|
|
“Research indicates that knowledge workers spend an average of 30 percent of their time looking for information. That’s nearly 600 hours annually, searching for information to support their initiatives instead of applying it to critical decisions.” – Gartner Group COX COMMUNICATIONS, INC Cox Communications is an Atlanta based communications company. I refer to it as a communications company due to the fact that it is no longer just a cable provider. It has become a provider of video, data – through High Speed Internet (Broadband), and a Telephony service carrier. It is the fourth largest cable provider in the nation currently launching different products in numerous markets to increase its customer service, their reliability, and their market. They have successfully launched telephony, High Definition Television (HDTV), Digital Video Recorder (DVR), and Home Networking in diverse systems throughout the United States. For Cox Communications, the goal is not to the biggest company in the United States but rather to provide the best service to its customers. Cox Communications was founded in 1962 by Cox Enterprises, Inc. It comes as no surprise that Cox Communications is expanding its horizons, given the fact that Cox Enterprises is such a diverse organization. Founded in 1898, Cox Enterprises owns several different types of business – newspapers, television, radio, Internet sites (for example: Autotrader.com), and Auto auctions (Manheim). Cox Communications was originally an analog video cable provider. It has now completed its digital upgrade in all but 3 systems, of which Northern Virginia is one of the latter. It has now become a full provider of telecommunications products. It offers Cox cable, advanced digital programming, local and long distance telephone, high speed Internet, and commercial voice & data services. COX COMMUNICATIONS OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA Cox Communications Inc has a system in Northern Virginia with franchises in Fairfax County and in the Fredericksburg region. As I stated earlier, we are currently completing the digital upgrade of our Fairfax county franchise. However, to remain competitive while we do this we keep an eye open for new technologies to see what we can launch locally. We successfully launched HDTV last year and are currently working on both DVR and home networking. I believe that it would be extremely helpful for Cox Communications to use a decision support system to manage these launches. Just like other Cox systems, the Northern Virginia system is trying to provide as many products as they can to satisfy the customer, while at the same time maintaining quality and costs to the company at a reasonable level. One of the strategies of selling the products is that of bundling. It provides customers with choices while the company obtains different revenue streams. “At the end of 2002, Cox Digital Cables was available at 97% of the 10.2 million homes passed by Cox’s broadband networks. Ninety-six percent of our homes passed could choose Cox’s high-speed Internet service, while 40% had access to Cox Digital Telephone. One-quarter of all Cox customers subscribe to at least two of our three major services, while nearly half of our telephone customers subscribe to the complete bundle of cable, phone and high-speed Internet…Among three-product customers, customer retention improves by 50% on a monthly basis… ” BENEFITS OF A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM There are different individual needs that must be structured into a decision support system so that it may be able to suggest the most appropriate plan of action. No two locations have the exact same need, nor do products require the same type of action. Since we are looking at creating this system to assist in the decision making of product/business development we need to be able to adjust certain factors to suit our needs as they come. Some issues that would benefit with a decision support system are: - Time tracking - Project assignments – Tasks - Workflow automation - Data warehousing - Impact on the financials - Capital budgeting, if needed Having a decision support system will help with the following: 1) Assure that goals and assumptions are clearly and consistently communicated to all stakeholders.
|
