Making sense of strategy Essays

Making sense of strategy Essays Making sense of strategy Essay Making sense of strategy Essay 8301 A Making Sense of Strategy I An Analysis of the Impact of the Internet on Competition in the Banking Industry, using Porters Five Forces Model [Student Name] [Student ID] [Submission Date] words: 2500 Table of Contents Question 1: Examine how the emergence of the internet is likely to affect the competitive landscape of the banking industry. a. Evolution of Internet its Effects on Banking Industry: In todays modern era, nobody can deny the immense growth of technology and power of computerization. Modern computerized revolution has penetrated into every sector in the form of internet. The emergence of internet has greatly helped the banking industry to setup a domain of its clients and mark their geographic locations. This computerized system of banking simply refers to E-banking that is a broad term that takes place on the online system. There is no need to go personally to the bank; it only demands an online system to make the financial transactions. It can also be called as online banking, phone banking or a personal computer banking, etc. The power of online banking and e-business solutions has greatly helped the customers to make instant transactions online. With these latest wired facilities, banks can easily carry out their account operations, or the e-business plans, the online banking system now provides full convenience to its customers to check the status of their accounts and to make transactions at its fastest pace. Electronic banking has become a platform to meet the demands of the changing and growing consumer as well as develop a new base of customers. It is not only the fastest mean of transaction but also provides more efficient ways to handle your bank account. It has provided many Job opportunities by enlarging the commercial market. There is a substantial increase in the altering standard of living and know how scientific the efficiency of the people decided that the Internet and online banking channel is that were hardest smack and used confidently. Lets discuss about the benefits of todays online banking system and its various client oriented approaches. The most basic elements of an online banking system are Customers Account Management, Provision of Fast Solutions, and Value- Added Services and Support. One of the biggest advantages of online banking is the efficient account management and its operations. Be it an online purchase request, or a simple balance enquiry, be it a cash transfer process or an e-business investment, the power of online banking operations has made it much easier than before. Now, the customers are not required to go and visit bank themselves. With online banking facility, they can easily operate their accounts, make transactions and can have their bank statement checked instantly. Moreover, corporate banks can easily provide fast services to their customers by using their online banking system. Another advantage of online banking is the reduction of business cost. An online system provides a central data repository and a network of computers attached with the main server. This helps to reduce the operational costs of a bank for maintaining more branches at different locations. Internet is the most powerful source to capture a wider audience simultaneously. With this facility, it has become much easier to setup a network of online banking system. Internet banking does not restrict the banking system within a country but allows offering their services globally without involving any extra cost. Internet has made it easier to target specific market online. It directly allows bank to focus more and to provide full product information, services or any other information necessary to be known by the customer. This feature gives advantage to the bank to get the hold of most profitable customers and to keep up the long term relation with them. Online banking approach provides flexibility to remain connected with your valuable customers 24 hours and keep them updated about their desired information on a regular basis. This helps to enhance the image and reputation of the bank. Provision of fast value added services helps to acquire ustomer attention more promisingly, with added customer loyalty and trust. A lot of new innovative technologies and advance services are rapidly becoming a part of online banking system. This will provide a competitive edge to bankers by attracting more customers with powerful client oriented packages and consumer driven initiates. Internet as a strong means of communication has greatly helped to boost the online banking process and making it a future demand of todays banking industry. Question 2: be able to compete in this environment dominated by internet and online banking. . Fundamental Requirements to Establish a Hi-tech Banking Industry: With the huge growth of banking business and emerging need of internet banking, there must be a wide availability of resources and capabilities that a bank should possess to compete in a fast paced environment. Lets talk about these resources and capabilities that make a bank successful in todays modern computerised world. 1 . Online Banking: The first and foremost necessity of todays computerized banking industry is to have an online banking system. With the power of internet, online banking is the only system which provides easy solution to customers problem. Now your problems can be addressed instantly on the net, through your banking network. Different banks are providing different packages and services to capture more market share and customers loyalty. These includes special banking offers like car loan facility, house loan, study loan, business loan, credit card facility, visa card for shopping purposes, and much more. With each value added service, different banks offer different packages and discounts to their customers, to make their online banking system better and most desirable as compared to their competitors. . Mobile Banking A new state-of-the-art facility in computerised banking industry is the mobile banking. With this innovative technology, customers can now operate and check the status of their account online, by using their mobile internet. Majority banks have been providing an alert message facility to its customers. You can easily subscribe to any online value added service by sending a text message on your bank servi ce number, or online help number. Either it be a request for your account balance to be received weekly or monthly basis on your mobile via sms alert facility, or it is request o get your transaction details as an instant message from your bank. The mobile banking is a highly beneficial facility for businessmen and entrepreneurs. 3. Competent Staff Another emerging need of internet and computerised banking is the availability of competent and talented staff. Having educated and smart people on board can greatly help to contribute positively in companys growth and development. Moreover, it is required that the staff must have the prior knowledge of online internet marketing and e-business strategies to effectively carry out the banking operations. Experienced staff and trained people would be able to handle technical and non-technical, both problems easily, and would be in a much better position to meet customer needs to their full satisfaction. Another added benefit is the establishment of healthy learning environment, where senior and trained personnel can help to train new staff on the latest online tools and banking software, and could also get benefited from fresh ideas of the newcomers. . Secure Network One of the most important concerns of online internet banking is its system security and safety. The account information is the most confidential data of a customer that eeds to be privately secured. It is highly important that the bank must have a firewall protection and other security protocols and measure to keep data safety and integrity. Cybercri me and hacking are at its peak. There is a need to protect system from these online threats, malwares, computer viruses and other bugs that can lead security techniques and softwares to protect clients data. This high end protection enables the bank to carry out its operations smoothly and helps to maintain the required trust level with its customers. 5. Prior Planning Action Banking business is progressing rapidly with todays market needs and customers ecessities. Market is the survival of the fittest. Without proper business action plans and strategic marketing policies and procedures, a bank cannot compete in recent electronic banking environment. A banker must do a proper market survey and study of its operational environment before starting its banking business. This helps to determine its main stakeholders, competitors, and current services provided. Moreover, it would be helpful to make a healthy business structured plan and improved programmes, offering better policies and procedures, as compared to other competitors of the banking industry. Question 3: The authors argue that certain theories and concepts used to key for competitive advantage in the traditional business environments are no longer important in this new era of internet dominant environment. Explain. Contemporary Theories and Internet Dominant Environment The modern approach of online baking and internet e-business has changed the banking procedures and operations drastically. A lot of new effective marketing strategies have emerged to address and solve customers problems and to provide better services. However, we should not forget about the indigenous and ontemporary marketing theories and philosophical models that makes the foundation of todays banking business. These models are the pillar stones of banking system. The old theories of competitive advantage demonstrate the basic working principles of banking business and its consumer driven approaches. One such competitive advantage theory is the Porters Five Forces Model. This framework is based on five forces that can influence the banking industrial structure. This model helps you to understand about the strength of your current competitive position and makes an important part of your planning toolkit. Porters models highlights about the Competitive Rivalry i. e. the number and capability of your competitors. If you have many competitors in the market, and they offer attractive products and services, then you will most likely have little power in the situation, because suppliers and buyers will go elsewhere if they dont get a good deal from you. Secondly, the Supplier Power i. e. how easy it is for suppliers to drive up prices. This depends on the number of suppliers, the uniqueness of their product or service, their strengths and selling capabilities. The third force is the Buyer Power i. e. the customers who inally consume the product or the firms who distribute the industrys product to the final consumers. Potential customers can bargain to cut down the prices being charged by the firms and can demand better quality and service of product. Then we have the Threat of Substitution i. e. the ability of your competitors to find a different way of doing what you do, by introducing substitute products having ability of satisfying customer needs effectively. Porters last and fifth force is Threat of New protection for your key technologies, then new competitors can quickly enter your market and weaken your position. If you have strong and durable barriers to entry, then you can preserve a favorable position and take fair advantage of it. Porters five forces model and generic strategies are easily applicable and greatly important for all the banking business scenarios. These basic strategies are the basis for all new and advanced theories and strategies. All banking business must consider and incorporate these theories, while designing and planning their marketing strategies, policies and programmes. Question 4: Select a bank in your home country and answer the following: a. Using Porters Five Forces model, discuss its competitive environment, b. How the internet impacts it competitive position and c. How it has continued to preserve its competitive position. a. Porters Five Forces Model Lets take the example of Central National Bank of America and discuss its operations based on the Porters Five Forces Model: Rivalry among Existing Competitors Business rivalry leads to a healthy market competition among existing firms as well as new entrants. If there are lot of competitors in the market, each competing for the same products and services, then there are strong chances of price fluctuation, innovation of new products and services, better advertising methods and campaigns nd provision of quality products. Business rivalry greatly effects the marketing operations and setups of business firms. Each firm tries to adopt effective methods and techniques to capture greater market and community share. Some may reduce their product price to attract more customers, while others try to introduce more innovative and substitute products. Some firms pay special focus on their advertising methods and campaigns to get a larger customer share, as well as making improvements in their products and services. For example, in Central National Bank, the competition among different banks is very high. The Central National Bank of America has to face strong rivalry from its competitors. To cope with it, the bank has adopted several policies including provision of improved quality of services, well planned advertising campaigns, and customer focused initiatives, to gain higher market share. Threat of New Entrants New entrants always bring a healthy competition in the market with their new innovative products and get a share in the market easily. Banking industry in Central National Bank is also on the rise. It is growing at a very good pace. Due to tough competition and emergence of new entrants in the market, Central National Bank of America, is forced to lower its margins in order to attract the customers. Threat of Substitute Products Services Nowadays, consumers are paying attention towards a better quality and affordable price product. This leads to competition among different firms to introduce high quality, superior products, but within the buying range of their customers. These substitute products and services are the basis to differentiate and makes a firm achieve better position in the market from its competitors. The banking industry is also adopting several cross-cutting techniques and policies to fulfil customer needs nd make them happy with their operations. The Central National Bank of America is also striving from the past many years to win customers heart by establishing a strong banking setup and better implementation policies. Several new banking services including online banking, mobile banking, and e-business investment plans have been introduced by standard chartered bank, to provide maximum flexibility and state-of-the-art facilities to its customers. Buyers Bargaining Power A buyer bargaining power is another strong influential factor that greatly affects the business. If the prices are higher, then the company would be in a weaker position, aking its clients inclined towards other competitors products and services. However, keeping a reasonable and affordable price lowers the chances of a buyer to bargain for products at their desired price. This in return helps to strengthen the position of the company in the market. Americas banking industry offer fixed charges and prices for almost all the services. This helps to establish reasonable price criteria where consumers dont have to decide between different competitors products. For example, the bank account opening charges and minimal opening balance requirement for all the banks in America is nearly the same. This helps the lients to open an account in any bank of their desire, as it would not make any wide ranging difference to switch between two banks. Suppliers Bargaining Power Suppliers bargaining power hold special importance to influence the market. If suppliers are providing high quality products which can meet clients need to its fullest, then they are in a better position to bargain a higher price for that product. Making services and products up to the mark and maintaining a suitable quality standard helps the suppliers to get a larger share and incentive out of their spent cost. Moreover, customers also prefer to buy a quality product. If other suppliers bargaining powers are lower, then the customers demand to get high quality, good featured product also rises. In Central National Bank of America, the suppliers of bank include the customer deposits, mortgage-backed securities, mortgages and loans, and loans from other financial institutions. The availability of several banks in the market makes the suppliers bargaining power high. a. Impact of internet on competitive position Power of internet in the banking sector has contributed greatly to promote and spread its operations worldwide. The facilities like online banking, mobile banking, ith quality internet banking services. Standard chartered bank is a multinational bank that also adds to the competitive edge. Moreover there have been so many unique services linked with standard chartered online banking that are provided by the bank. These all factors have helped the bank in setting the competitive advantage. c. Managing competitive position Standard chartered bank KSA, strong adherence to its policies and customer-oriented approach has helped to establish its reputation and image in the market, so far. It is considered as a leading bank in Saudi Arabia banking industry. This is also due to its onstant revision and upgrading of the online services and programmes to meet customer needs. Bank manages its competitive position by adding new services to its service line and by maintaining the standard of its services. Customers can get maximum benefit from standard chartered bank for its new initiatives and better revised policies. References Gefen, D. and Straub, D. (2000). The relative importance of perceived ease of use in IS adoption: A study of E-commerce adoption. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 1, pp. 1-28. Gerrard, P. and Cunningham, J. B. (2003). The diffusion of Internet anking among Singapore consumers, International Journal of Bank Marketing, 21 (1), pp. 6-28 Kalakota, R. and Whinston, A. B. (1997). Electronic commerce A managers guide. Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Longman. Porter, M. E. (1979) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review Simpson, J. (2002), The Impact of the Internet in Banking: Observations and Evidence from Developed and Emerging Markets. Telematics and Informatics, 19(4), pp. 31 5-330. Thornton, J. and White, L. (2001) Customer orientations and usage of financial distribution channels, Journal of Services Marketing, 15(3), pp. 168-185.