Question

What effects do you believe the Internet will have on the (1) healthcare market (2) education system and (3) automotive market within the next five years as they each seek to develop new competitive advantages. In their view, do the strategic decision makers in each of these markets understand the Internet’s capabilities? If not, why not.

Answer 1

1.
Regarding the healthcare, the internet has to play a pivotal role as it will increase the access of the healthcare by the target audience and vice versa. In this, regard, the internet will cause to develop web based healthcare system to book the services, healthcare advisory services from remote locations and telemedicine services. Besides, the flow of healthcare information over the internet will increase. So, the internet will facilitate to develop the competitive advantage in terms of on demand services, preferential booking, choice based service and treatment allocation, and hassle free health care can be developed using the internet in coming 5 years. Strategic decision makers understand the internet capabilities as there is a different types of innovation in health care infrastructure development, because it uses internet to deliver the services at distant locations through the health care facilities. It is only possible when decisions makers understand capabilities.

2.
Internet will help the education system and education delivery to spread into new audience, on the basis of demographics and geographical locations. It will cause the education providers to customize the education and meet the expectations of the students. It will act as a core competency. Besides, the internet based education delivery and management system, will help the students to choose the course, pay the fee and get enrolled in the education program. It can be done by students at home, hence hassle free services are delivered to the students. Besides, the education system prevents overburden on the existing staff. It is also expected to be developed as competitive advantage as it promises quality education at competitive prices. So, internet is going to be revolutionary for the education system in the coming years. The strategic decision makers know the significance of internet and its capabilities for the education business.

3.
In automotive market, the manufacturers can use the internet to promote their products into new market using internet based different digital marketing channels. Since, automotive sector produces automotive products, then internet will be used to apply ERP systems to connect different functions as well as build real time connection with the suppliers, vendors and other associated partners. Besides, different manufacturing locations can also be connected using internet based ERP applications. It will bring higher efficiency in delivery, superior productivity in operation, flexibility in approach. All these aspects in the manufacturing process can contribute to the development of competitive advantage. The decision makers may not understand the internet capabilities, because the focus is upon the lower cost of operation, higher productivity and process reorganization as well as global sourcing. It has not made the decision makers to realize much about the internet as they use it for the promotional purposes.