Omnichannel Strategy and Supply Chain Management : Portfolio Business Report Assessment Brief | Bournemouth University

Task:  

Rationale

The rise and adoption of technology within business practices means that in order to meet the needs of changing consumers within a new purchase journey, organisations have had to adopt an omnichannel approach to processes and services. Technology and data analytics are now employed throughout the business and influence strategies from product development to final delivery. This is particularly relevant in a global trading environment where business practices are encouraged to be sustainable. Students should understand the significance of adopting Omnichannel strategies throughout business processes and services including marketing and supply chain management. By critiquing the omnichannel practices of a company of their choice they will be able to demonstrate an understanding of omnichannel best practice and the strategic importance of this to a business.  Students are free to choose any company they wish but their choice should be discussed and agreed with a tutor. When deciding, students should bear the following in mind: 

The company must trade over more than one platform.
Size of company – any size company is fine
Industry – students should be guided by personal interest/knowledge.

Overview of Assignment

Students are required to compile an individual business portfolio for a business of their choice. Students may use any software they wish but must convert to PDF before submission. The aim of the assignment is to evaluate how the chosen company has adapted its strategy and business processes to trade in a omnichannel environment (i.e. how ‘omni’ are they?). The portfolio should be presented in a business report format, with sections addressing the following areas:

Executive Summary – students should include a succinct summary (approx. 500 words) of the report at the beginning, giving specific yet concise details;

Introduction to the company under consideration, must include the platforms and trading formats that they engage with (max 200 words);
Macro Analysis (approx. 1250 words) – using relevant theory and appropriate references, the section should include critical discussion of the theory behind Omnichannel Strategy i.e. technology trends, the changing consumer, consumer experience, purchase journey, and supply chain management. This section should not discuss the case company but should introduce the relevant macro factors listed, examples may be used from the wider sector but not the case company;

Micro Analysis (approx. 1250 words) – linking practice to relevant theory using appropriate references, the section should consider the company’s physical, online and mobile touchpoints and how well these integrate (or not) to provide the customer with an omnichannel experience. In addition to discussing practice linked to theory covered in the macro section, students should also consider:
Who the customers are (B2B and/or B2C), their competitors, and their trading formats:

An evaluation of the company’s technology initiatives – employment of technology to aid processes (functional) and services (functional and fun) and the role of analytics. Students should embed this discussion within the sections, critiquing the benefits and pitfalls of using technology as a business process and strategy.

The importance of how the platforms come together as ‘touchpoints’ in the customer journey – appraise how well your company does this in terms of being where the customer wants them to be. Students should should provide reasoned justification to support their belief of what the customer wants.

Conclusion & Recommendations – a clear conclusion, summing up the main findings and providing 2-3 suggestions of ‘best practice’ recommendations stating how close to best practice your company stands. Your assessment should be based on the discussion in previous section (max 300 words).

References – reference list provided in BU Harvard format
Appendix/Appendices – this should only be used for materials which support and add depth to the discussion and evidence what is already embedded in the main document (e.g. further explanation of a large report). Evidence within the portfolio can be secondary research that is either pictorial (e.g. screen shots, adverts), or written (e.g. articles from the news, company data). Students may also wish to conduct primary research where relevant e.g. store audits.

Intended learning outcomes:  

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the omnichannel consumer and the evolving customer purchase journey, identifying how this impacts business strategy.
2. Critically analyse the impact of technology on data analytics and what this means for the strategic management of omnichannel marketing and supply chain processes.
3. Critically evaluate the rise in sustainable omnichannel strategies for global supply chain management.
4. Appreciate the need to manage businesses in an omnichannel manner for both business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing and management, using technology as a key management tool for decision-making.
5. Apply the principles of omnichannel strategic business management in order to determine best practice for the design of a strategic omnichannel business strategy, using the appropriate academic theory.