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ZINFOSYS.110 BUSINESS SYSTEMS:

DELIVERABLE 2: BUSINESS SECTION
2014

Name Kai Ni Wong
NetID Kwon537
Group Number: 172
Website Link: http://infosys110group172.blogspot.co.nz/
Tutorial Details
Tutor: Day: Time:
Mi-Ra Lee
tuseday 2pm
Time Spent on
Assignment:
30 approx. Word Count: 1518

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APPLICATION FOR ONLINE SHOPPING
VIA 3D PRINTERS
INTRODUCTION
Online shopping is widespread due to its convenience. Although online shopping may be
more cost effective, there have been reported drawbacks such as late deliveries, damaged
or faulty goods upon arrival, or even goods not arriving at all. To address this problem and
to make consumers more satisfied and rest assured with their purchases online, I wish to
introduce a service that allows online shoppers to have their goods delivered on time and
undamaged. To this end, I will create an application that links 3D printing to online
shopping together. Online shoppers will be able to order printable items online and have
them 3D printed out directly from the 3D printers sitting in their households. To date, there
has been no known service or application that puts the two together yet.
3.BUSINESS SECTION
3.1 Vision
Online shoppers can buy their goods with 3D printers from their household without
postage. Simple, fast and cheap.
3.2 Industry Analysis: Software application industry for online shopping via 3D printers
Industry: Software appli cation industry for onl i ne shoppi ng via 3D printers.
Force: High/Low: Justification:
Buyer power: High Consumers can still purchase goods in stores
rather than online shopping via 3D printing.
Research shows consumers prefer buying goods
in store more than online shopping because of
the associated privacy and security risks involved
(Mizayaki and Fernandez, 2001). This risk
perception applies not only to new but

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experienced online shoppers as well. Thus,
consumers may not shop online.
Supplier power: High The application that I envison will be novel to the
industry. With this new web interface that
connects online shopping with 3D printing,
consumers is exposed to a wide range of goods in
front of their computer in a simple manner than
ever before. Online shopping websites is
positively related to customer satisfaction (Lee
and Lin, 2005). Our new application meets this
and will be the first example in the industry.
Threat of new entrants: High The application that links 3D printing for multiple
products with online shopping is not out in the
market yet, once my application is exposed to the
market this can stimulate interests of new
competitors (Porter, 1986). Thus, application
writers who share similar expertise may write a
program comparable to mine.
Threat of substitutes: High Consumers may force to buy alternative plastic
product from the store instead of the 3D
printable counterparts because the type of
plastics used is not accepted on a large scale.
For example, there is an emerging trend that
shows bacterial polyesters as subsustitues for
coventional plastics (Hanggi, 2006), which may
not be compatible with and producible by 3D
printer.

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Rivalry among existing
competitors:
High While there is no application for 3D printers for
online shopping yet, the industry for writing
software application can be high for open source
and proprietory software (Sen, 2007).
The people who have similar skills and knowledge
are transferrable from one application writing to
another so exisiting competition can be even
higher (Connollly, Stansfield, & Hainey, 2007).
Overall attractiveness of the industry: The industry may not be as attractive because there
are many substitutes already present in the market as discussed. Although there is no other
application that offers online shopping linked with 3D printing in the software application
industry, the buyers have the option to purchase goods at retail outlets for security and risk
reasons. In addition new generation of plastic may replace the conventional counterparts
which may not be compatible with and printable bycurrent 3D printers.
3.3 Customers and Thei r Needs
My target customers are online shoppers. It has been reported that more than half of their
customers who bought the goods online had problems with their purchase. Three problems
that are commonly encountered by online customers are goods arriving faulty or damaged,
late deliveries, and good not arriving at all (Smithers, 2014). Some even complained that
their goods were left outside their house without owners permission. To address the above
problems, an application for online 3D printing for multiple products is needed to ensure
guaranteed, correct and fast delivery. Moreover, the goods are guaranteed to be sent into
their household.
3.4 The Product and Service
I decide to write an application that allows customers to buy multiple goods online by using
their 3D printers at home. As soon as the the customers select the item on their computers,
the application receives the data and connect online shop with 3D printer, then the chosen

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item gets printed out instantly as the final product. In other words, the product has already
been delivered inside the customers household.
3.5 Suppliers and Partners
Suppliers are manufacturer of hardware and software for 3D printers. Suppliers for
ingredients and materials used for making the customers products are also needed.
Partners are 3D printer manufacturers as my application compatibility and technical issues
will need to be discussed with the manufacturers. Because the 3D printer manufacturers
are making use of the advantages of my application, which in turn will increase their sales,
so they are my partner. My application will help customers of online shops such as eBay,
Amazon, Trademe to address the needs of the customers, so they are my partners as well.
3.6 Strategy: cost leadership
The popularity of online shopping is high and 3D printing is rapidly rising, thus the market in
this field is very broad.
Postage fees will be cut when goods can be 3D printed as they are delivered to consumers
household directly upon ordering, while the traditional online shopping involves handling
and postage fees.
Therefore the overall strategy is cost leadershi p.
3.7 Value Chain Activity: technology development (and R&D)
The most important value chain activity for this business is technology development (and
R&D)
The application I envision combines online shopping with 3D printing, this enables
consumers to have faster, cheaper, and easier access to goods that are no longer needed to
be posted. The application transforms goods to machine code folder which can be
downloaded and/ uploaded to online shops. 3D printer recognises this machine code folder
and print out the good.
3.8 Business Processes
3.8.1. SELLER DEPARTMENT BUSINESS PROCESS

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Seller logs on to the online shop website with the correct username and password to verify
the identity. Seller operates the 3D printer to scan the good which is transformed into a
machine code and then to a machine code folder. This folder is then uplaoded to the online
shop website. Seller entered the goods information which is saved onto the website. The
website displays the goods on the selling list.


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SELLER DEPARTMENT WITH BUSINESS PROCESS 1 MODEL

3.8.2. BUYER DEPARTMENT BUSINESS PROCESS

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Buyer logs on to the online shop website with the correct username and password to verify
the identity. Buyer types in keyword for the desired goods. Website displays goods on the
selling list on the website. Buyer chooses the goods from the selling list and enters the
payment step. When the transaction is completed, buyer then downloads the machine
code folder. Buyer uses the 3D printer to print out the goods from the machine code folder.

BUYER DEPARTMENT BUSINESS PROCESS 2 MODEL


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3.9 Functionalities
3.9.1. SELLER DEPARTMENT BUSINESS PROCESS
Membership Verification System verifies identity of the online shops seller
before they can scan the goods with 3D printer
Seller uploads the goods machine code folder. This is read by the 3D printer
and is uploaded to their online shop
3.9.2. BUYER DEPARTMENT BUSINESS PROCESS
Make sure the buyer paid before they print out the goods from their 3D
printer
Buyer downloads the machine code folder of the goods from the online shop
3.10 Systems

3.10.1. MEBERSHIP VERIFICATI ON SYSTEM this system confirms the identity of buyers
and seller and validity of their memberships.
3.10.2. BANK SYSTEM this system confirms buyers have made their payment prior to
downloading the machine code folder of the goods.
3.10.3. DATA TRANSFORMATION SYSTEM this system directs the 3D printer to transform
the machine code to the machine code folder.

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3.11. Summary Table: Value Chain to Systems

Value Chain
Activity
Processes Functionalities Specific Information
System(s)
Broad Information
System(s)

Technology
development
(and R&D)
1. Seller
department
business
process
1. Membership Verification System
verifies identity of the online shops
seller before they can scan the goods
with 3D printer

2. Seller uploads the goods machine
code folder. This is read by the 3D
printer and is uploaded to their
online shop
Mebership Verification
System



Data Transformation System
Transaction Processing
System

Transaction Processing
System

2. Buyer
department
business
process
1. Make sure the buyer paid before
they print out the goods from their
3D printer

2. Buyer downloads the machine code
folder of the goods from the online
shop
Bank System



Data Transformation System

Transaction Processing
System

Transaction Processing
System


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CONCLUSION

This application fosters a powerful linkage between online shopping and 3D printing. It
enables consumers to access online goods that are 3D printable in their households. In
particular, online goods are encoded into data machine code folder that are sent to buyers
3D printers for final print out. Physical postage is no longer needed, which makes this fast,
cheap, and convenient for buyers.

REFERENCES

1. Miyazaki, A., & Fernandez, A. (2001). Consumer perception of privacy and security
risks for online shopping. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 35(1), 27-44.
doi: 10.1111/j.1745-6606.2001.tb00101.x
2. Lee, G., & Lin, H. (2005). Customer perceptions of e-service quality in online
shopping. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 33(2), 161-176.
doi: 10.1108/09590550510581485
3. Porter, M. (1986). Competition in Global Industries. United States: Harvard Business
Press.
4. Hanggi, U. (2006). Requirements on bacterial polyesters as future substitute for
conventional plastics for consumer goods. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 16(2-3), 213-
220. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.1995.tb00167.x
5. Sen, R. (2007). A strategic analysis of competition between open source and
proprietary software. Journal of Management Information Systems, 24(1), 233-257.
doi: 10.2753/MIS0742-1222240107
6. Connolly, T., Stansfield, M., & Hainey, T. (2007). An application of games-based
learning within software engineering. British Journal of Educational Technology,
38(3), 416-428. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00706.x
7. Smithers, R. (2014, March 7). Half of the online customers experience problems
Which? Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/mar/07/half-
online-shoppers-problems.