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INFOSYS.110 BUSINESS SYSTEMS:

DELIVERABLE 2: BUSINESS
SECTION
2014

Name Jerry Ahere Daniels
NetID Jdan719
Group Number: 115
Website Link: ADD IN BLOG SITE
Tutorial Details
Tutor: Day: Time:
Helen Chen Tuesday 11am
Time Spent on
Assignment:
30
Word
Count:
1421


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THE ROADIES APP.
INTRODUCTION
Traffic Congestion in major urban areas is a serious issue. To date Aucklands population
has grown by 8.5%, and estimated to be greater then 1.4 million (Zealand, Stats Maps,
2013). An article released by The New Zealand Herald details the result of a survey looking
at traffic congestion in 169 different cities, Auckland being ranked 15
th
(Tan, 2013) . It also
estimates that New Zealanders annuanly spend 101 hours stuck in traffic during peak-hours.
The Roadie application is a quirky and clever solution contributing to solving traffic
congestion withing major urban areas throughout New Zealand, by looking at the public
transport industry and how this product could rival pre existing services.

3. BUSINESS SECTION
3.1 Vision
To provide a fun and quirky alterantive to tranditional public transport means, while
contributing towards solving and aleviating traffic congestion in major cities by promoting a
a more sociallable and economically friendly transportation solution.

3.2 Industry Analysis:
Industry: Public Transport. Services providing trasport to the general public of Auckland
City
Force: High/Low: Justification:
Buyer power: low Buyer power is Low due to the public transport
industry having few alternative. Buyers are limited
to buses and trains. Taxis are also a potential
transport means, however, price is a major factor.

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Supplier power: High Public Transport is a government regulated
industry. This is an indication of Supplier power
being High.
Threat of new entrants: Low Cost of set up is high, indicating high barriers to
entry therefore making Threat of new entrance
Low
Threat of substitutes: Low The public transport industry is predominantly
controlled by buses and trains. Few alternatives
indicates that the Threat of Substitutes is Low
Rivalry among existing
competitors:
Low The public transport industry is regulated by the
government, limiting competition between existng
competitors. This indicates that Rivalry among
Existing Competitors is Low

Overall attractiveness of the industry: The overall attractiveness of the public transport
industry a high. The correlation between High Supplier power and Low Buyer power
indicates that consumers are limited for choice of service providers. Because the public
transport industry is regulated by the government, it could imply that the industry is not profit
driven, rather more appropriately following a Cost Leadership strategy. Rivalry amongst
existing competitors would also be low due to the industry not being profit driven.


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3.3 Customers and Their Needs
The Roadies application would be targeted to a very large audience, restricted however to
users who are under 18 years of age as a safety precaution. By making the Roadies service as
accesible as poosible, it allows for the most effective impact on the public transport industry
to take place. 90% of cars travelling to and from work in major urban areas have a single
occupant in them (Zealand, Resource 1 - Facts and Figures). We hope to minimise this
inefficient transportation method that can be argued to be one of the leading causes of traffic
congestion. The purpose for the application is to contribute to customers need for more
efficient transport by creating a friendly enviroment that is both safe and sociable.

3.4 The Product and Service
The purpose for the Roadie application is to provide users with a way to organize carpooling
as a fun and quirky transportation alternative. A report released by the Ministry of Transport
revealed that 51% of households main form of transport was their personal vehicles
(Transport, 2010). This can also be seen with the average household spending $131.00 a
week on transportation (Zealand, Household Economics Survey: Year ended June 2013,
2012). By using this application, it would result in having more people in less cars.
Facebook and other social sites have three purposes. To act as the initial registration for the
application, to provide a means of finding potential carpoolers or as we call them, Roadies,
and finally as a security feature. Parternering with service providers such as these, we hope to
create a safe and credible brand image for the Roadie application. Potential Roadies are
found based on information given to the application, such as users geograpical location and
their intend destination, and who they feel more comfortable carpooling with (user gender).
Google Maps allows users with a vehicle to plot the fastest and most efficient route from
Start to Finish. Route information is then stored and offered to users who are nearest to
the route. Having more people carpool with the Roadies application, it decreases the number
of cars on roads in major urban areas whilst also providing an efficient service.


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3.5 Suppliers and Partners
Partners for the roadies application would be Google and major socialmedia sites such as
Facebook and Twitter. These partners would provide the essential functions of the
application. The Google Map feature provides the application with the ability to plot routes
efficiently while social media neworks provide the application with a Friend Finder ability.
Itunes, Microsoft App Store and other app stores would be the suppliers of the Roadie
application. App stores provide our consumers with the Roadie application. The rating feature
on these app stores are also essential for creating a credible product. A good relationship with
our supplier could have drastic effects on the impact of the Roadie application.


3.6 Strategy:
The Roadies application would follow a Cost Leadership strategy The application will be
offered free of charge initially to everyone, however, it will be marketed more specifically to
those who are already public transport users and those who are victims of traffic congestion.
The application is a low cost solution for consumers, and operates in a broad market. This
enables the application to have the biggest possible impact on current public transport
networks and traffic congestion in major cities. It also has the greatest chance of achieving
the vision statement.

3.7 Value Chain Activity:
Marketing and Seling our product is the most important value chain activity. Currently the
public transport industry is dominated by buses and trains. Effect marketing creates a reliable
and credible service. This is essential when launching a new service in a well established
industry. For the Roadies application to make an effective impact on traffic congestion and
the public transport industry in major cities, the goals of the marketing strategy should be to
entice and encourage as many people as possible; the current public tranpsort users, as well as

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those who are feed up with traffic congestin.Words such as Cheap, Economical, Fast,
Sociable are potential focusing points for the advertisements.

3.8 Business Processes:
3.8.1. Travel-Time Analysis Process The travel-time analysis process is essential in
determining whether or not the Roadie application is achieving the vision statement. All
plotted routes must be more efficient in terms of travel cost and average arrival time at the
final destination. This process analyses the routes and determines whether they are indeed
making a positive impact on travel time or not.


Start
Acquire travel data
from app user
Marketing
Travel-time analysis system
Evaluate travel time
Has the average
travel time
decreased?
If Yes
End
If No
Analyze current
Roadies route
Is their a more
efficient route?
If Yes
Re-route Roadie
group
End
If No
Suggest modification
to Roadie group
End


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3.8.2. Security Philtring Process This process is essential for ensuring the safety of
Roadies users. One of the biggest potential obstacles for the Roadie application is ensuring
user safety. This process enables users to conduct background checks on potential Roadie
friends by checking their social media accounts. This empowers users who are creating
Roadie groups as it allows them to accept or pass on other users. It works both ways. Users
must mutually agree to Roadie with each other in order for them to be added to a Roadie
group.

Download Application
Display registration
Register via existing
social media account
Add to Roadies user
data.
Search for potential
Roadies friends
Accept Roadie
into group
Potential Roadie
friend found based on
route.
If No
Add to Roadie group If Yes
If Yes and more are wanted for carpooling group
Carpooling group
created.
Marketing
Roadie security check System


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3.9 Functionalities
3.8.1. Travel-Time Analysis Process
Analyses the efficiency of the current Roadie route
Finds and plots the most efficient route.
3.8.2. Security Philtring Process
Conduct background checks on potential Roadies

Creating Roadie groups
3.10 Systems
3.12.1 Route analysis system
The Route analysis system is essential in determining route efficiciency. By analysing the
route, it can determine how fast that route is and whether or not the current route has a more
efficient alternative
3.10.2 Personnel analysis system
The Personnel analysis sysem is a feature of the Roadie applicatin that allows a user to
choose who they want to carpool with. It is an essential system of the application as it allows
users to create the most effective and sociable Roadie groups based on their individual
preferences, while also implicitly acting as a secutiry feature.

3.10.3 Friend Finder System
The Friend finder system suggest to Roadies users who could potential join their Roadie
group based on route availability and user proximity. It will suggest to users who is near their
intended route. The final decsision however is at the discretion of the users.


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3.11. Summary Table: Value Chain to Systems

Value Chain
Activity
Processes Functionalities Specific Information
System(s)
Broad Information
System(s)

Marketing
and Selling
the Product
or Serivce
1. Travel-
Time
analysis
process
1. Analyses the efficiency of the current Roadie
route

2. Finds and plots the most efficient route.
Route analysis system

Route plotting system

Decision Support System
2. Security
Philtring
Process
1. Conduct background checks on potential
Roadies


2. Creating Roadie groups
Personnel analysis system

Friend finder system

Decision Support System

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CONCLUSION
The Roadies Application has the potential to be successful. Transportation is still dominated
by indivduals using their private motor vehicles. Enticing and targeting these single occupant
drivers is what the app aims to do. Successful application of relevant Information Systems
have the potential to greatly inhance transport efficiencies. These include having systems that
can analyse and process relevant data to produce information that can improve travel-time
while also decreasing the costs associated with transportation and travel. A quirky solution to
traffic congestion, and an efficient and clever alternative to traditional transportation.


References
Tan, L. (2013, November 7). Auckland traffic jams create City of Snails. Retrieved from
The New Zealand Herald:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11152630
Transport, M. o. (2010, January). Public Transport, Household Travel Survey. Retrieved
from Ministry of Trasport:
http://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Import/Documents/Public20Transport-
y57.pdf
Zealand, S. N. (2012, June). Household Economics Survey: Year ended June 2013.
Retrieved from Statistics New Zealand:
file://files.auckland.ac.nz/MyHome/Documents/HouseholdEconomicSurveyYeJun1
3HOTP.pdf
Zealand, S. N. (2013). Stats Maps. Retrieved from Statistics New Zealand:
http://www.stats.govt.nz/StatsMaps/Home/Maps/2013-census-population-
dwelling-map.aspx
Zealand, S. N. (n.d.). Resource 1 - Facts and Figures. Retrieved from New Zealand
Transport Agency: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/travel-planning-
toolkit/docs/resource-1-facts-and-figures.pdf