Web Conferencing the Company Starbucks

Web Conferencing The company Starbucks is into the purchasing of premium coffee beans and processing them into very good bean coffees. These products are marketed along with fresh, richly brewed, Italian style espresso beverages and a range of pastries and confections and accessories and equipment related to coffee. The point of sale for these products is predominantly company operated retail stores. Besides these sales through company operated retail stores, Starbucks also markets whole bean coffees using a sales group concentrating on these products and through supermarkets.

In addition Starbucks manufactures and sells the bottled coffee drink Frappuccino and a range of high quality ice creams making use of joint venture partnerships. Yet again it offers a variety of innovative premium teas, which are produced at its wholly owned subsidiary Tazo Tea Company. Through all these activities the Company's aim is to make Starbucks the brand that is most respected and recognized worldwide. In keeping with this goal, the Company has ambitious plans to quickly expand its retail sales operations, enhance its specialty sales and other operations.

Starbucks also plans to go after opportunities that assist in leveraging the Starbucks brand by the introduction of new products and fresh distribution channels. (the Company) Starbucks the world's number one specialty coffee retailer operates practically everywhere. Starbuck runs on by itself or licenses more than 8000 coffee shops in over 30 countries. (Starbucks Corporation) the count as on September 28, 2003 is 4546 company owned retail stores and the rest franchised.

Through these growing activities, at the last fiscal year ending as of 10/03/2004, net sales had risen by 30% to $5.29 billion and Net income rose 48 by percent to $391.8 million. The increase in revenues is reflection of the opening of new stores and the growth seen in comparable store sales. The leverage obtained on fixed occupancy costs is seen in the net income. (Yahoo Finance - Starbucks Corp) This growth is amazing considering that Starbucks international journey began in 1996 with the opening of the coffee shop in Japan.

Global success was achieved through international partners, which share the values and commitment of Starbuck in reaching the Starbuck Experience to customers around the world. These international partnerships were built on values which are shared and having corporate outlook, strong multi-purpose unit having retail/restaurant experience, committed staff, commitment to customer satisfaction and to promote a quality image.

(a Global Company) With worldwide operations, spread over numerous retail outlets let us examine what web conferencing is and whether it would assist Starbucks in its objectives keeping in mind its values and commitments. Web conferencing offers a powerful and practical use of Internet technology, which has been ever created to enable the optimizing of communication between customers, employees, prospects and suppliers. It also enables an organization to combine the power of a live meeting at the same time with a conference call which is cost-effective.

Web conferencing can be used to have seminars, train new employees, do sales presentations, have press conferences, and increase document correspondence with colleagues from around the globe just by the use of the desktop on the tables. (a Dozen Ideas to Improve Your Next Online Event) Since the September 11 attacks, the business practices around the world have changed. The overwhelming increase in Web conferencing instead of business travel was one of these changes.

Concern of flight safety caused many companies to reduce air travel and have cut the travel budgets as a result of the slowing economy. The annual corporate travel cost was $470 billion. Web conferencing offers a definite way to reduce costs and add to communication facilities, there by speeding up decision making with increased revenue generation and increased productivity. Looking at the reliability and capability of Web conferencing, it faced a stiff test as a consequence to the September 11 incidents.

Web conference passed this test with flying colors to gain newfound respect and acceptance in the business community. Therefore Web conferencing not just offers a reliable third alternative to audio and video conferencing but does far better for organizations that are facing increasing demands on their productivity and making to do with even lessening budgets for information technology, like Starbucks. (the potential of Web conferencing is virtually here) Among the three technologies available for conferencing namely audio, video and Web, Web conferencing stands out.

It offers access to all the three vital areas of conferencing, which is real-time, two-way communications, casting, which is real time and caching, which is non-real time communication. (Web conferencing made simple) Starbucks should make use of this advance in technology, as it will help them in several ways. Virtual Web conference meetings allow one to come as they are. They can use video in case they want to display slides or software from their desktops to any audience around the world that can hook on to the Internet.

A big plus point for Starbucks, in communicating to more than thirty countries. With higher security risks attached to air travel Starbucks employees would prefer not to fly and this offers them a way to remain effective with reduced flying time. Reduced travel budgets at Starbucks also means that these resources have to be used selectively to be more productive. When the same can be achieved by a web conference and money saved then why does one have to fly.

The hassles involved in packing and commuting for a trip can also be avoided. (the Next-Best Thing to Being There Gets Better) Facilities available for Web conferencing as general business communications are multifaceted yet integrated capabilities to host meetings, do broadcasts, have training sessions and do customer service and support tasks. Looking at Starbucks values and commitments this will offer it a way to address the far-flung operations and the numerous outlets with as much effectiveness as if they were near by.

Let us examine the area of training, which is area that any progressive organization at the forefront of employee development for productivity. One of the looming horizons for Web conferencing is a training and employee development program. It is true not all can be taught over the Internet still a lot can be achieved. The development of user interfaces after 2001 has enhanced the ability of Web conferencing to do more than just small meetings.

So, Starbucks can use the Web conferencing products that have the ability to do the different kinds of functions that are required in training scenarios. It would be possible to have breakout sessions, or confidential Q&a with an instructor or even spot testing and performance assessment. These training sessions could be had at a fraction of the cost that otherwise would have to be spent. Well and continually trained employees provide quality products, quality and timely services to customers.

This would enable Starbuck to go forward in not only meeting its objectives of ever growing activities worldwide, but also to have this done within their parameters of high quality. The next aspect is that Web conferencing allow people to see the sequence of events and who is on to what in an activity, whether it be big or small. Let us imagine that Starbucks is completely revamping the manner in which it tracks its contracts with its franchisees and it is being tracked by date.

With the large number of franchisees it is bound to become unwieldy and they need to change the way in which this is done. There are Web conferencing products that are specific to the handling of dynamic projects and these are quite different from the products that enable meetings. Starbuck by using any one of these products can do away with a wieldy process that is eating into employee's time and efforts and use a dynamic product for this. In the field of meetings too Starbucks can make use of.