EBUS603
University of Liverpool

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EBUS603 Digital Business Technology and Management

Assignment Two

Data Management and Operations Improvement for a Children
Book Club with Digital Technologies


Instructions: This is a module assignment which counts for 50% of the module mark.

Cheating: You are encouraged to discuss your general understanding of the exercise with colleagues on
the course but, unless instructed otherwise e.g., group work, you must write up your assignment alone.
University regulations about cheating – especially COLLUSION and PLAGIARISM (copy from sources
without acknowledgement) – apply.

Hand-in procedure: Your work in Word document is to be submitted electronically to Turritin online.
The rule of late submission penalty applies.
Latest Submission Date: 14th Jan 2022, at Noon 12:00 (pm).
Specific tasks in the assignment report:
1. Assignment Structure
1.1 Introduction to issues that you identify in the business case (see section 2) and
description of objectives of your work on present operations data management
and continuously improving the business service by application of suitable digital
technologies to this business case. (maximum 200 words)

1.2 Database design (presentation of the structure of a relational database with
defined relationships between data tables) for operations data management of the
PRESENT business process in the case, with explanations to your design
consideration where necessary. (maximum 400 words)

1.3 The business needs to continuously improve its book recommendation/offering
services to meet personal needs, inspire reading and benefit education, while
targeting good business performance (e.g. profitability, reliable book availability
on time, etc.). To achieve this improvement goal in this case, discuss the
following (Maximum 800 words):

(1) What data and data source(s), you think, are valuable for analytics by
digital technologies to support the improvement goal in this case and why?
EBUS603
University of Liverpool

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(2) Whether the relational database that presently operates to support the
routine operations of this business can be an efficient tool to manage these
data you suggested for the analytics purpose in this case and why?
(3) What NoSQL database tool(s) you would like to propose to manage these
data you suggested for the purpose of analytics by digital technologies to
support the improvement goal in this case and why?

1.4 Reference (Harvard Standard)

2. BUSINESS CASE

A Book Club for Children
Reference of the business case: http://bookabees.com.

2.1 The Service Operations:
The Book club provides customised book services to subscribed children (customers),
through its digital service portal and free delivery via public post service. Customers
pay subscription fees for receiving recommended books that fit to their ages, interests
and education needs. The business manages the demand and services of the books by
the information of subscribed customer needs and its business interests such as costs,
customer interests, demand forecast, education needs, book quality, etc.
For detailed business model, please refer to the Website of the business
http://bookabees.com.

2.2 Summary of the Business Model:
• Monthly subscription fee paid through direct debit by customer for a specified
Subscription Type (1, 3 or 5 books per month). The subscription can be
cancelled, or suspended and resumed later by customers.
• Customers browse through the catalogue online and create a “Book Box” of 1, 3
or 5 books, according to their subscription types and the Recommended Book
List based on their Age Groups and personal Preference by experts of the
business.
• On a specified date each month, the Book Box is delivered to customers via post
service.
• Customers can provide Feedbacks on books with Ranking (1-5) and a
Comment text.
• The business maintains customer subscription information for billing.
• The business maintains the Book Catalogue of purchased books in different
Categories targeting the Age Groups and Education Needs based on customer
interests, and the business interests.
• The business maintains Statistical Information of book services to update their