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A Study on Marketing Strategies in MBA-Infosoft Pvt.
Ltd
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Contents
S No Topic
1. List of Tables
2. List of Figures
3. List of Abbreviations
4. Chapter-1: Introduction
5. Chapter-2: Profile of the Firm
6. Chapter-3: Objectives of the study
7. Chapter-4: Research Methodology
8. Chapter-5: Data Interpretation & Analysis
9. Chapter-6: Finding & Recommendation
10. Chapter-7: Conclusion
11. Bibliography /References
12. Appendices
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LIST OF TABLES
Table No Title Page No1 Gender Data of Respondents 392 Age Data of Respondents 403 Profession Data of Respondents 414 ERP Solution Data by Respondents 425 Primary Service Data of Respondents 436 Promotional Activity Response 447 Response Data Regarding Marketing
Strategies49
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure No Title Page No1 Features of MBA Infosoft 202 Clients 263 Sampling Plan 35
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
S No Abbreviated Name Full Name1 MBA Master of Business Administration
2 Ltd. Limited3 Pvt. Private4 No. Number5 ERP Enterprise Resource Planning6 Mgmt. Management
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INTRODUCTION
The world is going global and so are its ways of doing things. As a consequence of the
rapidly growing competition in the professional arena, various organizations and corporate
houses are becoming critically dependent on the revolutionary Information Technology. An
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Solution is an amalgamation of business management
software specially designed to allow efficient functioning of work processes. This easily
comprehendible software is inclusive of all facets of operation including Development,
manufacturing, sales and marketing. There are several ERP Modules that can be bought in
accordance to specific needs and capabilities of an enterprise. Each module primarily focuses
on enhancement of quality, efficiency and productivity of the resources in an organization.
MARKETING OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYIN INDIA
The face of marketing has changed. Traditionally, building an enterprise software company
used to be largely about simply creating a great product, but today a great product also needs
to be supplemented with a stellar multi-channel marketing plan, a dedicated sales team and
industry expertise. Enterprise software is sourced and purchased by high-level business
people and today, savvy marketers need to step in to help charm and convince potential
customers, an activity that many technologists and programmers may find unappealing, yet
necessary.
The Indian system of learning and academics is much acknowledged across the globe. The
remarkable quality of professional training imparted to students at the various educational
institutes is highly appreciated worldwide. Moreover, the application of Information
Technology in study processes has revolutionized the systems and enhanced efficiency. This
high-end technology has significantly contributed in hassle-free management of both internal
operations as well as complex database of courses. MBA Infosoft offers a dependable
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solution that supports academic processes effectively and functions strictly on the guidelines
of education institutions.
WHAT IS MARKETING STRATEGY?
Marketing strategy is the goal of increasing sales and achieving a sustainable
competitive advantage. Marketing strategy includes all basic and long-term activities in the
field of marketing that deal with the analysis of the strategic initial situation of a company
and the formulation, evaluation and selection of market-oriented strategies and therefore
contribute to the goals of the company and its marketing objectives.
Developing a Market Strategy
Marketing strategies serve as the fundamental underpinning of marketing plans designed to
fill market needs and reach marketing objectives. Plans and objectives are generally tested for
measurable results. Commonly, marketing strategies are developed as multi-year plans, with
a tactical plan detailing specific actions to be accomplished in the current year. Time horizons
covered by the marketing plan vary by company, by industry, and by nation, however, time
horizons are becoming shorter as the speed of change in the environment increases.
Marketing strategies are dynamic and interactive. They are partially planned and partially
unplanned. See strategy dynamics. Marketing strategy needs to take a long term view, and
tools such as customer lifetime value models can be very powerful in helping to simulate the
effects of strategy on acquisition, revenue per customer and churn rate.
Marketing strategy involves careful and precise scanning of the internal and external
environments. Internal environmental factors include the marketing mix and marketing mix
modeling, plus performance analysis and strategic constraints. External environmental factors
include customer analysis, competitor analysis, target market analysis, as well as evaluation
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of any elements of the technological, economic, cultural or political/legal environment likely
to impact success. A key component of marketing strategy is often to keep marketing in line
with a company's overarching mission statement.
Once a thorough environmental scan is complete, a strategic plan can be constructed to
identify business alternatives, establish challenging goals, determine the optimal marketing
mix to attain these goals, and detail implementation. A final step in developing a marketing
strategy is to create a plan to monitor progress and a set of contingencies if problems arise in
the implementation of the plan.
Marketing Mix Modeling is often used to help determine the optimal marketing budget and
how to allocate across the marketing mix to achieve these strategic goals. Moreover, such
models can help allocate spend across a portfolio of brands and manage brands to create
value.
Use of Technology in Marketing
Marketing management can also rely on various technologies within the scope of its
marketing efforts. Computer-based information systems can be employed, aiding in better
processing and storage of data. Marketing researchers can use such systems to devise better
methods of converting data into information, and for the creation of enhanced data gathering
methods. Information technology can aid in enhancing an MkIS' software and hardware
components, and improve a company's marketing decision-making process.
In recent years, the notebook personal computer has gained significant market share among
laptops, largely due to its more user-friendly size and portability. Information technology
typically progresses at a fast rate, leading to marketing managers being cognizant of the latest
technological developments. Moreover, the launch of smartphones into the cell phone market
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is commonly derived from a demand among consumers for more technologically advanced
products. A firm can lose out to competitors should it ignore technological innovations in its
industry.
Technological advancements can lessen barriers between countries and regions. Using the
World Wide Web, firms can quickly dispatch information from one country to another
without much restriction. Prior to the mass usage of the Internet, such transfers of information
would have taken longer to send, especially if done via snail mail, telex, etc.
Recently, there has been a large emphasis on data analytics. Data can be mined from various
sources such as online forms, mobile phone applications and more recently, social media.
Real-life marketing
Real-life marketing primarily revolves around the application of a great deal of common-
sense; dealing with a limited number of factors, in an environment of imperfect information
and limited resources complicated by uncertainty and tight timescales. Use of classical
marketing techniques, in these circumstances, is inevitably partial and uneven.
Thus, for example, many new products will emerge from irrational processes and the rational
development process may be used (if at all) to screen out the worst non-runners. The design
of the advertising, and the packaging, will be the output of the creative minds employed;
which management will then screen, often by 'gut-reaction', to ensure that it is reasonable.
For most of their time, marketing managers use intuition and experience to analyze and
handle the complex, and unique, situations being faced; without easy reference to theory.
This will often be 'flying by the seat of the pants', or 'gut-reaction'; where the overall strategy,
coupled with the knowledge of the customer which has been absorbed almost by a process of
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osmosis, will determine the quality of the marketing employed. This, almost instinctive
management, is what is sometimes called 'coarse marketing'; to distinguish it from the
refined, aesthetically pleasing, form favored by the theorists.
An organization's strategy combines all of its marketing goals into one comprehensive plan.
A good marketing strategy should be drawn from market research and focus on the right
product mix in order to achieve the maximum profit potential and sustain the business. The
marketing strategy is the foundation of a marketing plan.
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MBA-Infosoft Pvt. Ltd
Company Description: MBA-Infosoft Pvt. Ltd prides itself in being a valued partner that
consults our clients on their information technology needs and provides them with innovative
solutions that help them improve the performance of their business. A Microsoft Certified
Partner, MBA-Infosoft has solution offerings spanning advisory services, bespoke application
development, ERP implementations to providing hosting solutions, we strive to be a turnkey
solution provider for our clients. Established in 2004 with the backing of Birla’s (one of the
premiere business houses in India), our ethos stems from credibility and from providing high
class quality delivered on time. We believe our rich heritage supports in our conduct of
business with strong ethical values driving us in setting a goal to be the best at what we do. In
an age where the ability to leverage information serves as a major differentiator in the
business landscape, MBA provides organizations with integrated solutions so that
information is just a click away. In addition to being bespoke solution providers, our
competencies also lie in implementing Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions. Microsoft
Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply chain management
solutions that help businesses work more effectively. The product provides specialized
services, integrated and adaptable to business management solutions. The software helps to
streamline processes across an entire business. MBA Infosoft specializes in conceptualizing,
configuring and implementing solutions based on the Microsoft Dynamics platform with
primary focus on the retail and hospitality industries. At MBA Infosoft our success is
measured in the value and satisfaction derived by our clients. Our employees, the key to our
success and we promote an employee friendly environment and ensure that our team is
receives ongoing training and skill development to enable them to enhance the value
provided to our clients. Our endeavour is to be a trusted partner to our clients that can be
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relied upon to provide innovative, implementable and quality solutions to our clients and
allow them to rely on us for all their Information Technology requirements.
INDUSTRY PROFILE
Paradysz Matera fits into the Marketing and Advertising Industry. "The US advertising and
marketing services industry includes about 35,000 companies with combined annual revenue
of about $80 billion. Major companies include Interpublic, Omnicom, Publics, and WPP. The
industry is fragmented: the top 50 companies generate less than 40 percent of revenue."
These Marketing and Advertising agencies provide a variety of services to their customers'
that creates high demand for the industry.
Some of the services that are provided to the customers by this industry include: advertising
for specific services, creating a company image, and building a customer /company
relationship which will all help benefit the customer's performance. Within the Marketing
and Advertising industry, advertising can be done in many forms including print, online and
broadcast. These forms of advertising actually make up 35 percent of the industry sales, with
direct mail making up 20 percent of the industry sales.
Who are the Marketing and Advertising industries customers? The competitive landscape for
this industry is made up of companies that need advertisers to bring in sales. The customers
normally sell products or services, and use the Marketing and Advertising agencies to help
them create a target audience and focus in on ways to sell and make a profit. In the long run
this industry strives to help improve their customer’s business performance, by expanding,
and reducing the cost to get the customers’ business out in the world.
The Marketing and Advertising industry depends on the strength of economy to stay alive.
Customers tend to look to marketing companies in tough times such as today. With a bad
economy the chances are high that the marketing and advertising budget will be cut. With
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the decline of the economy many customers are turning to Advertising and Marketing
agencies that focus on direct mail. According to the website Entrepreneur, Direct mail is a
form of marketing strategy that uses mail transportation to deliver promotional printed piece
to a company’s target audience. These printed pieces can be anything from a coupon, pen,
postcard, catalogues and brochures. Agencies that do direct mail tend to be cheaper than TV
or radio, "they often benefit in economic downturns from a redirection of advertising budgets
away from expensive main media."
COMPANY PROFILE
Company Name: MBA Infosoft Pvt. Ltd.
Commencement Date: 2004
Field Of Operation: ERP Solutions
Main branch: No. 14B, Atmaram House, No. 1 Tolstoy Marg
New Delhi - 110001
Website name: http://www.mbainfosoft.com/.htm
Organization History
Before Birla Corporation Ltd.
Shri Ghanshyam Das Birla’s grandfather, Shiv Narayana Birla used his capital from a
moneylending business and started a cotton business. With a successful venture, he went
back to Pilani, his birthplace, and built a mansion for the family. Business boomed with
World War I as the British Empire relied on Birla to provide for the war efforts. GD Birla
inherited the family business and expanded into many industries, and by 1919, the Birla
Brothers Limited was formed with his other three siblings. He ventured into the motor
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vehicle industry, tea, textiles, cement, chemicals, and by 1942, also organized the United
Commercial Bank Limited, one of the first commercial banks of India. While still in the early
years of the Birla Group, an inkling of the future of Birla Brothers Limited was depicted in
GD Birla’s life.
Founding of Birla Corporation Ltd.
Born in 1918, Madhav Prasad of Bombay, son of GD Birla, was a part of the Birla Jute
Manufacturing Company since the beginning. By the time he finished college, he was already
in charge of Birla Jute which had suffered economic downturns and wars. Madhav changed
the company from Birla Jute Manufacturing Company to a company with activities across a
wide spectrum of industries. In MP Birla’s time, Birla Corporation and the other businesses
under Birla Group gained significant power and stance in the cement, auto trims, steel, and
building materials. When he died in 1990, his wife, Priyamvada Birla took over as the
chairman of Birla in 1998 and changed the name to Birla Corporation Limited. Priyamvada is
known for her active roles in the community, healthcare, and education.
Education
To motivate and push students in academic excellence, the MP Birla Foundation built many
schools in India. These schools include institutions for excellence, industrial training in
computers, mechanical and electrical studies, and a Sanskrit school for students interested in
Vedic studies. They also cater to children of employees at Birla with a quality education
taught in Hindi and financial aid for students. The Birla Foundation, founded by MP Birla,
strives to develop innovative and strong individuals and prepare them for the world.
Chairpersons
• M. P. Birla (d. 1990)
• Mrs Priyamvada Birla (d. July 3, 2004)
• R. S. Lodha (d. October 3, 2008)
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Vision, Mission and Values
Vision
To be a premium global conglomerate, with a clear focus on each of the businesses.
Mission
To deliver superior value to our customers, shareholders, employees and society at large.
Values
• Integrity: Acting and taking decisions in a manner that is fair and honest. Following
the highest standards of professionalism and being recognised for doing so. Integrity
for us means not only financial and intellectual integrity, but encompasses all other
forms as are generally understood.
• Commitment: On the foundation of Integrity, doing all that is needed to deliver value
to all stakeholders. In the process, being accountable for our own actions and
decisions, those of our team and those in the part of the organization for which we are
responsible.
• Passion: An energetic, intuitive zeal that arises from emotional engagement with the
organization that makes work joyful and inspires each one to give his or her best. A
voluntary, spontaneous and relentless pursuit of goals and objectives with the highest
level of energy and enthusiasm.
• Seamlessness: Thinking and working together across functional groups, hierarchies,
businesses and geographies. Leveraging diverse competencies and perspectives to
garner the benefits of synergy while promoting organizational unity through sharing
and collaborative efforts.
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• Speed: Responding to internal and external customers with a sense of urgency.
Continuously striving to finish before deadlines and choosing the best rhythm to
optimize organizational efficiencies.
About “MBA Infosoft’’
Entering into this new age anything and everything is critically dependent on Informational
Technology. With every sector adopting IT into their business and processes, education
sector also demands vital IT support, both for imparting efficiency to their internal operations
and for managing an ever increasing and complex database of courses and their respective
students. The already thriving domain of e-learning is an integral part of education today.
Equipped with the close understanding and experience of the domain, MBA Infosoft offers a
dependable solution that supports academic processes effectively and functions strictly on the
guidelines of education institutions. MBA Infosoft has all the features that a school requires
hosted on Cloud Computing making the application zero maintenance. We understand that IT
is not a core competence for a school and so we take care of it.
Education is one sector that is benefiting enough through the deployment of high end learning
management systems. MBA Infosoft strives to facilitate smooth managing and functioning of
internal operations and handling of complex database in schools and other educational
institutions. Holding requisite understanding of the e-learning domain, MBA Infosoft is
equipped with all features that are required by a school to maintain records and perform
better at reduced costs and time. MBA Infosoft understands that IT is not a core competence
for a school and so it is taken care of it.
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Value Proposition
End to end integrated versatile and comprehensive solution.
Reduces paperwork by using centralized database that effectively digitalizes
establishment.
Seamless communication between departments/ modules reduces data redundancy to
level zero.
Multi-level secured access to the application with centralized control.
Stakeholders have access to the application, irrespective of their location, wherever there
is internet connectivity due to Cloud Computing.
Business Intelligence tool makes analysis of data easy and enable you the management
take considered decisions.
Lower Cost of Ownership since Support can be provided to and from any location.
Archiving all records happens through the system automatically. This enables you to
retrieve records of past years.
Why MBA Infosoft
They are a young organization and believe in the “Customer First” philosophy. So here is an
excellent solution to all worries about an effective and successful school Management.
1. Young organisation and believe in the "Customer First" philosophy
2. The team strives hard for high quality and delivery on time
3. MBA believes in developing partnerships with their clients and therefore our focus is in
delivering value at every level for all times to come.
4. MBA Infosoft has been developed in the latest platform of ASP .Net and with Cloud
Computing; it is at the cutting edge of technology.
Features
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Student Management System
End to end student track record from the date of joining to leaving.
Auto Ranking based on screening.
Performance report.
Transport Management System
Driver/ Conductor/ Attendant assigned.
Routes/ Stops generation.
Routes and stops assigned to students.
The ID provided to the parents and conductor ensure highest security.
Design Management System
Centralized Document Portal
Can retrieve all contacts, licences and other important papers at any time required
Tuck Shop Management
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One stop shopping store for students and staff within the campus
All transactional record with seamless integration to Personal Account.
Financial Management System
Seamless integration with all modules
Audit log report
Voucher creations/ approvals
Comparison reports
Balance Sheet/ Trial Balance/ P&L Statements
Creating budgets and keeping track of any variance.
Library Management
Creation of unique accession no. for every book, magazine etc.
Complete record of issued and deposited books
Track of student reading behavior.
Marketing Module
Keeps track of all the achievements
List of activities conducted for marketing
Staff Management System
Complete track record of staff
Role based secured access.
Health Care Management System
Medicine master generation with inventory
Student’s complete health record including history of immunization done and
scheduled
Details of all treatment provided to the student while in school.
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CCE/ Exam Management System
Developed strictly under CBSE norms
CCE/ Exam master creation
Automatic grade calculation
Scholastic and Co-Scholastic activities
Hostel Management System
Master on duty
Hostel diary
Track boarders attendance details to maintain security
Room allotment and swapping.
School Payroll System
MBA-Infosoft has designed and prepared a School Payroll System to streamline all aspects of
payroll process of the school. It provides you the state of art graphical user interface based
School Payroll Management System that are especially designed to take over the monthly
pressure of school personnel or finance department. Through this system, school can better
manage its payroll system and makes this complicated function a lot easier. School Payroll
System has a user friendly interface and easy to operate functionality with the highly
integration of SMS and Email.
School Payroll Management Software
School Payroll management software introduces a complete and well-defined salary structure
of every employee. As far as flexibility is concern, the system is created in a manner that the
salary structure can be updated at any point of time. Keeping in mind the difficulty of PF,
EPS, and Arrear amount, the PMS provides the automatic calculation of these components. It
is easy to generate pay slips and other important report from the system. Automatic salary
increment process can be done by the PMS.
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It is seamlessly integrated with employee attendance and leave management system. Here
employee can see and generate the leave request to the concern department. Therefore
employees may find it easier for:
Monthly salary creation in a single go.
PF, DA and Arrear calculation
Leave calculations/Encashment
Various Loans calculation.
Gate Management System
Complete track record of students, staff, parents and visitors coming in and going out
of the school campus.
Bulk email and SMS
Can be sent to parents by selecting class or individual student.
Can be sent to staff individually or category wise.
Administration Management System
Master driven approach for every module/department
Secured access generation/ allocation
User role defined
Subject and class assigned to respective faculty.
Store/ Vendor Management System
Vendor creation along with item tagging
Creating/ receiving PO and transit location for damaged, not received etc. items
Track of every inventory item location wise.
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Syllabus / Lesson Plan
Track of faculty performance
Plan for syllabus, Weekly plan, Chapter notes, lesson Plan
Master driven Units Chapters and Topics to create flexibility.
Mess Management System
Weekly menu creation for every meal
Special menu requests
Monthly consumption report
School Time-Table Management Software
School Time Table Management software is the scheduler for schools. This system checks
the class duration, faculty availability, student’s timing and facilities present. To prepare time
table module one needs to update the basic information in the system and time table gets set.
It varies depending upon the basic info uploaded.
The time consuming and tedious task of making a time table is performed easily and
seamlessly by the use of School Time-Table Management software. Authorized Staff can
have an access to the time table module. It is easy to create time-table, time to time re-
arrangement can be done, optimization of staff Flexibility to add time table weekly or
monthly or semester wise Generate alerts, avoid conflicts in timings. Facility to select
learning/working days, faculty substitution process, and provides various important reports.
It has the facility to upload the scanned document and can be request to view at any point of
time. It is capable to upload any document format like PDF, DOC, and RAR etc.
Student Profile Management Software
In order to store student data, Student Profile Management Software is designed to
maintain student’s personal information, parent’s information, and guardian’s information
etc.
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Student Profile Management Software script is revolutionary web based student management
system. This school software has a module dedicated to management of students, teachers
and staff records, which makes it useful Profile management software. This software stores
all static information & helps in doing away with manual data management, duplication and
redundancy.
Student Event Management Software
School Event Management Software enables user to create and develop festivals, events and
conferences. Event management involves identifying the target audience, devising the event
concept, planning the logistics and coordinating the technical aspects before actually
executing the modalities of the proposed event. Post-event analysis and ensuring a return on
investment have become significant drivers for the school events. Under this user can manage
various aspects like Event detail, number of guest expected, and number of parents expected
etc.
School Event Management Software has best features to plan an event, assign responsibility
to team, work dead-lines, and many more. Apart from this system also cater event’s
marketing aspects like Events to advertise, any previous respond to advertisement, and
deadlines for advertisement creation, feedbacks and many more.
Parent Login
Child’s attendance can be tracked
Track of reading behavior of the child
Teachers can share remarks about the student
Parents can communicate with teachers about the performance of their ward.
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Clients
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Objectives of the Study
To know about the awareness of the term marketing within the organization.
To know about the awareness ofthe organization’s marketing objectives.
To know about the perceptions of employees towards the marketing strategies with
reference to the marketing objectives of the organization.
To determine and make the comparison of the organization’s marking strategies with the
Industrial Marketing Strategies.
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1)RESEARCH DESIGN
1.1) Defining Research Problem
Problem definition is the first & foremost part of the research process, without this
research cannot be completed until and unless there is a problem or objective, the research
cannot be initiated. Problem definition refers to the objective on which research has to be
done, so problem definition in my project work is the study of the marketing strategies of
the firm and their effectiveness in the market.
1.2) Research Methodology
Research refers to search for knowledge. In other words research is defined as a
careful investigation or inquiry especially through for new facts in any branch of
knowledge.
Research Methodology is one of the important aspects of any project. This gives us clear-
cut view of method so used while gathering the information so needed for the completion
of the report.
a) Type of Study: Study is exploratory & descriptive (Cross-Sectional Study) in
nature.
b) Data Collection:Source of Data:
Two types of data sources will be taken into consideration
Primary Data
Secondary Data
1.2. a} Descriptive research,
Is used to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. It
does not answer questions about how/when/why the characteristics occurred. Rather it
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addresses the "what" question (What are the characteristics of the population or situation
being studied?).The characteristics used to describe the situation or population are usually
some kind of categorical scheme also known as descriptive categories. For example, the
periodic table categorizes the elements. Scientists use knowledge about the nature of
electrons, protons and neutrons to devise this categorical scheme. We now take for granted
the periodic table, yet it took descriptive research to devise it. Descriptive research generally
precedes explanatory research. For example, over time the periodic table’s description of the
elements allowed scientists to explain chemical reaction and make sound prediction when
elements were combined.
Hence, research cannot describe what caused a situation. Thus, Descriptive research cannot
be used to as the basis of a causal relationship, where one variable affects another. In other
words, descriptive research can be said to have a low requirement for internal validity.
The description is used for frequencies, averages and other statistical calculations. Often the
best approach, prior to writing descriptive research, is to conduct a survey investigation.
Qualitative research often has the aim of description and researchers may follow-up with
examinations of why the observations exist and what the implications of the findings are.
Descriptive studies can be divided into two broad categories- cross sectional and longitudinal.
Cross-sectional studies:
A cross sectional study deals with a sample of elements from a given population like
households, dealers, etc. Cross-sectional studies are of two types- field studies and surveys.
Field studies aim at finding the relations and inter-relations among variables in a real setting
like in communities, schools, factories, etc. One major strength of field studies is that they are
close to real life and cannot be criticized on the ground that they are artificial. In real settings,
variables exert their influence fully and, as such, the strength of variables is another
advantage of field studies.
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They are also subject to certain weaknesses like they are scientifically inferior to lab and field
experiments. In laboratory studies interrelations among variables are weaker than they are in
lab experiments. Another weakness is the lack of precision in the measurement of variables.
These studies have practical problems in respect of feasibility, cost, sampling and time. The
researcher has to look into these problems and satisfy himself that the proposed study is
feasible and that sufficient time and money are available to him to undertake the study.
Another type of cross-sectional study is survey research. Generally, in survey research more
emphasis is given to the extent of information sought rather than to an in-depth analysis.
Also, survey research demands more time and money, especially when it is conducted on a
large scale. Another limitation of survey research is that the interview may make the
respondent alert and cautious and he may not answer the questions in a natural manner. Such
answers will make the survey invalid. In addition to this the researcher must know the
technicalities of sampling, the method of constructing questionnaires, interviewing the
respondents, etc. It is rare to find a single individual possessing knowledge and experience in
all these diverse fields.
Cross-sectional studies (also known as cross-sectional analyses, transversal studies,
prevalence study) are one type of observational study that involves data collection from a
population, or a representative subset, at one specific point in time. They differ from case-
control studies in that they aim to provide data on the entire population under study, whereas
case-control studies typically include only individuals with a specific characteristic, with a
sample, often a tiny minority, of the rest of the population. Cross-sectional studies are
descriptive studies (neither longitudinal nor experimental). Unlike case-control studies, they
can be used to describe, not only the Odds ratio, but also absolute risks and relative risks
from prevalence’s (sometimes called prevalence risk ratio, or PRR). They may be used to
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describe some feature of the population, such as prevalence of an illness, or they may support
inferences of cause and effect.
1.2. B} DATA COLLECTION METHODS:
Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on variables of
interest, in an established systematic fashion that enables one to answer stated
research questions, test hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes. The data collection
component of research is common to all fields of study including physical and social
sciences, humanities, business, etc. While methods vary by discipline, the emphasis
on ensuring accurate and honest collection remains the same. The goal for all data
collection is to capture quality evidence that then translates to rich data analysis and
allows the building of a convincing and credible answer to questions that have been
posed.
Regardless of the field of study or preference for defining data (quantitative,
qualitative), accurate data collection is essential to maintaining the integrity of
research. Both the selection of appropriate data collection instruments (existing,
modified, or newly developed) and clearly delineated instructions for their correct use
reduce the likelihood of errors occurring.
There are two main sources of data collection:
A. Primary sources
B. Secondary sources.
Primary Data: The primary data are those which are collected a fresh and for the
first time and thus happen to be original in character. Under this project direct
collection of data from source of information & techniques such as personal
interviewing and survey through questionnaire for customers has been considered.
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Secondary Data: Secondary data is one which has already been collected by
someone else and which has already been passed through statistical processing. Under
this project secondary data is been collected from journals, magazines, & web sites.
The source of data collection for the research problem was primary quantitative data
using survey method i.e. questionnaire and the sources of secondary data were websites,
books etc.
A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other
prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Although they are often
designed for statistical analysis of the responses, this is not always the case. The
questionnaire was invented by Sir Francis Galton.
Questionnaires have advantages over some other types of surveys in that they are cheap, do
not require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and often have
standardized answers that make it simple to compile data. However, such standardized
answers may frustrate users. Questionnaires are also sharply limited by the fact that
respondents must be able to read the questions and respond to them. Thus, for some
demographic groups conducting a survey by questionnaire may not be practical.
As a type of survey, questionnaires also have many of the same problems relating to question
construction and wording that exist in other types of opinion polls.
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SAMPLING PLAN:
SAMPLE SIZE
The sampling size for the survey was 60.
SAMPLING UNIT
The data which had been collected from different respondents ranging from service
employees to students and even senior citizens.
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UNIVERSE / POPULATION
The universe / population of this project included all the customers who have or had ERP
solutions and services provided by MBA Infosoft Pvt. Ltd.
SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
The sampling technique used in this project was non-random convenience sampling.
Sampling is the use of a subset of the population to represent the whole population.
Probability sampling, or random sampling, is a sampling technique in which the probability
of getting any particular sample may be calculated. Non probability sampling does not meet
this criterion and should be used with caution. Non-probability sampling techniques cannot
be used to infer from the sample to the general population.
The advantage of non-probability sampling is its lower cost compared to probability
sampling. However, one can say much less on the basis of a non-probability sample than on
the basis of a probability sample. Of course, research practice appears to believe this claim,
because many analysts draw generalizations (e.g., propose new theory, propose policy) from
analyses of non-probability sampled data. One must ask, however, whether those published
works are publishable because tradition makes them so, or because there really are justifiable
grounds for drawing generalizations from studies based on non-probability samples.
Still, some use non-probability sampling. Examples of non-probability sampling include:
Convenience, Haphazard or Accidental sampling - members of the population are
chosen based on their relative ease of access. To sample friends, co-workers, or
shoppers at a single mall, are all examples of convenience sampling. Such samples are
biased because researchers may unconsciously approach some kinds of respondents
and avoid others (Lucas 2013), and respondents who volunteer for a study may differ
in unknown but important ways from others.
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Snowball sampling - The first respondent refers a friend. The friend also refers a
friend, and so on. Such samples are biased because they give people with more social
connections an unknown but higher chance of selection.
Judgmental sampling or Purposive sampling - The researcher chooses the sample
based on who they think would be appropriate for the study. This is used primarily
when there is a limited number of people that have expertise in the area being
researched
ANALYSIS – STATISTICAL TOOL
The statistical tools used for analysis are
pie- charts and bar graphs
SPSS.
MS Excel.
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SECTION - A
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS
1) GENDER
OPTIONS RESPONSE
Male 38
Female 22
38; 63%
22; 37%
GENDER
MaleFemale
Interpretation:
It has been observed that 63% of the respondents were males and the remaining 37% were
females.
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2) AGE
OPTIONS RESPONSE
18 - 30 18
30 - 50 28
50 & above 14
18; 30%
28; 47%
14; 23%
AGE
18 - 3030 - 5050 & above
Interpretation:
From the responses it has been observed that 47% of the respondents belong to the age group
of 30 to 50, 30% belong to the age group of 18 to 30 and the remaining 23% belong to the
age group of 50 & above.
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3) PROFESSION
OPTIONS RESPONSE
Entrepreneurial class 10
Service class 34
Student 5
Others 11
10; 17%
34; 57%
5; 8%
11; 18%
PROFESSION
Entrepreneurial classService classStudentOthers
Interpretation:
From the responses it has been observed that the majority of the respondents i.e. 57% belong
to the service class, 18% belong to the others category such as housewives etc., 17% belong
to the entrepreneurial class and the remaining 8% were students.
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SECTION – B
ERP SOLUTIONS PROVIDED TO THE RESPONDENTS
4) NUMBER OF ERP SOLUTIONS USED BY THE RESPONDENTS
OPTIONS RESPONSE
1 – 2 37
More than 2 23
37; 62%
23; 38%
NUMBER OF ERP SOLUTIONS
1 – 2 More than 2
Interpretation:
From the data collected it has been analysed that 62% of the respondents have 1 or 2 ERP
solutions whereas the remaining 38% have more than 2 ERP solutions.
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5) PRIMARY SERVICES USED BY RESPONDENTS
OPTIONS RESPONSE
Student Management system 21
Financial Management System 10
Health Care Management System 8
Transport Management System 5
Others 16
21,35%
10,16.66% 8, 13.33
%
5, 8.33%
16, 26.66%
Services Used
Student Management SystemFinancial Management SystemHealth care Management SystemTransport Management SystemOthers
Interpretation:
From the data collected it has been analysed that 21% of the respondents use student
management system, 10% use financial management system, 8% use health care management
system, 5% use transport management system and rest 56% is used by others.
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6) PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES
OPTIONS RESPONSES
Excellent 13
Good 34
Average 10
Poor 3
Excellent Good Average Poor
13
34
10
3
PROMOTION
Interpretation:
From the data collected it has been observed that the majority of the respondents i.e. 34
out of 60 have given a good rating to the promotion done by MBA Infosoft, 13 have
given it an excellent rating and 10 have given it an average rating and 3 have given it a
poor rating.
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7) RELEABILITY
OPTIONS RESPONSES
Excellent 23
Good 32
Average 4
Poor 1
Excellent Good Average Poor
23
32
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RELIABILITY
Interpretation:
From the data collected it has been observed that the majority of the respondents i.e. 32
out of 60 have given a good rating to the reliability factor of MBA Infosoft, 23 have given
it an excellent rating, 4 have given it an average rating and 1 has given it a poor rating.
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8) SECURITY
OPTIONS RESPONSES
Excellent 28
Good 30
Average 1
Poor 1
Excellent Good Average Poor
2830
1 1
SECURITY
Interpretation:
From the data collected it has been observed that the majority of the respondents i.e. 30 out of
60 have given a good rating to the security factor, 28 have given it an excellent rating, 1 has
given it an average rating and 1 has given it a poor rating.
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9) IMPACT OF MARKETING STRATEGIES
OPTIONS RESPONSES
Excellent 10
Good 28
Average 17
Poor 5
Excellent Good Average Poor
1016.66%
2846.66%
1728.33%
58.33%
MARKETING STRATEGIES
Interpretation:
From the data collected it has been observed that the majority of the respondents i.e. 28 out of
60 have given a good rating to the marketing strategies of MBA Infosoft, 17 have given it an
average, 10 have given it an excellent rating and 5 have given it a poor rating.
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10) IMPACT OF ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
OPTIONS RESPONSES
Excellent 11
Good 28
Average 12
Poor 9
Excellent Good Average Poor
11
28
12
9
ADVERTISING
Interpretation:
From the data collected it has been observed that the majority of the respondents i.e. 28 out of
60 have given a good rating to the advertising done by MBA Infosoft, 12 have given it an
average rating and 11 have given it an excellent rating and 9 have given it a poor rating.
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1) FINDINGS
Almost 50% say that the marketing strategies of the firm are good.
Student Management System is the primary service demanded by maximum number
of the enrolled users.
About 65% users prefer to have either1 or 2 ERP solutions.
Service class is more focusing on the services being provided by the firm.
Basically, the matured generation is heading towards the benefits offered by the
products and the services.
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2) RECOMMENDATIONS
Firstly the firm needs to modify their marketing strategies.
As about half the users indicate that the companies marketing strategies are good, and
the firm must take initiative in direction to make the strategies much better and more
over the population which thinks that the strategies are not good will say in future that
the strategy are even good now.
Clarify what is driven globally and what is managed locally.
A global marketing approach does not mean the absence of local, market-specific
plans and initiatives. These should, in fact, be complementary.
Global marketing will typically set the framework and parameters within which local
marketing operates, whilst giving in-market teams the freedom to control local
success levers.
Understand local market needs and develop a collaborative approach.
Too often, operating globally is seen as an excuse to avoid spending time
understanding local cultures, customer needs and behaviors, as well as successful and
less successful marketing approaches.
Develop and socialize a global marketing plan early (seek feedback).
So, you have established key relationships, researched local markets, and defined
global marketing plans which you think accommodate local needs where required.
Manage campaigns like an army operation – plan ruthlessly.
Make sure you track and adjust in real time.
Consolidate and share insight.
Once your campaign comes to an end, make sure you consolidate the insight gained
and organize a debrief.
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3) Limitations of the Study:
Time for the completion of the project was too short to do an in-depth study.
The facts and concepts of Respondents may be biased, imaginary and may be based
entirely on their personal experience.
Most of question in the questionnaire was closing ended which reduced the scope for
people to give free opinion.
The sample size was not enough to reach on any exact conclusion.
Study is based on primary or secondary data that may not be true. Most of the people
are not interested to give the right
Difference in the opinion of the customers and the company.
Company is not willing to disclose full information.
Sample size being small, may not reflect the opinion of major segment.
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CONCLUSION
On the basis of my study, I conclude that, MBA Infosoft Company has the service
sector as their target market and their services are good but the firm have to improve
and modify their marketing strategies so that the perspective customers could
easilyget accessible to the services being provided by the firm and can get the
maximum output and benefits from the services they will opt for.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1) Books:
Jha (1999); "Service Marketing" Ibh Publication.
Kothari C.R.: Research Methodology Management, 3rd Edition
Kotler Philip: Marketing Management” 11th Revised edition ,2002
Gupta S.P.: Statistical Methods “Thirteen revised edition, 2001
2)Internet Website’s:
http://www.mbainfosoft.com/clients.htm
http://www.zoominfo.com/s/#!search/profile/company?
companyId=348651639&targetid=profile
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aditya_Birla_Group
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_strategy
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/marketing-strategy.html
http://www.smartinsights.com/online-brand-strategy/international-marketing/7-
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QUESTIONAIRE
NAME -
Mobile No. -
Quest 1) What is your gender?
a) Male
b) Female
Quest 2) Which age group do you belong to?
a) 18 – 30
b) 30 – 50
c) 50 & above
Quest 3) What is your profession?
a) Entrepreneurial class
b) Service class
c) Students
d) Others
Quest 4)Are you aware of the MBA Infosoft Pvt. Ltd. and its services?
a) Yes
b) No
Quest 5) How many ERP solutions do you have?
a) 1 – 2
b) More than 2
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Quest 6) Which primary service are you using?
a) Student Management System
b) Financial Management System
c) Health-Care Management System
d) Transport Management System
e) Others
Quest 7) Are you aware of the promotional techniques used by MBA Infosoft Pvt. Ltd?
a.) Yes
b.) No
Quest 8) Please rate the promotional activities of MBA Infosoft Pvt. Ltd?
a) Excellent
b) Good
c) Average
d) Poor
Quest 9) Please rate the reliability level on the products and services offered by MBA
Infosoft Pvt. Ltd.?
a) Excellent
b) Good
c) Average
d) Poor
Quest 10) Please rate the level of security measures being adopted by MBA Infosoft Pvt.
Ltd?
a) Excellent
b) Good
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c) Average
d) Poor
Quest 11) Please rate the level of impact of marketing strategies being adopted by MBA
Infosoft Pvt. Ltd.?
a) Excellent
b) Good
c) Average
d) Poor
Quest 12) What type of impact does the marketing and advertising activities of MBA
Infosoft Pvt. Ltd. have on its customers?
a) Excellent
b) Good
c) Average
d) Poor
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