about a particular industry to its companies and their employees. Information sites include specialized search sites and those of trade-and-industry-standards organizations. 5|Page
Many B2B sites fall into more than one of these groups. Models for B2B sites are still evolving. Another type of B2B enterprise is software for building B2B websites, including sitebuilding tools and templates, database and methodologies, as well as transact software. The problems with B2B Branding
Despite the number of benefits a strong brand can convey to both the seller and the buyer, it is surprising that many industrial companies are not utilizing it. There are a number of reasons why there is a lack of branding amongst B2B companies. There is a lack of academic research in B2B branding, whereas there has been a vast amount of research into branding in a B2C context (Lynch & de Chernatony, 2004; Ohnemus, 2009). B2B branding does not seem to be an important issue according to research it is perceived as gimmicky (McDowell Mudambi, Doyle, & Wong, 1997) and it has been suggested that the practice of branding industrial products is impractical due to companies having thousands of products (Bendixen et al., 2004). It is not clear whether B2B branding will increase the financial reward. Building brand equity involves a long term financial investment. In the current economic climate making a long term commitment often at the expense of short term business profitability is not a sacrifice that many B2B marketers would readily make. This would potentially lead to financial problems for the company (Balmer, 2001 and Gronroos, 1997). The fact that even basic questions regarding the perceptions of B2B branding, the level of branding that should be used in a B2B context and whether the investment will generate financial reward means that the much of the research in B2B branding has little or no theoretical underpinnings (Ohnemus, 2009). As a result companies will find it difficult to implement any information they do obtain on B2B branding. Academic research needs to develop knowledge about branding in a B2B context in a cohesive, coherent manner in order to eliminate these problems and enable B2B marketers to make informed decisions about their brand strategy. 6|Page
This dissertation topic is B2B marketing nowadays, however the author analysis of literature is not only about B2B marketing literature. Indeed, in marketing historical literature industrial and consumer marketing have been differentiated leading to the emergence of the B2B/B2C dichotomy theory. However, it seems that these two fields have common goals (i.e. sell products and services, increase brand awareness and sales revenue…) and means (i.e. media and tools). Yet, industrial and consumer marketing practitioners manage their means differently and with different tactics. Thus, the author decided to study B2B marketing and the case of a particular consumer marketing strategy (i.e. IMC). So, this chapter aimed to review the literature situation on industrial marketing and IMC to enable the researcher to test the possible use of IMC in B2B marketing and its consequences on a B2B marketing and communications effects model in-co-ordination with her primary data collection.
To analyze the literature available on her research topic the researcher has developed a forensic critique approach. That is to say she has paid attention to the details in the literature: the soundness and quality of argumentation. Indeed, she has built her analyze of the literature by analyzing the arguments and how they are presented by authors. This approach has enabled the researcher to present the main theories and concepts to integrate in her research and identify their strengths and weaknesses.
7|Page
COMPANY PROFILE
HungerBox, based out of Bangalore, is a full stack corporate F&B technology and food management company. Their vision is to enhance the productivity of the employees by providing technology driven cafeteria food experience. It is creating top notch food experience by providing cafeteria management from some of the best vendors of the city and providing technology solutions for the same.
The company is led by pioneers of Food technology in India. Their mission is revolutionizing the office food experience to make it more convenient and enjoyable through the use of Technology, ensuring food quality and safety and seamless execution. The objective is to reduce the hassle that an employee goes through while ordering their daily food which helps them reduce time involved in waiting for their food, standing in queue, etc. With the help of feedback mechanism, caterers get the insights that would help them in making the quality of their food better in taste and quality.
Business Models
HungerBox follows four distinct business Models. They are as follows:
E-Cafeteria: HungerBox provides a tech platform for employees and vendors so that employees can order and enjoy their food with minimum waiting time. This would make the entire cafeteria tech enabled and provide the ability to run the cafeteria 24x7.
8|Page
E-Catering: HungerBox provides a food solution where packed meals are provided to employees. These meals could be company paid, employee paid, etc. based on the benefits provided by the employers
E-Food court: HungerBox connects caterers with employees, based on the requirement given by the employer, to order from the caterers and make use of the employer paid meals.
E-Services: HungerBox provides food solutions for corporate food requirements for large events, meetings, parties, etc. HungerBox will make use of its top notch supply chain network to provide the best caterers for maximum customer satisfaction.
Benefits of using HungerBox
For employees
Employees will be able to browse through the menu and order from anywhere in the office premises through the apps that HungerBox provides.
Employees will not have to stand in line at the cash counters as they can plug in the money online into their HungerBox accounts or pay online while ordering.
Employees will be able to provide feedback and rating for the food items they consume and also rate the entire food experience.
Employees will be intimated regarding order readiness and pick up intimation, which will reduce their idle time in cafeteria.
The overall reduction in idle time spent in cafeteria and an enhanced cafeteria experience will boost overall employee productivity.
9|Page
For employers
Employers will have an expert in the Food-tech industry, who would bring in best in class technology to manage food caterers and employee ordering, keeping food safety standards in mind.
Employers will have more visibility on the entire process of ordering through the real time data that the HungerBox admin console provides.
Employers will have access to the feedback that the employees provide for their daily food experience. Based on the feedback data, employers can gather actionable insights and act on it.
Employers can track performance of all caterers through the HungerBox admin console and take actions based on that.
Employers have a 24x7 Helpline for their issues to be resolved.
Employers will have a Technology enabled cafeteria which saves a lot of employee time and hence increases employee productivity.
For Caterers
As the entire cafeteria becomes tech enabled, Caterers will not be required to manage any cash and hence not perform any cash reconciliations.
Caterers will have visibility on each of their cafeterias through daily reports which would provide important information as required by the caterer (like Orders placed, Transaction value, etc.).
Caterers will have access to stock reports, data dashboards and selling history which would help them in food preparation according to the fluctuating demands of the cafeteria.
Order management, menu updates, etc. will be done online which empowers the caterer to share information with the employees and hence provide a better food experience.
Hunger Box’s feedback module will help caterers to improve food and service quality based on employee feedback. 10 | P a g e
Types of vendors
In a cafeteria food is typically served in two ways. Either the food is cooked in the cafeteria kitchen or the food is prepared in an external kitchen and transported to the cafeteria. There are two basic types of kitchens, i.e. buffet and tuck shop/live kitchen.
Buffet: The amount of food is predetermined. The Vendor brings a fixed amount of plates and the items in the menu may vary from day to day. All ‘meals’ come under this type of vendor.
Tuck Shop: Tuck shop refers to all the tea stalls and sandwich counters which make the food in the kitchen or the counter. Here there is a question of availability of food and raw materials to make the dish.
Audits
HungerBox also conducts kitchen audits for the base as well live kitchens. Though it is a part of the site manager’s job to check the basic cleanliness and inventory management of the vendor on a daily basis, these checks are mostly superficial which does not require expert handling. So the main audits are done by food quality experts who have a checklist of norms that need to be followed by the vendors. The kitchens should have some of the key points of this checklist are:
Food vehicle inspection:
Counter setting
11 | P a g e
Sensory evaluation
Bain Marie and food utensils check
Overall cleanliness of the cafeteria
CLIENTS – HungerBox is providing food tech solutions for 70+ companies across 5 states in India. Some of the main clients are:
12 | P a g e
Organogram: Vision HungerBox vision is to enhance the productivity of corporate employees by providing them a technology driven food experience which is safe, healthy and evolving constantly. We are revolutionizing office food and cafeteria management along with the best caterers in the city with the use of best in class Technology and Infrastructure and robust Operational processes without compromising on Food quality and Food Safety.
We leverage our strengths and experience to deliver the best in class corporate food experience, which results in enhanced employee productivity and employee satisfaction.
We are currently serving over 100 clients across the country and continue to delight them every day with our services.
Organization structure An organizational chart (often called organization chart, org chart, organigram (me), or organogram) is a diagram that shows the structure of an organization and the relationships and relative ranks of its parts and positions/jobs. The term is also used for similar diagrams, for example ones showing the different elements of a field of knowledge or a group of languages.
13 | P a g e
There are four main departments viz. Operations, Accounts, Marketing and HR. The respective managers report directly to the CEO.
Operations Organization structure
14 | P a g e
The operations team consists of the operations manager who works closely with area managers. Area manager are responsible for certain number of cafeterias in a particular area. For example there are two main clients in Electronic city and each client has two cafeterias. So all the four cafeterias are under the Area manager. Each cafeteria has a team which functions there. The Site manager takes care of the daily operations in one cafeteria along with the site associates. In some cafeterias where the operations are mostly stable, there are no site associates. The main duty of the site manager is to check the kitchens, follow the daily checklist and help the customers in placing orders and resolving customer and vendor issues.
The Tech Team and Supply Team are also a part of the operations hierarchy who directly report to the operations manager. The Tech Team is in charge of developing all the technology that HungerBox uses for daily operations. They design and provide the hardware and the software which forms the base of the company’s technology solutions. The most accomplished achievement of the team is the HungerBox app for easy food ordering and the admin dashboard for tracking sales and vendor performances.
The Supply Team is in charge of supplying vendors as and when required in a cafeteria. Sometimes some vendors may choose not to collaborate with HungerBox. The Supply Team forms a supply chain of vendors from various cuisines and kitchen types which provide services as and when required. The team also has direct contact with the vendor owners and hence the any issues with vendor are directly dealt by them.
The HungerBox staff aims at providing the best technology solutions and services. They work round the clock to cater to all customer needs.
15 | P a g e
Operations support and branding at existing client sites: Four client location has been done:
FirstSource Firstsource Solutions Limited is a provider of business process outsourcing services headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is owned by RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. First source provides customized business process management to customers in the banking and financial services, customer services, telecom and media, and healthcare sectors. Its clients include Fortune 500 financial services, telecommunications and healthcare companies. Firstsource has operations in India, US, Ireland, UK, and Philippines.
Genpact Genpact (NYSE: G) is a global professional services firm focused on delivering digital transformation for our clients, putting digital and data to work to create competitive advantage. We do this by integrating lean principles, design thinking, analytics and digital technologies with our domain and industry expertise to deliver disruptive business outcomes – an approach we call Lean DigitalSM. We deliver value to our clients in two ways – through digital-led, domain-enabled solutions that drive innovation, and through intelligent operations enabled by digital that design, transform, and run clients’ operations. Our approach is continually refined in one of the world’s largest digital process sandboxes, where we test and improve thousands of processes. For two decades we have been passionately generating impact for clients from the Fortune Global 500 and beyond, employing over 77,000 people in more than 20 countries, with key offices in New York City, Palo Alto, London, and Delhi.
16 | P a g e
Genpact began in 1997 as a business unit within General Electric. In January 2005, Genpact became an independent company to bring our process expertise and unique DNA in Lean management to clients beyond GE, and then in August 2007, we became a publicly-traded company (NYSE: G). Bain Capital became Genpact’s largest shareholder in November 2012, with the strategic objective to grow the company further. Since December 31, 2005, we have expanded from 19,000+ employees and annual revenues of US $491.90 million to 77,000+ employees and annual revenues of US$2.57 billion as of December 31, 2016.
British Telecom
BT Group plc (trading as BT) is a holding company which owns British Telecommunications plc, a British multinational telecommunications company with head offices in London, United Kingdom. It has operations in around 180 countries and is the largest provider of fixed-line, mobile and broadband services in the UK, and also provides subscription television and IT Services. BT's origins date back to the founding of the Electric Telegraph Company in 1846 which developed a nationwide communications network. In 1912, the General Post Office, a government department, became the monopoly telecoms supplier in the United Kingdom. The Post Office Act of 1969 led to the GPO becoming a public corporation. British Telecommunications, trading as British Telecom, was formed in 1980, and became independent of the Post Office in 1981. British Telecommunications
was
privatized
in
1984,
becoming British
Telecommunications plc, with some 50 percent of its shares sold to investors. The Government sold its remaining stake in further share sales in 1991 and 1993. BT has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange, a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. BT controls a number of large subsidiaries. BT Global Services division supplies telecoms services to corporate and government customers worldwide, and its BT 17 | P a g e
Consumer division
supplies
telephony,
broadband
and
subscription
television services in Great Britain to around 18 million customers. BT announced in February 2015 that it had agreed to acquire EE for £12.5 billion, and received final regulatory approval from the Competition and Markets Authority on 15 January 2016. The transaction was completed on 29 January 2016.
Verifone Verifone is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California that provides technology for electronic payment transactions and valueadded services at the point of sale. Verifone sells merchant-operated, consumer-facing and self-service payment systems to the financial, retail, hospitality, petroleum, government and healthcare industries. The company’s system solutions consist of POS electronic payment devices that run its own operating systems, security and encryption software, and certified payment software, and that are designed for both consumer-facing and unattended environments. Its system solutions process a range of payment types, including signature and personal
identification
number
(PIN)-based
debit
cards,
credit
cards,
contactless/radio frequency identification cards, smart cards, pre-paid gift and other stored-value cards, electronic bill payment, check authorization and conversion, signature capture and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT). The company’s architecture enables multiple applications, including third-party applications, such as gift card and loyalty card programs, healthcare insurance eligibility, and time and attendance tracking, and allows these services to reside on the same system without requiring re certification upon the addition of new applications.
18 | P a g e
The activities done were:
Convincing employees to switch to our model-
Giving them support and help in the smooth on boarding- interaction with the employees on a constant basis to persuade them to switch to our model by explaining the benefits of the system was one major task. Boosting the number of registrations to at least 75% of the employee population and boosting the number of app orders to a considerable amount was primary task. Network issues being a common sight, convincing and calming irate employees were also of out most importance.
Hardware and resource management
Main hardware of HungerBox includes POS Machines, Cafe tabs, internet connection and recharge points. The hardware should be constantly monitored to reduce issues and improve efficiency. Educating the vendors and employees about usage and maintaining the hardware was also done.
Suggesting process improvements based on employee feedback
Constant interaction with employees and monitoring process flow gave me insights into process and product improvement ideas and successfully implement it.
Registration and on boarding of employees
Registration of employees saw a huge increase in all 3 locations due to the efficient customer support given by us. Employees were educated on the functioning of the system and usages and their grievances were attended quickly and diligently.
19 | P a g e
Conducting a product and process related survey on the employees to suggest improvements.
A survey was conducted on 950 employees belonging to 3 client locations for process, product and service improvement.
Launching of a Cafeteria
Launching of the cafeteria is done by the launch team. It is a cross-functional team which has members from tech team operations team and marketing team who contribute according to their skills. This team is in charge of the pilot testing phase. In this phase, the employee registrations are done and the app demo is given. After one month of operation, HungerBox withdraws from the cafeteria and waits for the feedback from cafeteria admin. The cafeteria admin may or may not choose to continue with HungerBox based on the employee feedback.
Daily Operations
After the pilot test, once the cafeteria is under HungerBox, the day to day operations of the cafeteria has the following tasks:
Registering new employees: Adding new employees to the HungerBox database so that they can avail all the benefits provided by HungerBox. The employees are registered against their company employee ID and phone number.
20 | P a g e
Providing app demos: App is one of the most important and crucial work of an operations employee. The HungerBox app enables the employees to see the cafeteria menu on their phone and offers them the luxury of placing order from their cubicle. They are notified when the order is ready. So when the customers register, app demos are given to make them acquainted with the benefits and ease of ordering food.
Handling POS machines: There are mainly two types of POS machines, cash and Vendor POS. Cash POS machine is used to provide bill tokens for the employees who want to pay in cash. This POS machine is handled by the vendor. Each vendor has unique login credentials. After login, the vendor can see the different orders which have been placed. The behavior of the app depends on the type of food the vendor provides (buffet/tuck shop). If the vendor is a buffet, then the order gets auto confirmed and the vendor can scan the QR code and deliver the order. This also helps the vendor to verify the user credentials.
Recharging wallets: Wallets can be recharged by company paid allowances or by the user themselves (Cash and carry). They may pay in cash at the helpdesk or recharge online using the various options like debit/credit card, net banking, ewallets etc.
Using HungerBox Admin tools: There are numerous operations can be done using the tool. From tracking orders to generating sales report, this tool is the main backbone of the operations. From registering new employees, recharging wallets to tracking vendor performance cafeteria wise is possible in this tool. This tool is also used to request for special events which might occur in the cafeteria. It is also
21 | P a g e
used for updating vendors and menu. It can be done from accessing the admin website or from the HungerBox Ops app.
Customer care: Customer care refers to catering to customer complaints, queries and needs. Not just the customers, the vendors also need to be catered to as they are a major stakeholder of the business. This is one of the major task that is done on a daily basis.
22 | P a g e
SWOT analysis
Strengths
Unique services that are not provided by any other company
Founders have over 10 years of experience in the industry.
Strong supply chain
Increasing clientele
Usage of latest technology
Satisfied customers in many cafeterias
Deals with the India’s top Investors.
Weakness
Poorly trained staff at the lower level of hierarchy
Frequent technical difficulty
Improper Roster Making
Inefficient cash handling 23 | P a g e
Payment delays for vendors.
Payment delays for Employees.
Accepting of cash by vendors which reduces the sales in the company.
Opportunities
Lot of big names in the client list
Good expansion prospects
Fully cashless cafeterias
Threats
Vendor non cooperation
Technology needs improvement
Requires better marketing and expansion plans
Unsatisfied customers in some cafeterias
24 | P a g e
PESTLE ANALYSIS
PoliticalA Company entering a global market is always prone to political risk. A host country will make political decisions that will prove to have adverse effects on the multinational's profits and/or goals. Adverse political actions can range from very detrimental, such as widespread destruction due to revolution, to those of a more financial nature, such as the creation of laws that prevent the movement of capital. In general, there are two types of political risk, macro risk and micro risk.
EconomicSocio-economic factors like cost of labor can make a business unsustainable. Hiring people and matching their pay scales is also an arduous task. Global expansion also requires the firm to raise more funds. The banking system is different, so setting up bank accounts
and
carrying
out
transactions
also
takes
time
to
settle.
SocialIt was difficult to operate in a new language while also trying to reinvent their operations. Also, they needed people with a reasonable amount of international exposure to be able to go and get things done overseas. TechnologicalAn international market demands a world class product, and a product developed solely for Indian market might not be able to cater to the global demands. LegalLegal aspect of the fast food business has seen important changes happening during the recent decades. The pressure due to changing legal requirements has risen. Food quality 25 | P a g e
and nutritive value are the major areas affected by law. Apart from it, packaging and waste management are also critically impacted. Overall, law imposed new demands on the fast food industry. The entire sector changed its approach towards marketing and sales. For the fast food brands, it is important that they comply with the legal changes. Particularly, they should market responsibly to children under 13. EnvironmentalSustainability was another important factor to impact the industry globally. Changing government rules and regulations pressed the brands to adopt a greener approach. Food related regulations grew stricter. Whether US, UK or Europe, the quality standards have become stiffer everywhere. The US Food and Drug administration also tightened the rules. Targeting children and waste management were some areas where brands were forced to change their approach. A green approach has helped brands enjoy improved customer loyalty. McDonald’s innovated its approach to recycling and waste management. Sustainability too became an important requirement for the entire industry. Some of the brands have even focused on having sustainable and compliant supply chains.
26 | P a g e
Investor of Hunger Box: Krishnan Ganesh Ganesh is a successful serial entrepreneur with four successful green field ventures and exits.
His last venture, TutorVista was acquired by US and UK listed education leader Pearson for $ 213 MM. He was among the top 5 nominees for the Economic Times Entrepreneur of the year 2012 Award.
His current venture, Portea Medical, provides technology-led home health care to the Indian consumer.
He actively mentors, incubates and funds start-ups and is strategic investor and promoter of several Indian consumer Internet and ecommerce companies including Bigbasket.com – India’s largest egrocery company, Bluestone.com – leading online jewelry company and Avagmah.com – India’s fastest growing online higher education company.
Previously, Ganesh founded data analytics BPO firm Marketics, which was acquired in March 2007 by NYSE listed WNS for $ 63 MM.
His earlier venture Customer Asset, was started in mid-2000 and later acquired by ICICI (NYSE listed, India’s largest bank) and is now publicly listed in India as First Source Solutions. In 1990, he founded his first company - IT&T, one of India’s top multi-vendor IT service and support company. The business was acquired by iGATE (a listed company) in 2003. Ganesh has also worked as the CEO of Wipro/Bharti British Telecom – a British Telecom JV in India, and held a senior management position in HCL Ltd. 27 | P a g e
He is also a popular speaker in entrepreneurship, start-up and technology events. He has been recognized as one of the "Iconic Entrepreneurs of India" in a document published by National Knowledge Commission, Government of India.
He serves as a member of Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. Krishnan is a post-graduate from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, and has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi University.
28 | P a g e
COMPETITORS
Zomato Zomato is a restaurant search and discovery service founded in 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah. It currently operates in 23 countries, including India, Australia & United States. It provides information and reviews on restaurants, including images of menus where the restaurant does not have its own website.
Swiggy Swiggy is a food ordering and Delivery Company based out of Bangalore, India. Swiggy was inspired by the thought of providing a complete food ordering and delivery solution from the best neighborhood restaurants to the urban foodie. A single window for ordering from a wide range of restaurants, we have our own exclusive fleet of delivery personnel to pick up orders from restaurants and deliver it to customers. Having our own fleet gives us the flexibility to offer customers a no minimum order policy on any restaurant and accept online payments for all partner restaurants that we work with. Our delivery personnel carry one order at a time which ensures we get reliable and fast deliveries.
Food Panda The Food Panda group (stylized as food panda) is a global mobile food delivery marketplace headquartered in Berlin, Germany, operating in 43 countries and territories. The service allows users to select from local restaurants and place orders via its mobile applications as well as its websites. The company has partnered with over 40,000 restaurants. The firm was acquired by Delivery Hero in early December 2016.
29 | P a g e
ORGANIZATIONAL STUDY MARKETING When some firms think of B2B marketing strategies, they think primarily of direct and outbound techniques – messages that you might send straight to clients or prospective buyers that you’ve identified. In this approach, the goal is to be compelling and persuasive enough that the audience responds and engages with your services. These kinds of techniques certainly have a place in your marketing tool belt. But the world of B2B marketing strategies has expanded, and the behavior of professional services buyers has changed. Buyers are much more likely to do a Google search to find and evaluate a firm than to check personal references. This has broadened the range of B2B marketing strategies at your disposal today, staying competitive means taking full advantage of a wide spectrum of strategies.
Research Research is the bedrock of any modern marketing effort. From marketplace research to brand research, detailed scientific studies will help you make more informed decisions. They’ll give you an objective basis for your marketing and provide you valuable baselines for measuring your results. By conducting research, you’ll know your clients better — which puts you in a position to serve them better. Market research also gives your insight into how your processes are performing. You’ll know which aspects of your firm are performing most successfully and develop a better understanding of which services you should offer. The impact of research is clear. Our own studies on the impact of research have shown that firms that conduct systematic research on their prospects and clients
30 | P a g e
grow three to ten times faster and are up to two times more profitable than peers that don’t pursue research.
Niche-driven Strategy One of your most important business considerations – period – is specialization and niche targeting. Our research has repeatedly shown that the fastest growing firms tends to be specialists in a carefully targeted niche. This should be an area of the industry that you understand thoroughly, a space in which you can become an undisputable expert and leader. Specialization makes all of your marketing efforts easier, because it tends to define exactly what you do and immediately distinguish you from the competition. A specialization is a differentiator that proves itself.
A High Performance Website In today’s professional services marketplace, your firm’s website is one of your most crucial assets. It is much more than a digital billboard or brochure, as some firms believed in the past. A successful website is the hub of a firm’s online presence and an information-rich projection of its expertise into the marketplace. Your website is a critical tool for building visibility. Potential clients search online to find service providers, and they need to be able to find your firm’s website in order for you to have a chance at winning their business. Plus, your website enables you to demonstrate your firm’s expertise and become well-known throughout the marketplace. Our research paints a clear picture of the importance of a professional services firm’s website. In fact, 80% of people look at website when checking out service providers – the most commonly used information source by far.
31 | P a g e
And as new visitors reach your site, robust educational content and carefully targeted offers can drive leads to closer and closer engagements, eventually bringing qualified leads straight to you. This process of nurturing leads through content is illustrated below:
A second component of your website you need to consider is design. Web and graphic design can influence your audience’s perceptions, aid recall, and swiftly and intuitively differentiate a business.
32 | P a g e
The power of design to engage audiences is often underappreciated — which means it offers a tremendous opportunity to set firms apart and convey the credibility firms needs to thrive. Finally, another increasingly essential consideration for your website is its usability across a wide range of devices, including mobile. Responsive design, which allows your website to adapt to suit a user’s device, has become a key feature as more people use mobile devices to do business.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) As we alluded to in the previous item, your target audience has to be able to find your site for it to be effective. That’s where search engine optimization comes in. This is such a key piece of the online marketing puzzle that in our studies, highgrowth firms list it as the most effective online marketing technique available to them.
Though SEO is a complex and evolving discipline, it ultimately consists of two primary components.
33 | P a g e
On-site SEO uses targeted keyword phrases to communicate the concepts on your site that matter to your audience. These keyword phrases typically focus on your services and expertise. The purpose of on-site SEO is to communicate to search engines what your website is about. This allows search engines to produce more relevant results to searchers. And when audiences search for insight on your area of specialty, they’ll find you. Off-site SEO takes the form of links to your website, either through outside engagement or guest articles in other publications, for example. These efforts work to increase your site’s authority as a widely recognized leader on your topic. As more high authority and relevant websites link to your website, search engines will begin to see your site as more credible – resulting in higher rankings.
Social Media If you needed any more proof that social media is here to stay for professional services firms, we’ve got you covered. Our research has found that over 60% of buyers check out new service providers on social media, making it a more commonly used source of information than formal referrals and recommendations. Even the nature of referrals has changed in the wake of social media. A recent study on referral marketing has found that 17% of expertise-based referrals are made on the basis of interactions on social media. Put simply, social media is an accelerator for the reach of your reputation, expertise, and content. It allows you to network and connect with valuable contacts and influencers, as well as monitor your brand by social listening.
34 | P a g e
Advertising There are a number of platforms on which your firm can advertise effectively:
Industry publications and websites
Social media
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) – Google AdWords, as well as Bing and Yahoo
Retargeting – A cookie-based technology that uses a simple JavaScript code to anonymously “follow” your audience across the Web and serve relevant ads Advertising doesn’t just promote your services – it can also play an important role in driving content downloads, increasing both your expertise and visibility. It’s important, however, to use forms of advertising best-suited to professional services. LinkedIn, retargeting, and other industry-focused advertising tend to work best, because they allow you to most directly target appropriate industry audiences, which leads to more conversions, higher click-through rates, and lower cost per download. Search engine marketing (SEM), on the other hand, often can be more expensive and harder to target for professional services’ purposes. Similarly, Facebook ads tend to be less effective because the platform is used at a lower rate by professional services buyers than other social media networks.. However, it’s important to remember there are many variations of each of these advertising types. Professional services firms might find them more or less successful depending on budget, ad purpose, targeting, and industry niche.
35 | P a g e
Referral Marketing We mentioned that the nature of professional services referrals has changed – and this has major implications for your B2B marketing strategy. Our studies of referral marketing strategies in professional services have revealed an important new facet of the practice – over 81.5% of providers have received a referral from someone who wasn’t a client. Where do these referrals come from? The vast majority are based on a firm’s reputation or its expertise.
By using content marketing in conjunction with the rest of the tactics in this list, you can build a brand with a widespread reputation for specialty in your area – and an understanding of your expertise even among audiences that haven’t worked with you directly. This brand recognition can lead to referrals and new business.
Marketing Automation, CRM, and Lead Nurturing Marketing Automation: Marketing Automation replaces high-touch, repetitive manual processes with automated ones – supported by technology solutions. It brings together all of your online marketing channels into one centralized system for creating, managing, and measuring programs and campaigns. As with any technological tool, it’s essential to select the right marketing automation software for your firm. Make sure the size, complexity, and scalability of a prospective solution is a good match for your needs. 36 | P a g e
CRM: Another essential software is a Customer Relationship Management System (CRM). Many firms use a CRM to track and organize opportunities and client information. In short, a CRM will help you stay organized and connected, no matter how sophisticated your operations grow. Your CRM serves as the database for all the information you collect about opportunities and clients, including specific interactions with them. The information can be entered, stored, and accessed by employees in different firm departments, synchronizing efforts across your firm. Lead Nurturing: But CRM isn’t the end of the story. Remember the lead-nurturing content funnel? Your website is one critical piece of that puzzle – and email marketing is another. Targeted, analytics-driven email marketing campaigns allow you to deliver soft and hard offers for specific buyer roles, tailored to a buyer’s particular place in the buying process. Similarly, drip email campaigns enable you to send more targeted offers to segments of your audience over a set period of time. This builds closer engagement (and educates further) through successive, relevant content and offers.
Testing and Optimization We started with research, but we’re not finished with our scientific approach. Testing and optimization allow you to iterate your marketing efforts and make ongoing decisions based on hard data rather than intuition. Just as research is the bedrock of your marketing, testing and optimization is your continuous guide. You should never stop testing your marketing campaigns and adjusting them accordingly. This includes:
37 | P a g e
A/B testing of emails, landing pages – Using A/B testing tools (like Optimizely or Unbounce), learn which of two emails or landing pages converts users more successfully based in variances of language, design, or other elements.
Email and landing page rendering – Use tools like Email on Acid to test how emails will render on different devices and platforms, ensuring that they look and function as they should.
Analytics and Reporting Similarly, it is critical to analyze the right metrics in order to measure results effectively. You will need tools in place to collect accurate data on all your efforts, from your website to social media to SEO. Google Analytics is an essential tool for measuring and analyzing your site traffic. MOZ can help you study and improve your SEO results, while tools like Hootsuite provide detailed social media analytics. Analytics and testing help you truly understand what is working and what is not. Embrace them, use them. They will help you turn your marketing efforts from an art form into a science.
A Final Thought The important thing is not to stand still or grow comfortable. In order to remain competitive, your firm must constantly assess your B2B marketing strategies and find ways to improve. The online marketing world is evolving at a faster and faster rate, but today, the firms that successfully gather and utilize data on their performance – across a wide range of marketing efforts – are situated to win.
38 | P a g e
FINANCE There are approximately 28 million small and medium businesses (SMBs) in the India, with small businesses being defined as having 500 or fewer employees and medium businesses as having between 500 and 1,500 employees. SMBs account for 54% of sales in the United States and provide 55% of the jobs in the U.S. labor market. With these figures in mind, we turn our focus to a key trend within the financial technology sector — the increase in both the quantity and quality of firms that provide SMB payment processing services, and financial management and planning services. These firms provide an invaluable service to small and medium businesses by allowing them to both efficiently achieve their internal financial objectives as well as gain access to technologies that were previously reserved for much larger enterprises. Capital raisings within this segment of the software industry are increasing as well, enabling venture capital and private equity firms to both profit and further the industry.
Financial software for small and medium businesses was initially a market embraced by early adopters and viewed by most executives as unproven in terms of security and the ability to cater to the custom needs of their business. In recent years, however, financial software has expanded to encompass a large share of the SMB market. There are several reasons for this increase in usage. As hosted applications have become more ubiquitous, and companies more comfortable with storing sensitive data on online platforms, we have seen the financial software industry for SMBs move past the hype stage and closer to mass adoption. Adoption also begets adoption as firms that have yet to implement SMB financial software are pressured to do so in order to remain competitive in their industry. Sticking to legacy systems of financial planning, or trying to implement in-house payment processing infrastructure can mean a lot of wasted resources and lost time in getting to market; at best these are seen as competitive advantages, and at worst they are becoming necessities when dealing with external parties such as suppliers, consultants, and investors.
39 | P a g e
Platforms that have found success in the financial planning and management space specifically come in many different shapes and sizes and have been making an impact in far more than just a company’s finance department. These emerging software and services can include accounting software, payroll processing, supply chain management, revenue cycle management, and even inventory/logistics tracking. Tidemark Systems is one company that has been able to raise sufficient growth capital within the financial planning and management software space. Tidemark provides analytics services to its clients through its logistics and management analysis software platforms, and it prides itself on offering solutions that greatly outperform legacy providers which are unable to easily and correctly adjust forecasts when new batches of data become accessible. Tidemark’s apps and analytics operate at high speeds and utilize an infographic approach to explaining a client’s ongoing financial and operations projections. Tidemark Systems has raised over $90 million in growth capital through six funding rounds. It has attracted the attention of a multitude of venture capital and private equity firms including Andreessen Horowitz, Tenaya Capital, Greylock Partners, and Redpoint Ventures. Acumatica, founded in 2007, offers web-based resource planning applications with its product mix of financial management, customer management, distribution management, and project accounting software systems. Acumatica focuses specifically on the SMB market, and its ability to penetrate businesses has allowed Acumatica to raise a total of $23 million, with its most recent $13 million round closing just last month. Investors include Runa Capital and Almaz Capital. While several companies have been successful offering financial software platforms to the general universe of small and medium businesses, others have achieved great success by tailoring their software platforms to specific industry niches. Zen Planner is one such company; it is the leader in cloud-based business management software for the health and fitness industry. Zen Planner software manages all elements of a health club, CrossFit affiliate, martial arts studio, or fitness center’s business operations, including automated client-billing services and customer relationship management. Zen Planner 40 | P a g e
received $10 million in growth capital from private equity firm Mainsail Partners in October 2013 to be used for personnel hiring, product development, and customer service. Another major segment of the financial software industry is payments processing, encompassing both invoicing and billing management as well as the actual infrastructure needed to ensure safe, compliant transactions. Many know of industry giants such as Square, which has raised over $700 million in venture capital since its 2009 founding and is now ubiquitous amongst SMBs. Likewise, blue chip firms like MasterCard, which many people consider as exclusively credit card companies, power much of the financial technology infrastructure of the broader system, but this improvement in infrastructure and technology has also led to several start-up and growth stage payments processing companies entering the market and benefitting SMBs in the process. WePay, founded in 2008, is a payments processing company that targets online marketplaces. The company offers its customers complete protection from fraud risk and devotes tremendous resources to security and protection of its clients’ data systems and information technology. Its software systems and mobile app interfaces are readily accessible, and its ease of use has led to its adoption by many SMBs. WePay has raised over $35 million in five funding rounds from investors August Capital, SV Angel, Ignition Venture Partners, and Continental Investors. Phil Purcell, former CEO of Morgan Stanley and co-founder of Discover Card, led WePay’s most recent round of $15 million in Series C funding in January 2014. This money’s intended use is to expand out WePay’s API which will allow improve its penetration of the software developer market. Another example of a tremendously successful payments company is Zuora. Founded in 2007, Zuora’s objective is to provide billing and payment services to recurring revenue SMBs, specifically subscription-based businesses. In addition to billing software, Zuora is widening its product mix by introducing new software products that manage other elements of subscription-based SMBs such as analytics and accounting. To date, Zuora has raised $132.5 million in growth capital over five funding rounds, with its most recent September 2013 Series E round of $50 million coming from investors Benchmark Capital, Greylock Partners, Index Ventures, and Next World Capital. 41 | P a g e
Rapid improvements in information technology infrastructure, the ability to integrate payments processing with online and mobile banking, and the growth of e-commerce, among other political, economic, and behavioral factors, have led to growth in the size and scope of firms that provide financial planning and management and payments processing software to SMBs. Those unfamiliar with this space may believe there is a high barrier to entry, especially regarding payments processing with industry giants dominating the market, not to mention the increased role of traditional credit card companies and financial institutions in providing these services. Yet, this is not the case, as the ever-growing use of custom data and specialization within niche markets allows for many points of differentiation among software providers to develop the most efficient and effective products for SMBs, and consequently prove themselves attractive investment opportunities for growth investors.
42 | P a g e
HUMAN RESORCES Over the last couple of years Indian employers have seen more employment law changes than in the last three decades combined. Human Resource professionals nationwide anticipate this trend to continue. What do business owners need to know or should be doing in order to remain compliant and protect their assets?
Many small businesses, especially ones that don’t require a full time HR on staff, don’t realize that 78% of employment legislation is required by employers with as few as 15 employees. Noncompliance is frequently the basis for significant financial risk and not knowing is no longer an excuse. The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that the Department of Labor (DOL) recently added 250 new investigators to the DOL’s Wage and Hour division, a staff increase of 1/3.
Most other divisions have
increased their staff, some by as much as 28% in 2010. The DOL has shifted emphasis away from compliance assistance and is staffing to increase enforcement and accountability from business owners. The DOL oversees the Wage and Hour Division, Office of Federal Compliance Programs, OSHA, Employee Benefits Security, and more.
Furthermore, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has been reporting record high claims for discrimination, harassment and retaliation the past couple of years. Business Management Daily cited, “the EEOC has historically been known for going after large, big ticket lawsuits, however this has now changed. They are going after anyone who is non-compliant and investigating all claims”. Also, small businesses that don’t have any documented policies and practices, are usually quick and easy targets because they are unable to provide documented practices in defending claims. Do you know the EEOC can still pursue a case even if the complainant drops the case and no longer wants to pursue it? The EEOC is now posting cases on their website, and along with it, the names of the affected companies and any “bad actors” involved. As great as
43 | P a g e
social media is today, do companies really understand the long term impact on their reputation when something like this is continually found forever more on the internet?
Additionally, purchasing employment practice liability insurance may cover your incremental expenditures if a case arises; however, your publicized reputation won’t be protected. Employers can protect themselves by identifying areas of concern that need immediate attention by doing a risk assessment/audit of current business practices. By doing regular audits or reviews of current practices can help employers identify what processes are adequate, legal or ineffective. According to SHRM, most lawsuits can be traced to four distinct stages of the employment relationship:
Hiring – (job descriptions, application forms, employment contracts, classifications, references) Employee Evaluation – (performance appraisals, process, compensation, record keeping and promotions) Employee Discipline – (rule infractions, evidence, poor performance, insufficient documentation, leave practices, undefined policies) Termination – (situational comparisons, proper warnings, adherence to complaint procedures or lack of them) In today’s climate, businesses need to engage in constant observation and continuous improvement of the company’s policies, procedures and practices in order to mitigate legal risks. Businesses can’t afford staying abreast of critical changes that keep you compliant with the law. When these changes do arise, employers need to view the changes as opportunities to enhance and align their strategic goals with their policies and practices throughout. One way to do this is to continuously monitor HR systems to ensure they are up-to-date and have built in checks and balances. Another approach is to designate someone on staff (or an outside consultant) to monitor legal developments to ensure HR policies and practices are kept current. It is also important to keep records 44 | P a g e
of audit findings, internal changes made, turnover, complaints filed, hotline issues, employee survey results, etc. in order to keep a pulse on problematic areas, growth or declining spots. This can help make decisions of what to address first, allocate resources to, and identify where preventative training is required in the future.
Staying up-to-date on pending and anticipated regulatory activity is vital to your organization. Being informed about your results can provide the ability to focus on areas for improvement, avoid legal liability, and can help a company internally align practices with their strategic goals. Incorporating a continuous process improvement culture in your organization will also ensure that your company achieves and retains their competitive advantage for today and in the future.
45 | P a g e
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Over the last twenty years, there has been a progressively larger focus on customer satisfaction. For good reason: keeping customers, the data show, is the least expensive, most effective way to a healthy bottom line. Keeping customers satisfied has become even more critical since 2010 when the corner turned from “buyer beware” to “seller beware.” In the current situation, customers have much more information than the seller, lots of choices about product/service and they have a way to “talk back.”
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of the study is to check the service quality of the information provided by the Hunger Box. Specifically, the analysis attempt to: • To examine the service quality of the HungerBox. • To identify the gaps between the expectation and perception of the users. • To study the expectation of the users from HungerBox. • To find the most important dimensions of service quality that affect user satisfaction. • To measure the satisfaction level of current user of HungerBox in India. • To recommend some guidelines to ensure quality services of HungerBox.
46 | P a g e
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Too many surveys, so little time: Your customers are bombarded with online surveys. Surveys may be simple to complete, however, some people simply don’t like to complete them. Sending surveys too often can irritate customers and lead to customer burnout.
Privacy Issues: We live in a high-tech environment filled with daily doses of unwanted junk email, email solicitations, and sales calls. When taking an online survey or a phone survey (or any type of survey), it is hard for your customers to believe that they aren’t being tracked. Because of insecurities of releasing private information, customers today are hesitant in giving out information that may lead to more junk email and unwanted calls.
TYPE OF RESEARCH Research can be classified in many different ways on the basis of the methodology of research, the knowledge it creates, the user group, the research problem it investigates etc. Basic Research This research is conducted largely for the enhancement of knowledge, and is research which does not have immediate commercial potential. The research which is done for human welfare, animal welfare and plant kingdom welfare. It is called basic, pure, fundamental research. The main motivation here is to expand man's knowledge, not to create or invent something. According to Travers, “Basic Research is designed to add to an organized body of scientific knowledge and does not necessarily produce results of immediate practical value.” Such a research is time and cost intensive. (Example: A experimental research that may not be or will be helpful in the human progress.)
47 | P a g e
Applied Research Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the modern world, rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake. The goal of applied research is to improve the human condition. It focuses on analysis and solving social and real life problems. This research is generally conducted on a large scale basis and is expensive. As such, it is often conducted with the support of some financing agency like the national government, public corporation, World Bank, UNICEF, UGC, Etc. According to Hunt, “applied research is an investigation for ways of using scientific knowledge to solve practical problems” for example:- improve agriculture crop production, treat or cure a specific disease, improve the energy efficiency of homes, offices, how can communication among workers in large companies be improved? Applied research can be further classified as problem oriented and problem solving research.
Problem Oriented Research Research is done by industry apex body for sorting out problems faced by all the companies. Eg:- WTO does problem oriented research for developing countries, in India agriculture and processed food export development authority (APEDA) conduct regular research for the benefit of agro-industry. • As the name indicates, Problem identifying researches are undertaken to know the exact nature of problem that is required to be solved. • Here, one clarification is needed when we use the term ‘Problem’, it is not a problem in true sense. It is usually a decision making dilemma or it is a need to tackle a particular business situation. • It could be a difficulty or an opportunity. For e.g.:-Revenue of Mobile company has decreased by 25% in the last year. The cause of the problem can be any one of the following:
48 | P a g e
• Poor quality of the product. • Lack of continuous availability. • Not so effective advertising campaign. • High price. • Poor calibre / lack of motivation in sales people/marketing team. • Tough competition from imported brands. • Depressed economic conditions
• In the same case, suppose the prime cause of problem is poor advertising campaign & secondary cause is higher pricing. • To tackle the problem of poor advertising, we have to answer questions like, what can be the new advertising campaign, who can be the brand ambassador, which media, which channel, at what time & during which programme advertisements will be broadcast.
Problem Solving This type of research is done by an individual company for the problem faced by it. Marketing research and market research are the applied research. For eg:- Videocon international conducts research to study customer satisfaction level, it will be problem solving research. In short, the main aim of problem solving research is to discover some solution for some pressing practical problem.
Quantitative Research This research is based on numeric figures or numbers. Quantitative research aim to measure the quantity or amount and compares it with past records and tries to project for future period. In social sciences, “quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships”. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories or hypothesis pertaining to phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of
49 | P a g e
quantitative relationships. Statistics is the most widely used branch of mathematics in quantitative research. Statistical methods are used extensively with in fields such as economics and commerce.
Qualitative Research Qualitative research presents non-quantitative type of analysis. Qualitative research is collecting, analyzing and interpreting data by observing what people do and say. Qualitative research refers to the meanings, definitions, characteristics, symbols, metaphors, and description of things. Qualitative research is much more subjective and uses very different methods of collecting information, mainly individual, in-depth interviews and focus groups. The nature of this type of research is exploratory and open ended. Small number of people are interviewed in depth and or a relatively small number of focus groups are conducted. Qualitative research can be further classified in the following type. I. Phenomenology:-a form of research in which the researcher attempts to understand how one or more individuals experience a phenomenon. Eg:-we might interview 20 victims of Bhopal tragedy. II. Ethnography: - This type of research focuses on describing the culture of a group of people. A culture is the shared attributes, values, norms, practices, language, and material things of a group of people. Eg:-the researcher might decide to go and live with the tribal in Andaman island and study the culture and the educational practices. III. Case study:-is a form of qualitative research that is focused on providing a detailed account of one or more cases. Eg:-we may study a classroom that was given a new curriculum for technology use. IV. Grounded theory: - it is an inductive type of research, based or grounded in the observations of data from which it was developed; it uses a variety of data sources, including quantitative data, review of records, interviews, observation and surveys
50 | P a g e
V. Historical research:-it allows one to discuss past and present events in the context of the present condition, and allows one to reflect and provide possible answers to current issues and problems. Eg:-the lending pattern of business in the 19th century. In addition to the above, we also have the descriptive research. Fundamental research, of which this is based on establishing various theories Also the research is classified into: 1. Descriptive research 2. Analytical research 3. Fundamental research 4. Conceptual research 5. Empirical research 6. One time research or longitudinal research 7. Field-setting research or laboratory research or simulation research 8. Clinical or diagnostic research 9. Exploratory research 10. Historical research 11. Conclusion oriented research 12. Case study research 13. Short term research
The research which is carried out is Basic Research which is conducted largely for the enhancement of knowledge, and is research which does not have immediate commercial potential. The main motivation here is to expand man's knowledge, not to create or invent something. Basic research is another type of research, and it is driven purely by curiosity and a desire to expand our knowledge. This type of research tends not to be directly applicable to the real world in a direct way, but enhances our understanding of the world around us. 51 | P a g e
SAMPLING TECHNIQUE In statistics, quality assurance and survey methodology, sampling is concerned with the selection of a subset of individuals from within a statistical population to estimate characteristics of the whole population. Two advantages of sampling are that the cost is lower and data collection is faster than measuring the entire population. Each observation measures one or more properties (such as weight, location, color) of observable bodies distinguished as independent objects or individuals. In survey sampling, weights can be applied to the data to adjust for the sample design, particularly stratified sampling. Results from probability theory and statistical theory are employed to guide the practice. In business and medical research, sampling is widely used for gathering information about a population. Acceptance sampling is used to determine if a production lot of material meets the governing specifications. The sampling process comprises several stages:
Defining the population of concern
Specifying a sampling frame, a set of items or events possible to measure
Specifying a sampling method for selecting items or events from the frame
Determining the sample size
Implementing the sampling plan
Sampling and data collecting.
Sampling Methods can be classified into one of two categories:
Probability Sampling: Sample has a known probability of being selected
Non-probability Sampling: Sample does not have known probability of being selected as in convenience or voluntary response surveys
52 | P a g e
Probability Sampling In probability sampling it is possible to both determine which sampling units belong to which sample and the probability that each sample will be selected. The following sampling methods are examples of probability sampling: 1. Simple Random Sampling (SRS) 2. Stratified Sampling 3. Cluster Sampling 4. Systematic Sampling
Simple Random Sampling (SRS)
In statistics, a simple random sample is a subset of individuals (a sample) chosen from a larger set (a population). Each individual is chosen randomly and entirely by chance, such that each individual has the same probability of being chosen at any stage during the sampling process, and each subset of k individuals has the same probability of being chosen for the sample as any other subset of k individuals. This process and technique is known as simple random sampling, and should not be confused with systematic random sampling. A simple random sample is an unbiased surveying technique. Simple random sampling is a basic type of sampling, since it can be a component of other more complex sampling methods. The principle of simple random sampling is that every object has the same probability of being chosen. For example, suppose N college students want to get a ticket for a basketball game, but there are only X < N tickets for them, so they decide to have a fair way to see who gets to go. Then, everybody is given a number in the range from 0 to N-1, and random numbers are generated, either electronically or from a table of random numbers. Numbers outside the range from 0 to N-1 are ignored, as are any numbers previously selected. The first X numbers would identify the lucky ticket winners.
53 | P a g e
In small populations and often in large ones, such sampling is typically done "without replacement", i.e., one deliberately avoids choosing any member of the population more than once. Although simple random sampling can be conducted with replacement instead, this is less common and would normally be described more fully as simple random sampling with replacement. Sampling done without replacement is no longer independent, but still satisfies exchangeability, hence many results still hold. Further, for a small sample from a large population, sampling without replacement is approximately the same as sampling with replacement, since the odds of choosing the same individual twice is low. An unbiased random selection of individuals is important so that if a large number of samples were drawn, the average sample would accurately represent the population. However, this does not guarantee that a particular sample is a perfect representation of the population. Simple random sampling merely allows one to draw externally valid conclusions about the entire population based on the sample. Conceptually, simple random sampling is the simplest of the probability sampling techniques. It requires a complete sampling frame, which may not be available or feasible to construct for large populations. Even if a complete frame is available, more efficient approaches may be possible if other useful information is available about the units in the population. Advantages are that it is free of classification error, and it requires minimum advance knowledge of the population other than the frame. Its simplicity also makes it relatively easy to interpret data collected in this manner. For these reasons, simple random sampling best suits situations where not much information is available about the population and data collection can be efficiently conducted on randomly distributed items, or where the cost of sampling is small enough to make efficiency less important than simplicity. If these conditions do not hold, stratified sampling or cluster sampling may be a better choice.
Stratified Sampling is possible when it makes sense to partition the population into groups based on a factor that may influence the variable that is being 54 | P a g e
measured. These groups are then called strata. An individual group is called a stratum. With stratified sampling one should:
partition the population into groups (strata)
obtain a simple random sample from each group (stratum)
collect data on each sampling unit that was randomly sampled from each group (stratum) Stratified sampling works best when a heterogeneous population is split into fairly homogeneous groups. Under these conditions, stratification generally produces more precise estimates of the population percent than estimates that would be found from a simple random sample. Table 3.2 shows some examples of ways to obtain a stratified sample.
Table 1 Examples of Stratified Samples
Population
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
All people in U.S.
All PSU intercollegiate
All elementary
athletes
students in the local
school
district Groups (Strata)
4 Time Zones in the U.S. (Eastern,
26 PSU intercollegiate
Central, teams
Mountain, Pacific)
11
different
elementary schools in the local
school
district Obtain
a
Simple
Random Sample
500 people from each of
5 athletes from each of
20
students
the 4 time zones
the 26 PSU teams
from each of the
55 | P a g e
11
elementary schools Sample
4 × 500 = 2000 selected
26 × 5 = 130 selected
11 × 20 = 220
people
athletes
selected students
Cluster Sampling is very different from Stratified Sampling. With cluster sampling one should
Divide the population into groups (clusters).
Obtain a simple random sample of so many clusters from all possible clusters.
Obtain data on every sampling unit in each of the randomly selected clusters. It is important to note that, unlike with the strata in stratified sampling, the clusters should be microcosms, rather than subsections, of the population. Each cluster should be heterogeneous. Additionally, the statistical analysis used with cluster sampling is not only different, but also more complicated than that used with stratified sampling.
Table 2 Examples of Cluster Samples
Population
Example 1
Example 2
All people in U.S.
All
PSU
Example 3 intercollegiate
athletes
All elementary students in a local school district
Groups (Clusters)
4 Time Zones in the U.S. (Eastern,
26
PSU
Central, teams
Mountain, Pacific.)
intercollegiate
11
different
elementary schools
56 | P a g e
in
the
local
school district Obtain
a
Simple
Random Sample
2 time zones from the 4 8 teams from the 26
4 elementary
possible time zones
schools from
possible teams
the
l1
possible elementary schools Sample
every person in the 2 every athlete on the 8
every
selected time zones
student
in
the
4
selected teams
selected elementary schools
Each of the three examples that are found in Tables 1 and 2 were used to illustrate how both stratified and cluster sampling could be accomplished. However, there are obviously times when one sampling method is preferred over the other. The following explanations add some clarification about when to use which method. With Example 1: Stratified sampling would be preferred over cluster sampling, particularly if the questions of interest are affected by time zone. For example the percentage of people watching a live sporting event on television might be highly affected by the time zone they are in. Cluster sampling really works best when there are a reasonable number of clusters relative to the entire population. In this case, selecting 2 clusters from 4 possible clusters really does not provide much advantage over simple random sampling. With Example 2: Either stratified sampling or cluster sampling could be used. It would depend on what questions are being asked. For instance, consider the 57 | P a g e
question "Do you agree or disagree that you receive adequate attention from the team of doctors at the Sports Medicine Clinic when injured?" The answer to this question would probably not be team dependent, so cluster sampling would be fine. In contrast, if the question of interest is "Do you agree or disagree that weather affects your performance during an athletic event?" The answer to this question would probably be influenced by whether or not the sport is played outside or inside. Consequently, stratified sampling would be preferred. With Example 3: Cluster sampling would probably be better than stratified sampling if each individual elementary school appropriately represents the entire population as in a school district where students from throughout the district can attend any school. Stratified sampling could be used if the elementary schools had very different locations and served only their local neighborhood (i.e., one elementary school is located in a rural setting while another elementary school is located in an urban setting.) Again, the questions of interest would affect which sampling method should be used. The most common method of carrying out a poll today is using Random Digit Dialing in which a machine random dials phone numbers. Some polls go even farther and have a machine conduct the interview itself rather than just dialing the number! Such "robo call polls" can be very biased because they have extremely low response rates (most people don't like speaking to a machine) and because federal law prevents such calls to cell phones. Since the people who have landline phone service tend to be older than people who have cell phone service only, another potential source of bias is introduced. National polling organizations that use random digit dialing in conducting interviewer based polls are very careful to match the number of landline versus cell phones to the population they are trying to survey.
58 | P a g e
Systematic Sampling
Systematic sampling is a type of probability sampling method in which sample members from a larger population are selected according to a random starting point and a fixed periodic interval. This interval, called the sampling interval, is calculated by dividing the population size by the desired sample size. Despite the sample population being selected in advance, systematic sampling is still thought of as being random if the periodic interval is
determined
beforehand
and
the
starting
point
is
random.
Non-probability sampling
Non-probability sampling is a sampling technique where the samples are gathered in a process that does not give all the individuals in the population equal chances of being selected. The following sampling methods are examples of Non-probability sampling: 1. Convenience Sampling 2. Snowball Sampling 3. Judgmental Sampling 4. Quota Sampling
Convenience Sampling
Convenience Sampling is probably the most common of all sampling techniques. With convenience sampling, the samples are selected because they are accessible to the researcher. Subjects are chosen simply because they are easy to recruit. This technique is considered easiest, cheapest and least time consuming.
59 | P a g e
Quota Sampling Quota Sampling is a non-probability sampling technique wherein the researcher
ensures equal or proportionate representation of subjects depending on which trait is considered as basis of the quota. For example, if basis of the quota is college year level and the researcher needs equal representation, with a sample size of 100, he must select 25 1st year students, another 25 2nd year students, 25 3rd year and 25 4th year students. The bases of the quota are usually age, gender, education, race, religion and socioeconomic status.
Judgmental Sampling
Judgmental Sampling is more commonly known as purposive sampling. In this type of sampling, subjects are chosen to be part of the sample with a specific purpose in mind. With judgmental sampling, the researcher believes that some subjects are fit for the research compared to other individuals. This is the reason why they are purposively chosen as subjects.
Snowball Sampling
Snowball Sampling is usually done when there is a very small population size. In this type of sampling, the researcher asks the initial subject to identify another potential subject who also meets the criteria of the research. The downside of using a snowball sample is that it is hardly representative of the population.
The sample which is collected is simple random sampling which is the purest form of probability sampling. It assures each element in the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample.
60 | P a g e
Its advantages are:
Minimal knowledge of population needed.
Its simplicity also makes it relatively easy to interpret data collected in this manner.
The cost of sampling is small enough to make efficiency less important than simplicity.
SAMPLE SIZE Sample size determination is the act of choosing the number of observations or replicates to include in a statistical sample. The sample size is an important feature of any empirical study in which the goal is to make inferences about a population from a sample. In practice, the sample size used in a study is determined based on the expense of data collection, and the need to have sufficient statistical power. In complicated studies there may be several different sample sizes involved in the study: for example, in a stratified survey there would be different sample sizes for each stratum. In a census, data are collected on the entire population, hence the sample size is equal to the population size. In experimental design, where a study may be divided into different treatment groups, this may be different sample sizes for each group. The sample which is collected is 50 employees. Data Analysis After a number of survey and research from the external market and knowing their preferences and tastes according to which the results will be analyzed and in a sample space in between 50-60.
61 | P a g e
Data Interpretation After the collected data is analyzed than the interpretation and final results come in which we see that what the final result are after a series of survey analysis and research.
Pie Charts Representing data in for a pie chart, graph, tables, Venn diagrams for a better presentation and faster result.
62 | P a g e
Analysis based on a survey of 50-60 People.
1. You are: o Male o Female
PECENTAGE
Female
Male
Interpretation:In the Pie, the Male percentage of male is more as compared to female. The percentage of male is 70% and female is 30%. Since India is male dominating country so male are more as compared to female.
63 | P a g e
2. Your Age: o 25-35 Years o 35-45 Years o 45-55 Years o More than 55 years AGE
PERCENTAGE
25-35 Years
30
35-45 Years
35
45-55 Years
20
More Than 55 Years
15
Chart Title 40 35 30 25
20 15 10 5 0 25-35 Years
35-45 Years
45-55 Years
More than 55 Years
Percentage
Interpretation:In the above column, the maximum age of respondents is 35-45 years. The least is more than 55 years. The second maximum is 25-35 years of respondents who are newly joined and experienced not more than 10 years. They are being hired more because there productivity is maximum as compared to any other age groups. 64 | P a g e
3. Your Identity card’s color is: o Blue o Orange o Black o Green
Percentage
Blue
Orange
Black
Green
Interpretation:In the pie, it is observed clearly that blue identity card employees are maximum of 55% and gradually orange 25%. Black and Green are same. The Blue identity card are permanent employees whereas orange are contractual employees. The black are the new joiner in the permanent position of Genpact and the green signifies the vendors, housekeeping staffs, maintenance staffs. They are being allowed in particular location and has access to that specific location.
65 | P a g e
4. What was your first impression of Hunger Box? o Very Impressive o Impressive o Not impressive at all.
Impression
10%
20%
70%
Very Impressive
Impressive
Not impressive at all
Interpretation:In the doughnut diagram, 70% of the employee are not impressive at all for hunger box in their location of work. 20% of the employee are impressive for the penetration in their office where as 10% of the employee are very impressive for the Hungerbox tied up to their Organization.
66 | P a g e
5. Which meal you typically order? o Breakfast o Lunch o Snacks o Dinner
PERCENTAGE Breakfast
Lunch
Snacks
Dinner
5% 20%
20% 55%
Interpretation:In the pie chart, the least employees prefer is breakfast whereas the maximum is lunch. Dinner and Snacks are equal in the preference of meal. The employees’ availability is maximum in lunch at Genpact (Pritech).
67 | P a g e
6. In general, how do you order food? o Over the mobile App o Over the web browser o With the Card at Cafeteria
Chart Title 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Over the Mobile App.
Over the Web Browser
With the Card at Cafeteria
Percentage
Interpretation:In the column, it is clearly observed that 55% of the employee order with card at cafeteria through tab. 30% of the employee order food through their mobile app. And the least order food from the web browser.
68 | P a g e
7. What is the approximate money you spend on ordering food per day? o <100 o <150 o <200 o More than 200
Percentage
<100
<150
<200
More Than 200
Interpretation:In the doughnut diagram, 70% of the employees spend money less than Rs. 100 per day. 15% of the employees spend money more than Rs. 100 but less than Rs. 150 per day. 10% of the employees spend money more than Rs. 150 but less than Rs. 200 per day and 5% of the employees spend money more than Rs. 200 per day. Each employees have food at cafeteria either breakfast and lunch or lunch and snacks or snacks and dinner. The employees who have food lunch and snacks spend the money most.
69 | P a g e
8. How likely are you to continue using our services? o Very Likely o Somewhat likely o Neutral o Somewhat unlikely o Very unlikely.
Percentage
Very likely
Somewhat Likely
Neutral
Somewhat Unlikely
Very Unlikely
Interpretation:In the pie chart, 30% of the employees are very unlikely with the service whereas 5% of the employees are very likely with the service. 25% of the employees are somewhat unlikely with the Hungerbox service whereas 15% of the employees are somewhat likely with the service of Hungerbox. 25% of the employees are neutral who are actually confused of the service of Hungerbox.
70 | P a g e
9. Rank the vendors numerically in terms of taste where 1 is excellent and 5 is poor. o Chai Mate o Vividha Caterers o Vividha Chat Counters o Rich Bites o Swad-E-Punjab
Rank Of Vendors Swad-E-Punjab Rich Bites Vividha Chat Counters Vividha Caterers Chai Mate 0
20 Total
40 Rank 5
Rank 4
60 Rank 3
80 Rank 2
100
120
Rank 1
Interpretation:In the column chart, the employees ranked vendor in terms of taste which are as follows:
Swad-E-Punjab- Rank 5. Reason: No variety of food and no replenishment of perishable foods.
Chai Mate- Rank 4. Reason: No variety of beverages. Except tea and coffee.
Vividha Chat Counters- Rank 3. Reason: No new variety of chats are included.
Rich Bites- Rank 2. Reason: Usage of soda in rice to make it more white in color and no variety of veg foods.
Vividha Caterers- Rank 1. Reasons: Though the variety is less and mostly south indian foods but the taste is inconsistent.
71 | P a g e
10. How much do you rate us on the following attributes?
Customer Service Professionalism Quality of service Understanding Customer Needs Price
Well Below Average o o o o
Below Average
Average
Above Average
o o o o
o o o o
o o o o
Well Above Average o o o o
o
o
o
o
o
Ratings on Attrributes 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Customer Service Professionalism Quality of Service Well Below Average
Below Average
Average
Understanding Customer Needs Above Average
Price Well Above Average
Total
Interpretation:In the column chart, customer service is rated as 35% on well below average which is the highest rated on well below average. Understanding customer needs is rated 35% on below average which is the highest rated on below average. Price is quoted as well above average which is 35%. Professionalism is rated highest on above average which is 25%.
72 | P a g e
11. The waiting time was: o About what I expected o A little longer that I expected o Much Longer that I expected
Percentage
About what I expected
A little Longer that I expected
Much Longer That I expected
Interpretation:In the pie chart, 50% of the employees thinks that the waiting time is much longer that they expected for the food after order which they believe it was not before the Hungerbox came into their organization whereas 30% of the employees thinks that the waiting time is a little longer that they expected to get the food after order. But 20% believe that the waiting time is exact what they thought of getting the food on their table.
73 | P a g e
12. How likely are you to recommend our App to a colleague? 1 2 Not at all likely
3
4 Neutral
5
6 7 Extremely Likely
RECOMMENDATION
5 10%
6 7 5% 0% 1 25%
4 10%
3 20%
2 30%
Interpretation:In the doughnut chart, 25% of the employees will not at all likely to recommend to their colleagues and no one will extremely likely to recommend to their colleagues. 10% of the employees are doubtful that they will recommend to their colleagues so they marked neutral.
74 | P a g e
13. Food Quality Strongly Disagree o
1. The food is served hot & Fresh 2. A menu has good variety of items 3. The quality of food is excellent 4.The food is tasty and flavorful
Somewhat Disagree o
Neutral
Somewhat Agree o
o
Strongly Agree o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Food Quality 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1 Strongly Disagree
2 Somewhat Diagree
3 Neutral
Somewhat Agree
4 Strongly Agree
Total
Interpretation:In the column chart, 30% of the employee somewhat agree for the food is served hot and fresh. 40% of the employee strongly disagree for the variety of food items. 30% of the employees strongly disagree for the quality of the food. 30% of the employees somewhat agree for the tasty and flavorful food which are available in Genpact (Pritech).
75 | P a g e
14. How would you rate the overall cleanliness of the Cafeteria? o Good o Satisfactory o Poor
Sales 15%
35%
50%
Good
Satisfactory
Poor
Interpretation:In the pie chart, 50% of the employees are satisfied with the cleanliness in the cafeteria whereas 15% of the employees are not satisfied with cleanliness in the cafeteria. They are expecting more clean is required in the cafeteria. 35% of the employees are marked good in the cleanliness in the cafeteria.
76 | P a g e
OBJECTIVES OF THE INDUSTRY INTERNSHIP
1. Apply business concepts and theories to real-world decision-making 2. Increase proficiency in specific business disciplines; such as human resources management, operations management, marketing, accounting, statistics, economics, finance, and business law. 3. Develop and improve business skills in communication, technology, quantitative reasoning, and teamwork. 4. Observe and participate in business operations and decision-making. 5. Meet professional role models and potential mentors who can provide guidance, feedback, and support. 6. Expand network of professional relationships and contacts. 7. Develop a solid work ethic and professional demeanor, as well as a commitment to ethical conduct and social responsibility. 8. To analyze the practical implication of theoretical knowledge acquired during the PGDM program. 9. To gain practical knowledge about the organization. 10. To understand the major functions along with products and services of the organization.
77 | P a g e
LEARNING’S ACCCUMULATED
A number of work all together which was divided in parts and time which includes Cash Handling, Vendor Handling, Cafeteria Handling and Customer Handling.
Cash Handling One of the reasons why cash handling can be a bit daunting in the retail industry is due to scope. These processes impact a wide range of systems and procedures, so it can be difficult to track and manage every minor detail.
Some of the key elements behind cash handling range from:
Physical cash management - How you receive and distribute cash, where you store it and who has access to it.
POS systems - The point of sale is critical to effective cash management. Make sure cashiers are well-trained and have total control over their respective drawers.
Payment tracking - All payments, both physical and digital, need to be tracked, monitored and properly stored.
Paper trail - All receipts, invoices and other payment-related documents must be accurately processed and filed.
Vendor Handling Establishing a relationship with your customers means that you absolutely MUST provide good merchandise, on time, and with regular quality.
Cafeteria Handling • Plan, coordinate, assign, oversee and participate as required in the preparation, cooking
and serving of food; preparing and maintaining necessary records and files. • Identify problems and suggest changes in methods and procedures. • Open kitchen, set up equipment, prepare cafeteria for serving. 78 | P a g e
• Train personnel in operational procedures. • Maintain accurate food service records. • Maintain consistency in food preparation and service to employees. • Prepare equipment for food preparation and monitor refrigeration equipment. • Order cafeteria supplies and prepare food orders as needed.
Customer Handling B2B companies generally have fewer customers than in a B2C environment, so each customer is more important to the business and has a greater impact on its bottom line. Plus, depending on the business, any issues that come up might directly affect its customers and brand reputation, in which case the business is losing from both ends. In any case, trust is paramount, and once your business has lost it, it is incredibly hard to regain. The good news is that when businesses know you are there for their needs and will efficiently address issues, they can become fiercely loyal and vocal supporters. With that in mind, here are six keys to a successful B2B customer service strategy: 1. Offer 24x7 crisis availability Many companies, particularly in highly regulated industries, need to comply with a variety of stringent standards and requirements. Those can include high availability (24x7), disaster planning and recovery plans, and alternate backup sites. Customers also need to know that they can reach vendor company management for any crisis situation. It is quite important for these kinds of customers to have an established crisis-handling process, including thorough recovery plans with management phone numbers and email addresses. 2. Ensure confidentiality Though proper support and customer service often requires handling customer data and sensitive information, most customers need to know that their information—whether it's 79 | P a g e
their project details, their future plans, or client data—is treated securely and destroyed as specified. Therefore, data transmission methods must be secure, servers must be protected from either hacking and physical damage or theft, and all personnel need to be trained on handling sensitive information. 3. Provide speedy solutions For a customer, reporting a problem is important in a crisis but getting a speedy solution is even better. Having technical people under your control rather than at a supplier can permit you to actually solve a customer problem, rather than just registering an issue, and deliver a quick solution. 4. Screen problems carefully Resources are always limited, and you need to make sure that you can service your most important customers expeditiously. Therefore, you need to have policies in place so that the customers at the highest support levels get priority and so more severe issues are handled before minor threats. 5. Identify your customer's contact person It is important to have a trusted contact at your customer who can clearly explain problems and is knowledgeable about all its systems. Otherwise, you could be wasting time with people who are not knowledgeable, or you could be overwhelmed by multiple unqualified people calling in with possibly incorrect information.
80 | P a g e
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 1. The company is doing great in the Business to Business industry in Food Technology. 2. The work environment is very ethical and a very positive ambience can be seen in the office. 3. Findings of the Genpact Pritech: The organization is having mostly men. The organization is having 35-45 years of employees. The organization is having partial presence of permanent employees. Most of the employees are not impressive while Hungerbox came to their cafeteria. The employees mostly prefer lunch and equally snacks and dinner. The employees are mostly very unlikely with service being provided through Hungerbox. The employees mostly prefer ordering food with the help of Card in the cafeteria instead of ordering through web browser and mobile app. The employees mostly spend less than Rs.100 in a day because the price of the food is rated average by employees. The employees ranked no. 1 to Vividha Caterers and rank no. 5 to SwadE-Punjab interms of taste of food. The employees believe that the waiting time is much longer what they are expecting to get the food which they believe that it was not before Hungerbox came in Genpact, Pritech. The employees think that the cleanliness is average in the cafeteria so they rated satisfactory.
81 | P a g e
SUGGESTIONS
The application and NFC card can be used only within the company and not in nearby cafes including the common cafeterias at tech parks Eg- The app cannot be used at “The Bay” at prestige
There is no cash back option for our app. Since customer satisfaction and retention is of outmost importance, there should be cash back options available for the employees
Connectivity issues- the most major issue faced by HungerBox is internet at client locations. Since the entire operations of HungerBox happen online, any connectivity issue can result in major errors.
Server hang- when there are too many orders coming up, there is server errors as the huge amount of load cannot be handled efficiently by the servers.
Proper education of the vendors- the vendors should be properly educated and given an idea about the entire functioning and not just what’s needed for them. This can help them solve small issues themselves rather than approaching the HungerBox representative
Many a times, employees after making an order don’t show up on time. The vendor prepares the food and it either goes cold or takes up too much space inside the shop.
Employees who order just a tea or biscuit also has to go through the whole process of ordering through the app rather than paying on the spot. This create irate customers who gets a negative impression of HungerBox
82 | P a g e
RECOMMENDATIONS
Cash back – HungerBox should work on a cash back model for the customers which will help retain the confidence of many employees
Since network is a major issue, HungerBox should make it mandatory for the client to provide internet connectivity for the smooth functioning.
Proper training- there should be proper training given to both vendors and employees regarding the functioning of the product. Most of the issues at client sites happen due to the lack of knowledge of both parties.
There should be a single tap mechanism for items like tea and biscuits to reduce the waiting time during peak hours.
83 | P a g e
CONCLUSION Hungerbox has great potential in the B2B F&B sector because of the fast growth in the corporate sector. Even with stiff competition from competitors like Zeta and Goodbox, HungerBox has been successful in securing the top spot in the market. From the business development perspective, Hungerbox has tapped the potential in the corporate sector but the foothold in industrial sector has not been up to the mark. The product offered is far advanced than that of competitors and this has proved to be the USP for HungerBox. From the survey conducted, key areas of customer satisfaction and product improvement has been identified which will further strengthen the client base. HungerBox is focusing on the digitalization aspect by providing a complete transformation of corporate cafeterias rather than being just a cafeteria vendor aggregator.
84 | P a g e