Technology Plan Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is for you to think about 1) how your type of business could achieve competitive advantages through the use of technology and 2) how information technology can be used to support your core transaction processing. To do this, you will need to find and examine two different software applications that could be used by your business. (If you don't have an idea for a business plan yet, that's okay - just pick a specific type of business that you could potentially be interested in.)

Look for a software solution that is specific to your type of business. General applications are available for common business tasks (such as payroll and accounting), but there is also a wide range of "vertical software applications" that address the needs of specific types of businesses, such as retail management, service management, restaurant management, fundraising, etc. Often, there are even more focused solutions within an industry type - for example, there is retail software specific to bicycle shops, restaurant management software addressing the unique needs of pizzerias, etc. Try to find software that is customized as much as possible to your specific business type.

Formatting and Content Requirements: Your report must be a minimum of two full pages (max 5) and should be professional in appearance. Specifically, include a centered title at the top of the first page, and create a page footer with your name, date, and page number (in Page x of y format as shown in this document). The following four sections should be included with underlined headings, and paragraphs should be single-spaced with double-spacing between and no extra spacing between lines. Use Times New Roman 12-point font.

Business Description:

• Provide a brief description of your potential business: products/services your business will provide, your target market, an estimate of the size of the business, and where your business will be located. Most people just need one or two paragraphs to describe their business. If you are proposing a unique type of business, be sure that your business model (how do you make your money) is evident.

Social Media and E-commerce Strategy:

• Discuss your social media and e-commerce strategies. Some possible questions to consider: What types of Web 2.0 strategies would you employ? Would you have a web site? What purpose(s) would it serve? Do you anticipate conducting any B2B or B2C e-commerce? How can you use social media to increase your competitive advantage? Which social media sites will you use (you must specifically name the ones you will use)?

• List at least five different pieces of data (e.g., name, address, phone, etc.) that you will collect from your potential customers and state how you will use the collected data. For example, will you mail them a postcard on their birthday? Two of the five pieces of data must be unique to your industry. Be specific and use all five pieces of data.

Data processing needs

• Describe why your company needs a software program and what type you aresearching for.

• Find and compare two like applications (purchasable software or a web-based "cloud computing" solution) that address your core transaction processes. For example, if your business is a retail store, focus on a system that streamlines point of sale (POS) and inventory processes.

• Create a table (sample table shown below) to compare your selected programs using the format shown below. In the first column, list at least eight software requirements for your business, and indicate whether the solutions that you are considering would meet these requirements

Attachment:- sample_tech_plan.pdf