Your team is a group of leading US business consultants and you have been tasked with proposing an M-Commerce application to a well-regarded regional pharmacy chain consisting of 200 stores. The pharmacy chain wants to better connect with their customers using mobile technologies. Their business is growing and profitable but there is a national chain that is moving into their region within the next 12 months. They need your team’s help to identify a specific application opportunity (s) that will help them retain their current customers and attract new ones despite the new entrant.
To propose an M-Commerce application to the regional pharmacy chain, follow these steps:
Step 1: Analyze the Current Situation
- Understand the pharmacy chain's current customer base and their preferences.
- Evaluate the market potential and competition in the region.
Step 2: Conduct a SWOT Analysis
- Identify the pharmacy chain's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
- Analyze the potential impact of the national chain's entry on the regional pharmacy chain.
Step 3: Define Objectives
- Determine the desired outcomes of the M-Commerce application for the pharmacy chain.
- Examples of objectives could be customer retention, customer acquisition, or increased brand loyalty.
Step 4: Identify Target Audience
- Identify the specific customer segments that the pharmacy chain wants to focus on.
- Consider factors such as age, income level, location, and shopping behavior.
Step 5: Brainstorm M-Commerce App Features
- Generate ideas for features that align with the pharmacy chain's objectives and target audience.
- Possibilities could include mobile ordering, prescription refills, health tracking, personalized offers, loyalty rewards, or virtual consultations with pharmacists.
Step 6: Evaluate Feasibility
- Assess the technical and operational feasibility of implementing the proposed features.
- Consider factors such as existing IT infrastructure, budget constraints, and resource availability.
Step 7: Prioritize Features
- Based on feasibility, customer value, and alignment with objectives, prioritize the features for the M-Commerce application.
- Create a roadmap or feature list based on this prioritization.
Step 8: Develop a Marketing Strategy
- Plan how to effectively promote the M-Commerce application to both existing and potential customers.
- Consider leveraging digital marketing channels, in-store signage, targeted promotions, and partnerships.
Step 9: Create a Business Case
- Develop a comprehensive business case that outlines the costs, benefits, and return on investment of implementing the M-Commerce application.
- Include financial projections, estimated timeline, and potential risks.
Step 10: Present the Proposal
- Prepare a well-structured proposal that presents the analyzed information, objectives, target audience, features, feasibility, marketing strategy, and business case.
- Highlight the competitive advantage the M-Commerce application will bring in retaining and attracting customers.
Remember to customize the proposal based on the specific needs and characteristics of the pharmacy chain.
To propose an M-Commerce application for the regional pharmacy chain, you need to identify a specific opportunity that will help them retain their current customers and attract new ones despite the new national chain moving into their region. Here's a step-by-step approach to finding the right application opportunity:
1. Understand the customer base: Begin by analyzing the pharmacy chain's current customer base. Look at their demographics, preferences, and behaviors. This will help you identify key areas where mobile technologies can enhance their experience.
2. Analyze the competition: Research the national chain that is moving into the region. Understand their strengths and weaknesses, especially in terms of mobile strategies and applications. This will provide insights into the areas where the regional pharmacy chain can differentiate itself.
3. Identify pain points: Determine the common pain points that customers might face when interacting with the regional pharmacy chain. This could include difficulties in prescription management, medication reminders, or accessing health information. Mobile technologies can address these pain points effectively.
4. Explore customer engagement opportunities: Look for opportunities to engage customers more effectively using mobile technologies. This could include loyalty programs, personalized offers, mobile payments, or real-time notifications about promotions or discounts.
5. Consider prescription management: Explore the possibility of developing an application that simplifies prescription management for customers. This could include features like prescription refill reminders, automatic prescription transfers, or medication dosage reminders.
6. Prioritize convenience and accessibility: Focus on making the pharmacy chain more convenient and accessible through mobile technologies. This could involve features like online appointment booking, in-app communication with pharmacists, or home delivery of medications.
7. Leverage health and wellness: Explore the potential of integrating health and wellness features into the application. This could include features like access to health articles, medication interactions warnings, or tracking health metrics (e.g., steps, sleep, heart rate).
8. User testing and feedback: Once you have identified potential application opportunities, conduct user testing and collect feedback from the pharmacy chain's customers. This will help validate your ideas and ensure that the proposed M-Commerce application meets their needs.
By following these steps, you'll be able to propose an M-Commerce application opportunity tailored to the regional pharmacy chain's goals of retaining and attracting customers in the face of new competition.