Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MAHMUD HASAN NAHID, BONNY ADLINA D CRUZ, ASIK MOHAMMAD SAGAR, and MOHSENA HASSAN
(Group 07)
BRAC Business School, MBA, BRAC University, Bangladesh (December 11, 2011)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
The development of the concept of intercity bus service, which began in the United States in the early 20th century, provided a new means of transport between cities in North America. A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midi buses and minibuses; coaches are used for longer distance services. Bus manufacturing is increasingly globalised, with the same design appearing around the world. Buses may be used for scheduled bus transport, scheduled coach transport, school transport, private hire, tourism; promotional buses may be used for political campaigns and others are privately operated for a wide range of purposes. Intercity Bus Transportation is essential for people everywhere. It is not only the part business, jobs, export, import also it is important for school transport, health issues, tourism and so on. Therefore, we have selected intercity bus transportation as our group project and try to find out how consumers evaluate different brands of intercity buses.
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2. Increase the operational efficiency of intercity bus services in Bangladesh to reduce the road accidents in Bangladesh.
One of the significant objectives of BRTC is to provide training facilities for drivers and mechanics in order to develop skilled manpower in the transport sector for both home and abroad. BRTC, on its part, provides comprehensive institutional training to the trainees. It is obvious that the drivers trainees intend to get their driving license as soon as possible after the completion of their training period. For this reason, BRTC has introduced one stop service. As a part of building Digital Bangladesh, BRTC has already introduced Electronic Ticketing System in its City service in Dhaka and has a future plan to extend this effort in other big cities of the country. As an annex to this system, electronic inside device and electronic handy device in the city buses with the introduction of FELICA multipurpose Smart card has already introduced which has ushered a new era in transport system in Bangladesh.
be connected together with reservation software through Internet and remain open round the clock. Passengers cand make Advance hotel reservation of any designated hotelfrom any Shohagh Pariah ticketing center. Dhaka Hotel Zakaria International Rose Wood Residence Cox's Bazar Hotel Sea Palace Limited Hotel Sayeman Hotel Media International Sylhet Heritage Hotel Sylhet Inn Residential Hotel
The passengers will look after their hand luggage with care, otherwise if the luggage is lost the authority will not be liable. The passengers will be responsible for carrying any kind of illegal goods, the transport authority will not liable for that. If the passengers want to change the date of journey or cancel their ticket they will have to inform the authority of the concerned booking counter at least 12 hours before the departure time. (11 PM to 6 AM will not be calculated) The passengers will have to pay extra charge if they want to carry more than 10 KG. Goods. If the passengers want to cancel or change the date of journey. Ticket must be placed to the concerned booking counter, telephone message will not be allowed under any circumstance. Smoking is strictly prohibited in the bus.
Green Line Paribahan is apparently a family owned transport company specializing in transportation of passenger bus services since 1990. From a humble beginning of local services, its transport system encompasses all reachable areas of Bangladesh and also beyond the border, extending to reach to Kolkata in India. They worked hard and honest, put their vision forward and explored ways and means to continuously improve passenger comfort, and as a result, able to introduce the 1st ever Air- Conditioned bus services in Bangladesh. They take pride in mentioning that their fleet of buses includes the most luxurious models of VOLVO and SCANIA Imported from Europe, which provide the ultimate in passenger comfort and safety. The company at present operates more than 60 (Sixty) buses on schedule routes employing over 200 trained staff and safely transporting over a million passengers a year.
SWOT ANALYSIS
SWOT analysis (alternately TOWS analysis) is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses/Limitations, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective. Through this SWOT analysis we can identify the strengths, limitations, opportunities, threats of our intercity bus service providers, therefore, we can write recommendations for our bus service providers. Hope they might be helpful.
Government financing Donor and international support if BRTC would like to update and/or expand IT activities. Full-fledged IT department which acquired Sonys FeliCa Smartcard and its software. Strong HR control ensuring that employees are under pressure to carry out top managements mandate i.e. leaving the job is usually not an option. Ability to call for international tender for best possible solution.
motivated to perform at their best as there is no deadline or profit target. The relevant human resources are not knowledgeable enough on technological issues especially at decision-making level. The political groupings within employees create hindrances to implementing any activity that is considered mandate of a political party. Decision-makers are not able to consider integrated system i.e. the FeliCa Smartcard was acquired but other equipment and training were not provided.
Opportunity (External) BRTC Current governments mandate for Digital Bangladesh. BRTCs train service has successfully implemented reservation through different telecom. BRTCs bus service can learn from its different department. There might be other companies which also adapt Smartcard and hence general public might get introduced in using the technology. Use Microsoft NetSuite CRM+, ()
Threat (External) - BRTC Change of political agenda and therefore reversal of progress made. The employee groupings might be afraid that this change might cause them to lose their jobs. General public might prefer paper ticket over electronic ticketing.
Strength (Internal) SHOHAGH Full-fledged IT department to maintain intranet. 1st standing in intercity bus industry. Over 300 buses owned and 1,500 full time employees. Software was internally developed using freeware.
Weakness (Internal) SHOHAGH Their online booking system did not become popular and currently it is not being used. Top managements confidences have been weakened about computerizing system to enhance customer service. To hire or re-train employees to use technology might increase the cost of human resources.
Opportunity (External) SHOHAGH Shohag might get private banks to accept 24/7 payment through deposits like Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC, DBBL, BRAC Bank etc. Get discounted vehicle tracking system and software from Telecom Company that would generate report for better bus dispatch system. Use mobile commerce e.g. MobiCash to accept payment for e-ticketing and marketing campaigns i.e. discount offer etc.
Threat (External) - SHOHAGH Competitor might easily hack into their system (as software is based on freeware and has weak security) and disrupt usual operation. IT employees turnover might result in getting Shohags customized software being copied and used by competitor without permission. Employees might consider these changes threatening to their jobs and render some positions obsolete.
able to identify their core business and therefore successfully outsourced their IT services to Consultant. Over 60 buses owned and 300 full time employees. Caters to niche up-class market that is willing to pay high for comfort.
organization and not aware of problems faced by employees who are using the software. The employees are not trained with proper background knowledge rather they learn to operate the software from peer and senior colleagues in an unstructured way. The documentation or monitoring of the software is not available to Greenline. That means Greenline is bound by the consultant if the top management plans to expand or change the software.
Opportunity (External) GREENLINE As the market segment is up-class it is more likely for the customers to be computer literate and have access to bank accounts. Using services like iWallet, through which user can pay in Taka, can be a tool for tapping higher sales from this group. Explore selling e-tickets online exclusively for Non-Resident Bangladeshi by accepting international credit cards. Get relatively economic system like UBookSystem that can be accessed online and safely manage reservation and eticketing.
Threat (External) - GREENLINE Death or sickness of the IT consultant may put Greenlines information system in jeopardy due to lack of companys involvement and documentation. IT consultant may sabotage in case the Greenline management and consultant is in disagreement. Server might crash and there might be no back up with Greenline management.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Here we have to write innovative ideas for the week points to overcome for any point of three bus services and we are also recommends some technological ideas that really stop or reduce road accident in Bangladesh. Our main objective of the study is to increase the operational efficiency of selected intercity bus services in Bangladesh; as a result, we put more emphasis on how to increase operational efficiency of these three bus services.
BRTC
1. Under Dhaka division most of the road accidents take places DhakaMymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail routes. Suppose BRTC has 50 buses in these routes. BRTC can track, trace, and control speed of these 50 buses easily through Gremeenphone Vehicle Tracking System. BRTC has to pay BDT 7500 per month for each vehicles excluding vat. There will be up-to 20% discount for corporate organizations like BRTC on both the fees based on volume. So in this case, we think BRTC should take this advantage to reduce road accidents and increase operational efficiency of BRTC in order to increase the productivity. 2. We know, our website is the show window of our business. So, we recommend BRTC to upgrade their website so that they can attract more customers and it will also increase the operational efficiency of BRTC. 3. BRTC must move paper based ticketing system to server based computing system. Turning to server based computing system BRTC can reduce IT hardware & Software Cost, IT management time, Costs, and this server based computing system can decreased risk of data lose. As a result BRTC can increase their productivity. 4. As part of the current governments mandate for Digital Bangladesh. BRTC has the opportunity to use Microsoft NetSuite CRM+. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) softwareonce considered a necessary commodity in the IT infrastructureis now viewed as a strategic asset for organizations that want to remain competitive and accelerate business performance. 5. BRTCs train service has successfully implemented reservation through different telecom. BRTCs bus service can learn from its different department. 6. There might be other companies which also adapt Smartcard and hence general public might get introduced in using the technology.
7. Being a goverment organization BRTCs services are not up to the mark because top management are reluctant and political grouping impede to do so. They have to mitigate the political unrest within the organization.
1. Geenline Paribahan Ltd can also come to an agreement with Grameenphone to install Vehicle Tracking System in their buses on schedule routes Dhaka-Chittagong-Coxs Bazar-Dhaka and Dhaka-SylhetDhaka. Therefore, we can reduce road accidents in these areas. 2. In terms of business website Greenline also maintaining a website which is not up to the mark. Only bus counters information available there. This is not the sign of good business. Greenline should upgrade their business website so that they can attract more customers and it will also increase the operational efficiency of Greenline. 3. Greenline Paribahan must move conventional IT architecture to server based computing system, therefore, they can reduce IT hardware & Software Cost, IT management time, Costs, and this server based computing system can decreased risk of data lose. As a result Greenline Paribahan can increase their productivity. 4. The documentation or monitoring of the software is not available to Greenline. That means Greenline is bound by the consultant if the top management plans to expand or change the software. So, it will better if they have own IT department and then they go for outsourcing because moving second generation IT architecture companies need to outsource. 5. As the Greenlines market segment is up-class it is more likely for the customers to be computer literate and have access to bank accounts. Using services like iWallet, through which passengers can pay in Taka, can be a tool for tapping higher sales from this group. 6. Greenline can explore selling e-tickets online exclusively for Non-Resident Bangladeshi by accepting international credit cards. 7. Greenline can get relatively economic system like UBookSystem that can be accessed online and safely manage reservation and e-ticketing.
CONCLUSION REFERENCES
Mr. Lawrance, Executive, IT Department, Shohagh Paribahan Pvt. Ltd. (December 06, 2011) Mr. Munir, In-Charge Department of IT, Greenline Paribahan Ltd. (December 06, 2011) Mr. Mohammad Saifullah, In-Charge BRTC Booth, Shahbagh, Dhaka (December 06, 2011)
Mr. Rubaiyat & Mr. Rezaul, Grameenphone Customer Executives, Vehicle Tracking Services, (December 05, 2011) Grehound Lines Inc. Official Website greyhound.com Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, Official Website brtc.gov.bd Shohagh Paribahan Pvt. Ltd, Official Website shohagh.biz Greenline Paribahan Ltd, Official Website greenlineparibahan.com
ANNEXURE
1. Questionnaire