Mashaweer (Page 67)

1-12 What Kinds of applications are described in this case? What business functions do they support?

    The applications described in this case are: PDA, centralized application and SCADA. The business functions that the case supports: Manufacturing and production, finance and accounting and human resources.
Major Business Functions:
1. Manufacturing and production: Assembling the product
2. Sales and marketing: Identifying customers
3. Finance and accounting: Creating financial statements
4. Human resources: Hiring employees

1-13 What are the benefits from equipping their riders with PDAs?

    Through this technology Mashaweer decreases the amount of errors due to the fact that the messenger is tied to an automated process where he receives his tasks through the PDA handheld. And also to manages the following:
1. Tracking the order items progress.
2. Track the collecting of order fees.
3. Messaging the riders.
4. Track the cash and expenses.
5. Synchronizing data periodically and at the beginning of each shift.

1-14 Was it a good decision to expand the business to Cairo? What are the implications of information Systems?

Yes it was a good decision to expand the business to Cairo since the succeed in Alexandria.
The implications:
Mashaweer heavily depends on technological advances that occur every day and depends on the tools so it benefit from the advancements and prices reductions that continuously take place. As a result Mashaweer’s total costs will be decrease, enabling it to decrease its prices and further improve its quality to become even more convenient for a large number of people.

1-15 Do you think that Mashaweer will be able to accomplish their future strategy and sustain its market share?

    Yes, Mashaweer will be able to accomplish their future strategy and sustain its market for below reasons:
    Mashaweer is an online supermarket that will enable people to do their grocery shopping through Mashaweer’s website and get it delivered by its representatives within 30 minutes of placing the order. Mashaweer’s call center is expected to make up an important revenue stream for the company in the near future, as the company starts introducing marketing campaigns. Using the technology they have invested in building their infrastructure, Mashaweer now has the potential to easily enter and penetrate other markets in different regions as a very low initiation cost.

1-16 Do you think in near future, the competition between Mashaweer and Wassaly will be aggressive? Why?

    No. the competition between Mashaweer and Wassaly will not be aggressive as Mashaweer is the only company of its kind in Egypt that operates on this scale. However, there is a company called Wassaly that was established in Cairo after Mashaweer’s success in Alexandria. 

Wassaly cannot compete with Mashaweer because they have following advantages:
•  Database of thousands of loyal clients.
• Self-investment is manageable
• Highly qualified and carefully selected riders
• Delivery sector in the Egypt.
• Various revenue streams.
• Being the owner of the IT company