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Report on ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

Category: Marketing Paper Type: Report Writing Reference: APA Words: 2650

Introduction of ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

            ABC Group of Companies run the ABC Hypermarket with its headquarters in Muscat. Similar to other organizations, it has the objective of growing and expanding its functions with the hopes of increasing its sales, revenues, and customers. Regardless of industries and sectors, almost every organization has the goal of gradually expanding its operations and increasing the sales that it generates through them. ABC Hypermarket has the same objective. However, it is important to note that expansion is not a simple but complex process. Numerous functions are interconnected with each other and all of them have to be observed and ensured. Expansion of functions also has some risks and if these risks are not mitigated or eliminated, it can adversely influence the organization (Cameron, 2015).

Project Scope and Stakeholders

            This project has the aim of helping ABC group of companies in expanding the business to Dhofar, Sur, and Sohar. It will help in determining the risks which might be faced by the newly opened branches in these areas. There is a significant possibility of different risks. These risks might be related to people, supply chain, or even inventory. If these risks are not identified with time and effective measures are not taken against them, they can adversely influence the operations of organization and investments put in this objective. Thus, this project is very important in determining these risks and finding solutions to mitigate them. Meanwhile, the stakeholders of this project include management, employees, customers, suppliers, governments etc. Without their support, it would become difficult for the new branches to thrive in the market.

Situation of ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

ABC Group of Companies run the ABC Hypermarket with its headquarters in Muscat. Similar to other organizations, it has the objective of growing and expanding its functions with the hopes of increasing its sales, revenues, and customers. The management has plans about setting up new stores and outlets in Dhofar, Sur, and Sohar. In order to ensure the effectiveness of these stories, systems have to be implemented which can establish an interconnection among them. Enterprise Resource Planning will stay the same and the main group has to receive inventory related reports and sales reports on a monthly basis. Systems have to be implemented which can be monitored and controlled from the headquarters. In this manner, if there is an issue in the branches, they can be resolved from the headquarters.

It is, however, important to note that expansion into these areas and regions is not as simple as it seems. Besides the establishment of interconnection, there is a significant possibility of different risks. These risks might be related to people, supply chain, or even inventory. If these risks are not identified with time and effective measures are not taken against them, they can adversely influence the operations of organization and investments put in this endeavour. Such risks cannot be ignored as they put a large amount of investment and efforts worth years at stake. In this paper, these risks will be identified with the use of risk assessment and identification techniques. In addition to it, strategies will also be devised which are necessary for their mitigation and elimination. Lastly, interconnected systems will be implemented among these branches to ensure a joint function.

Interconnected Systems of ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

As explained above, since the headquarters of ABC Hypermarket is in Muscat, there is a significant need for interconnected systems which can enable the management in headquarters to ensure the proper functioning of systems in branches. In order to do this, an interconnected system or framework which can enable the head management to check systems implemented in all branches. There are two solutions which can be considered in this case including the implementation of a custom interconnected system framework or a software which can perform the same functions which are performed by an interconnected system framework (Meredith, Jr, & Shafer, 2017).

Interconnected Framework System of ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

An interconnected framework system has the capabilities of integrating each and every process and operation in a single system, providing access to all the functions, and monitoring of operations. However, it is important to note that the development of such a system depends on the management. For instance, the management has to hire a team of developers and provide them with the necessary instructions which they require for the development of an accurate system. This process is not only time-consuming but also requires significant efforts to be invested in it. For instance, in order to develop this system, the process of recruitment has to be conducted. It has been determined that the recruitment of necessary employees requires a lot of time to be invested in the process. And once the necessary talents are hired, training has to be provided to them. If the organizations wants to save the time which is normally invested in the training of employees, experts have to be hired who require a significant wage.

TIBCO of ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

The second solution to this issue of interconnected systems is the application of software which has already been developed by a third party. For instance, TIBCO is a software which provides the users with the capability of managing and monitoring all the processes applied within the branches. The management only has to purchase the software without having to worry about its development. Actually, this solution is better than the development of a custom integrated framework system because it is not only less time consuming but expensive as well.

            For instance, this solution doesn’t require the recruitment of developers or their training. As soon as the management purchases the system, TIBCO can be implemented within the headquarters and its branches. It will enable the management to monitor different applications and processes which are being performed within the branches without any type of difficulty. This solution is more feasible and it is more cost-effective as well. Thus, TIBCO can be implemented within the branches and in the headquarters of ABC Hypermarket to establish an interconnection. With the use of this application, if there are issues within the processes or systems, the main management can be notified quickly and effective measures can also be taken (TIBCO, 2020).

Monthly Reports of ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

            It has been determined that the main management requires the branch managements to prepare reports on a monthly basis which can provide it with the necessary information about the sales and other processes. The solution to this issue is quite simple. For instance, once managements are established among the branches, they can be informed about the requirement of these reports. In this manner, the three branch managers will be responsible for the making of these reports. In addition to it, TIBCO can also be utilised to notify the managers about the reports once the month is close to an end. This can ensure that timeline reports are delivered to the main management without any type of delay.

Risk Assessment of ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

            There are a number of techniques which can be utilised for assessing and identifying risks to the organization. In this case, two techniques of risk identification are considered feasible. These techniques include SWOT Analysis and Fishbone Analysis. Both of these risk assessment techniques are capable of effectively pinpointing the issues which are might occur in the organization and its branches. It is, however, important to understand that even though Fishbone Analysis can be applied for identifying issues, it will not be as effective as SWOT analysis because in this case, the branches have yet to be established. Fishbone analysis proves to be effective when it is applied within established organizations. Meanwhile, SWOT analysis can identify risks and weaknesses even though the said firm is yet to be developed and function in the market. Thus, SWOT analysis will be considered in this case (Gürel & Tat, 2017).

SWOT Analysis of ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

SWOT Analysis for the branches of ABC Hypermarket is as follow:

Strengths: One of the major strengths of ABC Hypermarket is its loyal customer base. It has a large number of customers and these consumers are loyal towards the store. Another significant strength is its established position in the market. It offers high-quality yet affordable products which serve to attract customers. The last strength is its management which adapts to situations quickly and provides certain flexibility to the organization.

Weaknesses: An important weakness of ABC Hypermarkets is its rigid workforce. The employees are not ready to accept a change and due to it, the introduction of new systems and applications is hindered significantly. Another weakness is the lack of automation in the organization due to which a number of processes are not efficient. The last weakness is inefficient inventory management. Since there are no applications to facilitate the process, it often lacks in terms of effectiveness.

Threats: There are a number of threats which are being faced by ABC Hypermarket. The first threat is the lack of flexibility from employees with respect to the change of expansion. The second threat is the undetermined needs of customers in new markets. The third threat is concerned with the attraction of customers to the products. Meanwhile, the fourth threat is inefficient inventory management due to the lack of reliable software or processes for facilitating the process. The fifth threat is the training of employees in terms of integrated system while the last threat is concerned with the possibility of inefficient results due to the lack of automation within the branches.

Opportunities: Other than risks, there are a number of opportunities which can be considered by ABC Hypermarket as well. As explained above, the most important opportunity is to expand into other areas which can enable the organization to not only increase the number of customers but also its sales. Another opportunity which can benefit the organization is to automate a number of processes. This can serve to increase the efficiency of its operations and accomplish its objectives in a less amount of time (Ghazinoory, Abdi, & Azadegan-Mehr, 2011).

Risk Mitigation Strategies of ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

            In order to mitigate and eliminate the above-identified risks in the section of threats, there are a number of strategies which have to be implemented. For every risk, there is a different strategy which can enable the organization to resolve the issue and enhance its efficiency.

Lack of Flexibility and Communication: The first threat to the new branches is the lack of flexibility of employees to work in new environments. If employees are reluctant to work in new environments then they cannot contribute to the efficiency and success of their respective branches. In order to eliminate this risk, effective communication has to be established between the management and employees. Once the objective of change is communicated to employees and they understand how it can benefit them and the organization, employees will not be reluctant to change. Instead of it, they will become flexible to change.

Market Dynamics and Marketing Mix: Another risk is the undetermined needs of customers in different regions. If the requirements of customers are not comprehended, they cannot be targeted in an efficient manner. In order to resolve this issue, the marketing mix can be conducted again. The marketing mix allows a firm to determine how it should target customers and what is desired by them.

Customer Attraction and Differentiation Strategy: The third risk posed to the branches of ABC Hypermarket is how to attract customers. If they are not attracted to the products, it will not increase sales. This risk can be eliminated with the implementation of a differentiation strategy. First of all, competitor analysis should be conducted which can determine the elements necessary to achieve a competitive edge in the market. For instance, if competitors are offering costly products, the organization can utilise a price differentiation strategy. It can serve to attract customers and develop loyalty among them as well (Armstrong, Kotler, Harker, & Brennan, 2018).

Inventory Management Software: The management of inventory is quite a complex process and without the use of an effective application, this process cannot be performed. In order to eliminate the risk of inefficient inventory management, it is important to use a software which can enable the employees to record and manage products without wasting time. However, it is important to provide training to employees as well with respect to the software.

Interconnected System and Employee Training: Although an interconnected system is necessary for the establishment of joint functions, it cannot be operated properly without the necessary training. Therefore, in order to mitigate this risk, employees should be trained with respect to the interconnected system.

Inefficiency and Automation: In this digital era, there is a significant need to automate processes in order to raise their efficiency. In order to eliminate the risk of inefficiency, a number of processes within the organization have to be automated. For instance, marketing management must be automated to ensure the effective targeting and advertisement of products. Other processes similar to marketing management can also be automated to enhance their efficiency and contribution to the effectiveness of ABC Hypermarket branches within the markets (Baker, 2014).

Contribution to Society and Organization

            This project will enable ABC Hypermarket to understand the markets in which it is going to operate. In addition to it, this project will also facilitate the mitigation of risks which might be faced by the organization in those markets. In turn, this will allow the organization to meet the expectations of customers and provide them with the products they require. Gradually, the organization will also contribute to the economy by generating sales and establishing a sustainable environment. This project is performed in accordance with the ethical standards as no right is violated and the safety of every concerned person is ensured while performing this project.

Conclusion and Reflection of ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

            Overall, it can be said that there are a number of risks which are being faced by ABC Hypermarket. However, these risks can be mitigated by communicating the objectives of expanding into other areas, re-evaluating the marketing mix, utilising a differentiating strategy, training employees, and automating necessary processes. This can enable the organization to accomplish its desired objective of attracting customers and increasing its sales.

            I believe that with each project and hurdle, a person gets to learn and acquire knowledge about something he doesn’t know. The same applies to this project. It has served to clarify my concepts about project management and risk assessment techniques. If I talk about the whole case study, it has played an important role in improving my writing and researching skills. I depended on a number of resources for collecting the information and using it to complete the project. I can easily say that this case study has enhanced my knowledge of project management, risk assessment, management, and case studies.

References of ABC Hypermarket and Risk Assessment

Armstrong, G. M., Kotler, P., Harker, M. J., & Brennan, R. (2018). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson UK.

Baker, M. J. (2014). Marketing strategy and management. Macmillan International Higher Education.

Cameron, K. (2015). Organizational effectiveness. Wiley Encyclopedia of Management, 1-4.

Ghazinoory, S., Abdi, M., & Azadegan-Mehr, M. (2011). SWOT methodology: a state-of-the-art review for the past, a framework for the future. Journal of business economics and management, 12(1 ), 24-48.

Gürel, E., & Tat, M. (2017). SWOT analysis: A theoretical review. Journal of International Social Research, 51 (10).

Meredith, J. R., Jr, S. J., & Shafer, S. M. (2017). Project management: a managerial approach. John Wiley & Sons.

TIBCO. (2020). Home Page. Retrieved from TIBCO: https://www.tibco.com/

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