Tjx Case Study
eStore at Shell Case Analysis – Student sample
Case Synopsis
In 2002 Shell Canada, a large Oil and Gas company, launched the eStore software application to service their price-sensitive Agricultural market segment by offering a lower cost service. Calvin Wright (eProduct manager) helped implement the eStore application, which was geared to service this Agricultural Segment market. The Agricultural Segment was considered by Shell to be high costs since local sales representatives were used in order to sell the product. By introducing a cost saving application, eStore, users would be able to place their orders directly online. However, when the number of eStore users remained unchanged, Wright headed to the field to determine the reasons behind the low use of the eStore application. The data collected between Wright and the consultant (RareMethod) helped determine the issues in order to help determine possible solutions. Wright needed to make some recommendations on how to improve the use of eStore.
Why do you think Shell is experiencing low use of its eStore?
In order for information systems to be successful they should show direct or potential value added (Planning and Implementation IS projects, Slide 4) something eStore failed to provide due to the reasons presented below.
Shell’s low use of eStore was due to: customers not remembering the link or their passwords, and trouble differentiating between the dual login screens. (Saunders, 2006, pg. 9) Customers were confused by the expired password notices since notification emails came from eBusiness rather than eStore (Saunders, 2006, pg. 10). Customers found the system to be cumbersome due to time delays when placing orders, and slow system response. Customers thought the application offered them no added value. Furthermore, the client did not consider the eStore to be an e-commerce site since only a select product list was available, and a previous relationship with Shell was required. (Saunders,
Case Synopsis
In 2002 Shell Canada, a large Oil and Gas company, launched the eStore software application to service their price-sensitive Agricultural market segment by offering a lower cost service. Calvin Wright (eProduct manager) helped implement the eStore application, which was geared to service this Agricultural Segment market. The Agricultural Segment was considered by Shell to be high costs since local sales representatives were used in order to sell the product. By introducing a cost saving application, eStore, users would be able to place their orders directly online. However, when the number of eStore users remained unchanged, Wright headed to the field to determine the reasons behind the low use of the eStore application. The data collected between Wright and the consultant (RareMethod) helped determine the issues in order to help determine possible solutions. Wright needed to make some recommendations on how to improve the use of eStore.
Why do you think Shell is experiencing low use of its eStore?
In order for information systems to be successful they should show direct or potential value added (Planning and Implementation IS projects, Slide 4) something eStore failed to provide due to the reasons presented below.
Shell’s low use of eStore was due to: customers not remembering the link or their passwords, and trouble differentiating between the dual login screens. (Saunders, 2006, pg. 9) Customers were confused by the expired password notices since notification emails came from eBusiness rather than eStore (Saunders, 2006, pg. 10). Customers found the system to be cumbersome due to time delays when placing orders, and slow system response. Customers thought the application offered them no added value. Furthermore, the client did not consider the eStore to be an e-commerce site since only a select product list was available, and a previous relationship with Shell was required. (Saunders,
Bibliography: 1. Rainer, R. (2008). Introduction to information systems, Canadian edition. Mississauga: John Wiley and Sons Canada Ltd. 2. Ross, Jeanne W., & Weill, Peter. (2002). Six IT Decisions Your IT People Shouldn 't Make. Harvard Business Review, 13. 3. Saunders, Chad. (2006). Estore at Shell Canada Limited. Richard Ivey School of Business, 14. 4. In class chapter slides.