Business Objectives of Uber
Knowledge management refers to the efficient handling of the resources as well as information that is present within the organization. eCommerce is referred to the conducted commercial transaction that is done electronically over the internet. The current report critically analyses the knowledge management and ecommerce and evaluates its impact in enhancing the business practices of Uber. The business objectives of Uber have been described, clearly outlining the business objectives. The knowledge management as well as ecommerce is also discussed in context of other relevant business organization. Potentials of knowledge management and ecommerce for enhancing the Uber business practices are also critically evaluated in this report. Issues of knowledge management and ecommerce implementation in Uber are also discussed in the report. Finally, adequate recommendations are provided to mitigate the issues and enhance the business practice further.
The business objectives of Uber includes creating the largest Taxi network that connects riders through a reliable, safe and convenient transportation at a different and various points of price in the cities as well as around the world. Uber also aims at creating the largest P2P logistics platform that allows anyone provide or request physical delivery of the myriad services and goods. The third objective of Uber is to create a shift from a human driven logistics to a more machine oriented logistics that helps in gaining profit to a huge level.
Knowledge management and ecommerce helps in enhancing the business process. Recent emergencies of the business, which has been conducted over the internet uses extensive information technologies for cost reduction as well as increase productivity (Abou-Shouk, 2016). It also helps in reducing time that is required for development of new products harnessing the expertise of the employees collectively. It creates an extended enterprise through forging a closer relationship with the suppliers, customers, partners and distributor for remaining competitive within the market. Majority of the companies knowledge management and ecommerce initiatives are taken due to independency.
According to Armstrong (2014), knowledge management is often recognized as the most important technique for sustaining the competitive advantage as well as improves performance of the organization.
Elements of knowledge management |
Utility |
Technology |
Technology refers to the systems and technical aspects of Uber that determines the knowledge travel through the enterprise as well as the accessed knowledge (Bach, 2013). |
Structure |
Structure is defines as the extent to which Uber will have a structural disposition towards encouragement of knowledge related activities. |
Culture |
The culture of Uber will be enhanced due to norms and belief that has mainly an implicit on members of the organization process. |
Human resource |
As per Becerra-Fernandez (2014), human resources are described as the extent to which employees are specialized in a certain domain as well as demonstrate the organizational capability for knowledge application as well as interaction. |
Table 1: Components of Uber knowledge management
(Source: Flanagin, 2014)
Potential knowledge management within Uber should be selected as techno centric, organizational focused and ecological focused (Giberson, 2016). Techno centric management of knowledge will ensure that the knowledge sharing is enhanced through creation of innovative technologies. Organizational based knowledge management involves designing that incorporates best process of knowledge facilitation. Focused interaction with identity, people, knowledge and environmental factors are also understood through Uber knowledge management (Hislop, 2013).
Knowledge Management and eCommerce
Knowledge management incorporates numerous technologies that will help in facilitating the business process.
Knowledge management technologies |
Utility |
Groupware |
Technologies will help Uber to facilitate the sharing and collaboration of the organizational information. Each drives of Uber will get common information based on cloud services that will make them aware of their business objectives as well as promote success (Jones, 2013). |
Workflow |
The workflow will also be enhanced through knowledge management that will ensure that the representation of the processes is associated with the sharing, creation and maintenance of the organizational knowledge. |
Document management |
The system that helps in automated process, the documents will also be supported through merging vendors as well as performance of both functions. |
Enterprise portrayal |
As per Makris (2014), web sites as well as information aggregate will be used for information across the organization for project teams. |
eLearning |
eLearning will allow Uber drivers for creating education software and customized training that includes lesson plans for avoiding accidents and better route access to avoid traffic. |
Planning and scheduling |
Automated maintenance and scheduling for integrating project will help integrate the project data via MS Project and other software for data integration and easy accessibility. |
Telepresence |
Telepresence will ensure that virtual face-to-face meetings will be arranged that will enhance the development of portals. |
Table 2: Knowledge management technologies of Uber
(Source: Mller, 2016)
Through knowledge management, Uber will achieve the Toyota effect that will help it create a higher level of service quality. If a support as a service (SaaS) has been implemented by improvement of operational knowledge-based support as well as the customers, partners and specialists of Uber.
Figure 1: Potential of knowledge management in Uber
(Source: Inspired by Nespor, 2014)
Devising an organization wide approach towards knowledge management includes people, technology, process as well as programs that needs achievements of organizational leverage and productivity through strategic mission.
For the extension and defending the prominence of the industry Uber needs to broadly announce knowledge management as an important strategy for the ongoing success within the organization. According to Schildt (2017), the knowledge management needs to be defined by Uber because the organizational intellectual property that needs to be operational level is for the partner support as well as the customers which has no issues with the commitment towards large scale operation. It suggests the gigantic range of effort needs to be attached as a responsibility for the knowledge management. The knowledge management has been described as support as a service that focuses on improvement of operation on knowledge base, support of the partners, customer service with knowledge and management specialist.
The process goes from knowledge that is developed within way which is synthesized and institutionalized and map. Literature surveyed is leveraged in to trust that provides aggressive expectation which are reflected in the change. The knowledge management within Uber will provide support and will establish trust for the drivers as well as rider communities. The management of the Uber riders and supporting around the globe will be done effectively with knowledge management. The knowledge management in Uber will be offered by a free software platform available on the mobile devices that helps in requesting for a ride (Szolnoki, 2016). The platform will track the user using GPS coordinates, even if the user is unaware of the location. The driver reaches there within minutes by the nearby drivers. The user will be able to track the arrival of the ride and receives a text message that confirms on the user that driver has reached the pickup point. The driver sends the message that he is arriving now but however does not receive the uses message directly over the internet and is able to contact with the user through privacy software. Uber will thus cost less than most of the normal taxis and cab services in the market.
Potential of Knowledge Management and eCommerce to Enhance Uber Business Practices
E-commerce of Uber is focused on integration of the software companies making the delivery option available to a larger number of people and thus export the potential customers more rapidly. As per Yang (2014), expenses in services around the globe through UberRush messenger, UberEats meal delivery services it has potential to device strategies and explore the markets electronically through building new business units that is internally known as over. Everything that gets large group of retail partners, Uber also delivers product depending on the market which is usually executed by car or bike messenger. Uber has launched is right shares services operating in over 300 hundred cities in 57 states of 52 countries where it has announced partnership with retail companies where has announced partnership with around popular fashion brands and retailers for delivering the goods and has also try to integrate software companies like bigcommerce and shopify that will help them to set up small businesses for online shop fronts (Wang, 2014). Uber is targeting to compete with Amazon and other e-commerce giants through customized mobile app month delivery drivers and the user can see the delivery logistics on a real time GPS.
The major potential challenges that Uber will face in knowledge management is security that will provide risk of safe and privacy for the knowledge management of Uber. Sensitive information that is dealt over the Internet will be more prone to hacking. Development of culture within an organization embracing sharing, learning, changing and improvement cannot be integrated through technology. According to Thach (2016), further technology cannot help the employees who will get the knowledge. The knowledge dispense and transfer can be done effectively and quickly which is a huge channel and through knowledge management tools for accomplishing. Knowledge cannot be measured and quantified and it is very much complex which is based on human experience as well as relationships within the work coming up. Sharing leadership cannot be done effectively, accurate data will also become difficult to be distributed and the interpretation of the data will not be done effectively. As per Kolb (2014), the major problems of e-commerce are that it lacks planning as well as does not promote effectively due to usability. Its complicacy to the website contents arises and it is often not easy to navigate and hence the user finds difficulty and complexity of the performance. The site might also slow down that will decrease the potential goods marketing to the customers. Poor quality is usually due to the bad design as well as only due to selecting hosts with non optimized images. If the site is overloaded with gizmos and gadgets, visitors find it difficult (Nespor, 2014). The coding will also need to qualify the commerce leading to increased threats from hacking as security issue in which foreign attacks on the contents as well as viruses will be major circumstances. There might be spelling mistakes in content as well as grammar issues with inaccurate or incorrect content on the site having no detail contact information.
Knowledge Management Technologies of Uber
Conclusion
It can be concluded that adoption of ecommerce and knowledge management will help Uber to improve its business decisions and facilitated access towards expertise as well as leading practices. Further it will also increase their efficiency and productivity through smart working ability that reduces the wastages and eliminates potential threats towards production of the company.
It is recommended that they should provide adequate safety and security to the e-commerce and knowledge management that will ensure that the data which is transacted is not prone to hack attacks and security issues. The coding should be kept simple so that information can be easily readable and contains correct product information. Cloud computing should be adopted so that data is been integrated as well as can be accessed from remote location and by any users. It will also add security and extra additional safety features along with big data storage.
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