Technology and computing have become two inseparable ingredients in the business world today. Technology allows businesses to grow and expand in ways never thought possible. The Dunkin’ Donuts chain, like every large scale enterprise, depends on computers that help with its business needs such as information flow, employees’ profiles, client profiles, accounting and tracking, automation systems for use in large scale production of commodities, package sorting, assembly lines, all the way to marketing and communications. The collaborative tools help to meet the communication needs of their employees, customers, and collaborators (which involve document and data transfers, product specification and production parameters, and information and knowledge exchanges), increase productivity, and decrease costs.
Dunkin’ Donuts uses E-collaboration in its functioning which helps to improve the organization’s competitive advantage and productivity, and it also leads to significant increase in revenues.
Dunkin’ Donuts also strongly believes that business is not concerned merely with profit but also with promoting desirable social ends. The organization has a social conscience and takes its responsibilities for providing employment, eliminating discrimination and avoiding pollution very seriously.
June 17, 2010
More on Technology
The type of network that Dunkin’ Donuts has is a fully connected network. Dunkin’ Donuts uses a wide area network to interact with not only themselves among the company, but also all of its customers, worldwide. With a wide area network, Dunkin’ Donuts uses WAN’s to connect LAN’s and other types of networks together.
The kind of interface that Dunkin’ Donuts uses is an interactive web interface. It allows you to order your coffee and donuts directly via their platform or via the iPhone application created especially for it. The site has also been optimized for access with a cellular phone. This way you can directly send an invitation to your friends and ask them to choose and customize their beverage.
The media used by Dunkin’ Donuts is one of their own. Dunkin’ Donuts has its own media company called Dunkin’ Donuts Public Relations Department. Dunkin’ Donuts said it is seeking a New-York based firm with strong brand-building experience. In the past, the client has used PR mainly to support product launches and interface with the news media.
The communications software that Dunkin’ Donuts uses is the same interface they use to have customers order from a website, either via computer or via cell phones. This allows E-mail, text messaging, and file sharing all in one interface.
The connecting devices, or components, that Dunkin’ Donuts uses is Wi-Fi. In order to connect with multiple networks from far distances, you need to use Wi-Fi. You can also use Wi-Fi to connect to LAN, connect cell phones to the Internet to download multimedia, and allows a PC multimedia content to be streamed to your TV. Dunkin’ Donuts uses these connections through its interface to allow customers to use their website to order products they wish to purchase.
They connect to the internet through DS3 which is a high speed circuit running up to 44.736Mbps.
As per the Dunkin’ Donuts’ website it doesn’t show any availability to talk to a Dunkin’ Donuts’ employee, therefore Voice over IP doesn’t seem to be necessary on their website.
Dunkin’ Donuts applies the four principles of network security as follows:
With confidentiality it allows members to have access to their purchases only when they sign in with their name and password which they first had to fill out information in order to access. This way anyone who ever tried to have access to someone else’s credit card information, for example, wouldn’t be able to without this special information in order to log in.
With authenticity Dunkin’ Donuts’ website provides the Dunkin’ Donuts logo on the bottom and availability to contact them on their website in case of any problems. This proves that they are truly the Dunkin’ Donuts franchise because they are showing availability to communicate with them.
With integrity Dunkin’ Donuts doesn’t have a system to reassure others that information is guaranteed not to be altered. However, when someone is done purchasing items Dunkin’ Donuts provides a receipt through the internet that shows what you purchased in case any problems occur this will be proof of what was really done.
With availability Dunkin’ Donuts tries to provide updated access to their website with no down times for maintenance. However, in case of an emergency Dunkin’ Donuts keeps information on Dunkin’ Donuts’ members who purchase on their website.
Dunkin’ Donuts’ domain name is www.dunkindonuts.com
The kind of interface that Dunkin’ Donuts uses is an interactive web interface. It allows you to order your coffee and donuts directly via their platform or via the iPhone application created especially for it. The site has also been optimized for access with a cellular phone. This way you can directly send an invitation to your friends and ask them to choose and customize their beverage.
The media used by Dunkin’ Donuts is one of their own. Dunkin’ Donuts has its own media company called Dunkin’ Donuts Public Relations Department. Dunkin’ Donuts said it is seeking a New-York based firm with strong brand-building experience. In the past, the client has used PR mainly to support product launches and interface with the news media.
The communications software that Dunkin’ Donuts uses is the same interface they use to have customers order from a website, either via computer or via cell phones. This allows E-mail, text messaging, and file sharing all in one interface.
The connecting devices, or components, that Dunkin’ Donuts uses is Wi-Fi. In order to connect with multiple networks from far distances, you need to use Wi-Fi. You can also use Wi-Fi to connect to LAN, connect cell phones to the Internet to download multimedia, and allows a PC multimedia content to be streamed to your TV. Dunkin’ Donuts uses these connections through its interface to allow customers to use their website to order products they wish to purchase.
They connect to the internet through DS3 which is a high speed circuit running up to 44.736Mbps.
As per the Dunkin’ Donuts’ website it doesn’t show any availability to talk to a Dunkin’ Donuts’ employee, therefore Voice over IP doesn’t seem to be necessary on their website.
Dunkin’ Donuts applies the four principles of network security as follows:
With confidentiality it allows members to have access to their purchases only when they sign in with their name and password which they first had to fill out information in order to access. This way anyone who ever tried to have access to someone else’s credit card information, for example, wouldn’t be able to without this special information in order to log in.
With authenticity Dunkin’ Donuts’ website provides the Dunkin’ Donuts logo on the bottom and availability to contact them on their website in case of any problems. This proves that they are truly the Dunkin’ Donuts franchise because they are showing availability to communicate with them.
With integrity Dunkin’ Donuts doesn’t have a system to reassure others that information is guaranteed not to be altered. However, when someone is done purchasing items Dunkin’ Donuts provides a receipt through the internet that shows what you purchased in case any problems occur this will be proof of what was really done.
With availability Dunkin’ Donuts tries to provide updated access to their website with no down times for maintenance. However, in case of an emergency Dunkin’ Donuts keeps information on Dunkin’ Donuts’ members who purchase on their website.
Dunkin’ Donuts’ domain name is www.dunkindonuts.com
June 15, 2010
June 8, 2010
Technology
1) Motherboard - the central or primary circuit board making up a computer system or other complex electronic system. Dunkin Donuts uses All-in-One Desktops PC with a touch screen. Multi-touch All-in-One PC with Turbo Boost Quad core processor - Intel (R) Core (TM) i7 -720QM, and Windows 7 operating system.
2) Storage - The terms storage or memory refer to those parts of a computer that retain data for some period of time, possibly even after the computer is turned off. Besides the internal storage device Dunkin Donuts uses external Western Digital hard drive.
3) Input/output devices - refers to the interfaces that different functional units of a system use to communicate among each other, or to the signals sent through those interfaces. HP laser printers are used as output devices.
4) Processing – as I mentioned above Dunkin Donuts uses Intel® Core™ i7 Processor.
Software has become a vital and integral part of most systems today. The software safety identifies, analyzes, and tracks software mitigation and controls of hazardous functions to ensure safer software operation within a system. Systems engineers, software engineers, software developers, software assurance personnel, and system safety personnel all play a part in software safety and hardware maintenance. A successful Software Safety program requires continuous coordination and open communication between all participants.
The system features an exclusive Lightning ID fingerprint identification engine, a biometric data-collection device mounted on walls outside the offices of each store manager. Employees enroll in the system by providing fingerprint samples, which are converted into algorithms and stored in a database for comparison. With two finger-taps on a digital sensor, the system attempts a match to authenticate employees' identities as it logs in precise arrival and departure times.
Timecard Monitor's comprehensive software also allows companies to set-up specific parameters such as employee schedules, pay policies, pre-populated holidays, etc., all of which can be compiled in detailed management reports.
And, the application provides seamless integration with leading payroll and accounting packages such as QuickBooks, PeachTree, ACCPAC, ADP and Paychex.
Dunkin Donuts has the employee, suppliers, and franchisees files in its database. “Dunkin' Donuts is using a system that helps it more quickly close deals with "customers," who in the franchising world are the people who apply to run a franchise, pay the franchise fee after the approval process, and then pay royalties. Salespeople and managers use the system to manage information about these customers, including the stage of each potential deal and how financing is going for them.”
“Dunkin' Donuts managers use a dashboard-type software application to identify any problem areas so they can keep deals on track. The can get a geographic view of regions where deals are stalling, and then drill down into a specific account to determine what's slowing down the process.” They can identify potential deals in locales that are too close in proximity. They also can identify high-performing areas, and gather best practices from those regions' salespeople to share with other areas. “Key metrics they're watching include the average cycle time for getting a franchise deal done, the size of deals, and average cycle time by what type of deal gets done.”
Due to the data base Dunkin' Donuts has a system which controls the employee time and attendance system in order to:
• Improve management of employee time;
• Capture accurate employee time and attendance data;
• Increase efficiency of payroll administration;
• Reduce time and tasks store managers devoted to preprocessing payroll;
• Prevent employees from "clocking-in" early;
• Eliminate the act of "buddy-punching" (employees punching-in for tardy or absent co-workers); and,
• Enable more efficient scheduling.
The Dunkin Donuts uses the system that was developed by business intelligence vendor Oco Inc. Oco extracted customer data from Dunkin Donut's various systems and cleaned it up in a data warehouse, establishing standardized categories that make it possible for the dashboard application to slice and dice the data into meaningful information. Updated information is fed into the data warehouse daily.
2) Storage - The terms storage or memory refer to those parts of a computer that retain data for some period of time, possibly even after the computer is turned off. Besides the internal storage device Dunkin Donuts uses external Western Digital hard drive.
3) Input/output devices - refers to the interfaces that different functional units of a system use to communicate among each other, or to the signals sent through those interfaces. HP laser printers are used as output devices.
4) Processing – as I mentioned above Dunkin Donuts uses Intel® Core™ i7 Processor.
Software has become a vital and integral part of most systems today. The software safety identifies, analyzes, and tracks software mitigation and controls of hazardous functions to ensure safer software operation within a system. Systems engineers, software engineers, software developers, software assurance personnel, and system safety personnel all play a part in software safety and hardware maintenance. A successful Software Safety program requires continuous coordination and open communication between all participants.
The system features an exclusive Lightning ID fingerprint identification engine, a biometric data-collection device mounted on walls outside the offices of each store manager. Employees enroll in the system by providing fingerprint samples, which are converted into algorithms and stored in a database for comparison. With two finger-taps on a digital sensor, the system attempts a match to authenticate employees' identities as it logs in precise arrival and departure times.
Timecard Monitor's comprehensive software also allows companies to set-up specific parameters such as employee schedules, pay policies, pre-populated holidays, etc., all of which can be compiled in detailed management reports.
And, the application provides seamless integration with leading payroll and accounting packages such as QuickBooks, PeachTree, ACCPAC, ADP and Paychex.
Dunkin Donuts has the employee, suppliers, and franchisees files in its database. “Dunkin' Donuts is using a system that helps it more quickly close deals with "customers," who in the franchising world are the people who apply to run a franchise, pay the franchise fee after the approval process, and then pay royalties. Salespeople and managers use the system to manage information about these customers, including the stage of each potential deal and how financing is going for them.”
“Dunkin' Donuts managers use a dashboard-type software application to identify any problem areas so they can keep deals on track. The can get a geographic view of regions where deals are stalling, and then drill down into a specific account to determine what's slowing down the process.” They can identify potential deals in locales that are too close in proximity. They also can identify high-performing areas, and gather best practices from those regions' salespeople to share with other areas. “Key metrics they're watching include the average cycle time for getting a franchise deal done, the size of deals, and average cycle time by what type of deal gets done.”
Due to the data base Dunkin' Donuts has a system which controls the employee time and attendance system in order to:
• Improve management of employee time;
• Capture accurate employee time and attendance data;
• Increase efficiency of payroll administration;
• Reduce time and tasks store managers devoted to preprocessing payroll;
• Prevent employees from "clocking-in" early;
• Eliminate the act of "buddy-punching" (employees punching-in for tardy or absent co-workers); and,
• Enable more efficient scheduling.
The Dunkin Donuts uses the system that was developed by business intelligence vendor Oco Inc. Oco extracted customer data from Dunkin Donut's various systems and cleaned it up in a data warehouse, establishing standardized categories that make it possible for the dashboard application to slice and dice the data into meaningful information. Updated information is fed into the data warehouse daily.
June 2, 2010
E-Commerce
Electronic commerce is commerce but it is commerce accelerated and enhanced by IT, in particular the Internet. In Dunkin Donuts case we have Business to Consumer (B2C) e-commerce. It is the selling through the Internet the Dunkin Donuts products to clients who are primarily individuals. The customers expect that the website will give them the tools they need to fully interact with the organization. It can be the marketing blog or full redesign and content management system.
Commerce - E-commerce solution needs a partner. In Dunkin Donuts case it is a custom-built shopping cart and payment gateway system.
Commerce - E-commerce solution needs a partner. In Dunkin Donuts case it is a custom-built shopping cart and payment gateway system.
Porter's Five Forces Model
For buyer power our industry has a high buying power because the buyers have many choices from whom to buy. For example, McDonalds came out with new cold coffee drinks while already having a breakfast menu and Starbucks is already in competition with Dunkin Donuts with coffee. The way DD is reducing the buyer power is by offering certain perks to customers such as a DD coffee subscription. With this subscription that can be done online the customer will get 20% off of the everyday prices. In this sense DD is not too bad with this power but still needs more perks because this industry is still booming. With supplier power our industry seems to have a good supply power because they have high buying power which means they have many suppliers to choose from who make coffee beans and other breakfast items and the supplier power is low because they are not the only ones out there that can provide coffee and other things. Furthermore, when DD supply the item it then becomes a low buying power for the customer because DD provides the trademark on certain things which limits those buyers from getting the same of DD. With switching cost the penalty for a customer switching over to another supplier of coffee and donuts and other breakfast items would be the price. DD has always had a good reputation for good coffee at a reasonable price and they added on to that by adding other food to their menu that is at a great price. An entry barrier that other competitors might find would be to get the same or more variety in their menu with the same quality and price. Furthermore because of this DD’s threat of substitute products or services are high because there are many alternatives to this product and service but at the same time DD has their customer service and competitive prices to help them out with that. With the threat of new entrants DD has had Starbucks who entered the market and knew that they had to provide quality coffee in order to enter that market. However, there still isn’t another Starbucks or DD yet because this market is hard. In order for a new competitor to enter this market they will not only have to provide quality coffee but also have great prices for everything they sell because the market has changed into this since DD provides variety plus cheap coffee. Lastly, with rivalry among existing competitors competition is high in this market. Again, every fast food restaurant offers coffee and even added fancy coffee such as latte and frapp's which is competitive with this market because Starbucks and DD are no longer the only option for someone to get a cup of coffee. However the way DD is trying to lower this by adding on to their menu. Therefore, a customer will not only get a quality cup of coffee at a good price but they can get a sandwich or tuna fish on a toasted bagel.
Business Strategy
For our company, Dunkin’ Donuts, the generic business strategy that is used is Low Cost. This strategy involves the firm gaining more market share by appealing to cost-conscious or price-sensitive customers. Low Cost companies have the lowest prices in the target market segment. To be able to offer the lowest price while still achieving profitability and a high return on investment, the firm must be able to operate at a lower cost than its competitors. Dunkin’ Donuts’ main competitor is Starbucks. There are three ways Dunkin’ Donuts separates itself from Starbucks:
1. Dunkin’ Donuts produces more than Starbucks, resulting in high asset turnover. Dunkin Donuts uses the fixed price but produces more which allows Dunkin Donuts to sell at a lower cost because fixed costs are spread over a larger number of units.
2. Dunkin’ Donuts also offers high volumes of standardized products. It limits customization and personalization of service. Mostly every Dunkin Donuts has the same service, it assures its customers it will remain the same no matter which location they go to. All Dunkin Donuts are also located in low rent areas.
3. Dunkin’ Donuts has control over the supply chain to guarantee low costs. This could be achieved by bulk buying to enjoy quantity discounts, squeezing suppliers on price, instituting competitive bidding for contracts, working with vendors to keep inventories low, and these are all ways Dunkin Donuts keeps its prices as low as possible and is the leading franchise over Starbucks and Krispy Kreme.
1. Dunkin’ Donuts produces more than Starbucks, resulting in high asset turnover. Dunkin Donuts uses the fixed price but produces more which allows Dunkin Donuts to sell at a lower cost because fixed costs are spread over a larger number of units.
2. Dunkin’ Donuts also offers high volumes of standardized products. It limits customization and personalization of service. Mostly every Dunkin Donuts has the same service, it assures its customers it will remain the same no matter which location they go to. All Dunkin Donuts are also located in low rent areas.
3. Dunkin’ Donuts has control over the supply chain to guarantee low costs. This could be achieved by bulk buying to enjoy quantity discounts, squeezing suppliers on price, instituting competitive bidding for contracts, working with vendors to keep inventories low, and these are all ways Dunkin Donuts keeps its prices as low as possible and is the leading franchise over Starbucks and Krispy Kreme.
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