Technology

What are some files used ?

Coca-cola used “Log Files”. Log files are your Internet Protocol (IP) address is an identifying number that is automatically assigned to your computer by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This number is identified and logged automatically in our server log files whenever you visit the Site, along with the time(s) of your visit(s) and the page(s) that you visited. We use the IP addresses of all Visitors to calculate Site usage levels, to help diagnose problems with the Site's servers, and to administer the Site. We may also use IP addresses to communicate or to block access by Visitors who fail to comply with our Terms of Service. Collecting IP addresses is standard practice on the Internet and is carried out automatically by many web sites.

What databases?

Some databases that Coca cola used are demographic data, such as your date of birth, gender and postcode. Demographic data may be used to tailor your experience at this Site, such as showing you content including special events and advertising that you might be interested in, and displaying the content according to your postcode. Coca Cola also collect personally identifiable information about people, such as your name, postal address, telephone and mobile numbers, e-mail address, when you provide it to them while on their Site such as when you create an account, enter a sweepstake, sign up for newsletters, participate in a survey, contact customer service or otherwise interact with this website. Your personally identifiable information may be used by us for all legal purposes, which may include, but are not limited to, responding to your requests, processing your transactions, for administrative purposes such as conducting contests, tracking which parts of the Site are of interest to you, processing prizes. If you choose to opt-in, we may share your personally identifiable information with The Coca-Cola Company’s subsidiaries or affiliated entities ("Affiliated Entities") for purposes of sending you information about the programmers of The Coca-Cola Company or its Affiliated Entities and, occasionally, sending you advertising/promotional material from some of their advertising and strategic partners. We may also use your personally identifiable information for internal business purposes, such as optimizing Site experiences and analyzing and managing our businesses.

What brand of database software?

Microsoft Online Services is a business-class communications and collaboration software offering delivered as a subscription service, hosted by Microsoft, and sold with partners. These services help make it easier for customers to rapidly and cost-effectively access the most up-to-date technologies, and are designed for rapid deployment to provide customers with streamlined communications, simplified management, and business-class reliability and security.

For IT staff, Microsoft Online Services helps reduce the burden of performing routine IT management tasks such as installation, provisioning, ongoing maintenance, patches, updates, and upgrades, making it possible for them to spend more time o n initiatives that move the business forward. These services are backed by strong SLAs and are designed to meet the regulatory compliance and reliability needs of enterprise customers. On a technical level, the services boast the sophistication and reliability that customers expect from Microsoft, which continues to invest heavily in building data centers to support these services.

Who is responsible for the database?

A database manager is responsible for the database. The manager provides users the capabilities of controlling read/write access, specifying report generation, and analyzing usage. Databases and database managers are common in large mainframe systems, but are also present in smaller distributed workstation and mid- range systems such as the AS/400 and on personal computers.

How does manager get report? What types of reports?

The manager gets the report through the Internet. Performance Reporting Manager includes 16 standard reports with predefined options that you cannot edit. A standard report has predefined report options that generate areport that is generally useful to anyone monitoring a system. All standard reports generated by Performance Reporting Manager are classified as being either a performance report or a system configuration report. A performance report tracks properties that are numerical and change over time. A standard system configuration report provides data detailing the state of the configuration on that machine. An example of a system configuration report is a table that summarizes all the patches currently installed on one or more machines.

Is OLAP used?

A new market strategy devised OLAP can be used to analyze demand in order to understand why a given level of sales took place. Once the ''why'' of the demand is undertaken, a specific marketing strategy had been developed to change certain events and thus increase sales in Coca-Cola Company. Moreover, OLAP is developing an overall marketing strategy by concentrating on customer‘s satisfaction.

Is a data warehouse used?

Data warehouse is a repository of an organizations electronically stored data. Data warehouses are especially designed to facilitate reporting and analysis about the data of any organization. The Coca-Cola Company uses Teradata enterprise data warehouse to support its data warehousing strategy. With its Teradata system, The Coca-Cola Company will be able to expand its processing power and make better, faster decisions based on actionable information. In today's competitive market, Coca-Cola needs technology that can address the most complex business problems while rapidly delivering the highest return on investment. Teradata can provide the data warehouse and analytical applications to meet their needs now and in the future.

Are data marts used?

The Coca-Cola Company realizes that understanding the habits, behaviors and preferences of its costumers is as essential to a company's marketing and business success as the aggregate trends of traditional analytics. Therefore, The Coca-Cola Company uses Webtrends as its data marts provider. Webtrends is an enterprise customer intelligence company that isolates individuals and their actions, and uncover the one-to-one insight to accurately target the Coca-Cola Company's online and offline marketing programs and turn the black-and-white customer profiles in the Coca-Cola Company's enterprise data warehouse into full-color portraits. The Coca-Cola Company understands that data marts creates a competitive advantage by providing insight-driven optimization of their digital channels.

What types of data mining is used?

The Coca-Cola Company uses data mining to analyze data from a target source and compose that feedback into useful information. This information typically is used to cut costs in a particular area, increase revenue, or both. Often facilitated by a data-mining application, its primary objective is to identify and extract patterns contained in a given data set. Coca Cola Company uses data mining through its vending machines. Coca-Cola Company has invented a new vending machine, equipped with a flat screen, which displays the different products you could get from it. The machine was actually a fountain, and was proposing the different Coca Cola Company’s product, with a wide range of varieties. For instance, you could pick Vanilla Coke, and mix it for example with another beverage. One of the goal and advantage of the new vendor machine is that it could actually extracts data of people’s consumption. This is a great idea, because out of these results, Coca Cola is able to get new consumption trend, and then identifies potential new blend and products to develop.

What types of system software is used (sold)? Is Linux used?

Coca-Cola believes that Microsoft software is easy for companies to implement and user adoption is not an issue because most people use Microsoft software at home. Thus, Coca-Cola does not use Linux as its main system software. The Coca-Cola company uses an automated wireless system in order to interact with its bottlers. The Athens-based company, Coca-Cola's largest bottler outside of the US, has equipped 3,000 sales people with custom wireless handheld devices from Symbol Technologies. This helps reduced any paper work conflicts. Salespeople had to stop by the office every morning to pick up a list of customers to visit, and again every evening to drop off activity reports. With the Symbol device, they are now able to wirelessly receive the list of customers to visit, with details such as the time each customer is available and the tasks to be handled at the customer site.

Philadelphia Coca Cola Bottling Company use a software VMSL Vend ware in order to control the routing PCCBC full service vending machines. This is the first sale under a marketing agreement that already exists between VMSL and USA Technologies. This decision strengthens VMSL PCCBC force in growing category of performance management, and the total number of machines operated by the worldwide system of more than 150000 bring VMSL very pleased that the Philadelphia Coca Cola Bottling Company has chosen to trade Vend ware performance management system.


What types of application software is used (sold)? What brands?

Coca-Cola Enterprises is the world's largest marketer, producer, and distributor of Coca-Cola products. Using Microsoft Online Services technologies, CCE is able to save travel expenses through online meeting tools and collaboration platforms that span time zones and geographies. Microsoft Online Services is a business-class communications and collaboration software offering delivered as a subscription service, hosted by Microsoft, and sold with partners. These services make it easier for customers to rapidly and cost-effectively access the most up-to-date technologies, with rapid deployment to provide customers with streamlined communications, simplified management, and business-class reliability and security. For IT staff, Microsoft Online Services reduces the burden of performing routine IT tasks such as installation, provisioning, ongoing maintenance, patches, updates, and upgrades, making it possible to spend more time on initiatives that move the business forward. Another important software used is STATISTICA data miner to analyze, organize and understand the raw data it collects from its different sources.

What are some hardware categories used ?

Coca-Cola company has been using all six hardware categories, such as, Input, Output and Storage devices, central processing unit, telecommunications and connecting devices. Every of these categories is very important and can’t be isolated.

What types of computers?

Coca-Cola uses the supercomputers and it requires the high level of support and the powerful processing power provided by supercomputers.

What brands of computer?

Computerworld - Symbol Technologies Inc. introduced mobile computers with built-in tri-mode wireless capabilities and announced that Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. plans to deploy 28,000 of the units to route drivers in North America and Europe. The deal is valued at roughly $30 million. Both of the new Symbol handheld computers are based on the Intel Corp. XScale PXA255 processor and run Microsoft Corp.'s Windows CE. They include built-in 802.11b Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth short-range wireless access; built-in Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service radios; and Code Division Multiple Access radios for WAN cellular communications.

Who is responsible for the hardware and software?

Coca Cola has relied on IBM hardware and software to manage its database needs and provide collaboration tools that help keep the sales team accessible and armed with fingertip access to the information and resources they need to close the deal.

Coca-Cola Invests $1 Billion in Philippines

A worker inspects bottles of Coca-Cola in Coca-Cola's plant in Bacolod, Philippines.

 

 

 

Glenn Jordan, Coca-Cola Pacific Group President, said that they will be investing an additional $1 billion in the Philippines over the next five years to expand their presence in Asia’s developing markets. Coca-Cola Philippines saw double-digit growth over the first half of 2010. This year, Coca Cola Philippines introduced “Samurai” energy drink and “Real Leaf”—brewed from 100% whole green tea leaves—to better serve Southeast Asian clients. In addition, the company also plans to expand its Minute Maid brand.

Article link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/43445/

E-Commerce

What kinds of e-Commerce does the Coca-Cola Company use?

Coca Cola Co uses business to business or B2B. Electronic commerce has fast become a preferred method of doing business for the grocery industry. Major retailers have seen the rewards of enhanced supply chain efficiency and increased business automation. As a result, more major consumer goods companies are start to use the Internet to do business with retailers. Therefore, Coca Cola being an important supplier, needs to provide its customers with a fast and reliable way to take purchase orders.

Coca Cola Co uses business to consumers or B2C. They created cocacolastore.com, an online shop designed to expand Coca-Cola's distribution of branded merchandise. The site features Coca-Cola brand products from clothing to cookware to collectibles. Innotrac Inc. is the e-commerce partner in the venture. The agreement calls for Innotrac to design and develop the site as well as manage all aspects of order processing, fulfillment, and customer care.

What types of internet business models are used?

Internet has made it possible for Coca-Cola Company to build a strong relationship with its bottling partners. Although in most cases they operate as two independent companies, internet makes it easier for them to interact with each other. The Coca-Cola Company’s business is focused on creating and marketing our brands and trademarks, while Coca-Cola bottling companies produce and package the finished beverage products and then sell and distribute them to our retail and wholesale customers Coca-Cola Company's work together with more than 300 bottling partners globally and operate the most extensive beverage distribution system in the world. This Coca-Cola system owns, leases or operates more than 800 plants around the world. Coca-Cola's bottling partners range from international and publicly traded businesses to small, family-owned operations. Their governance and management structures are separate from those of The Coca-Cola Company. There are more than ten local bottlers in Canada but the vast majority of Coca-Cola products are manufactured and distributed by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company (CCBC).

What type of marketing mix does it adopt?

Coca-Cola uses two types of search engines in order to follow its B2C model; Crawler based search engine and human powered directories. Both of these search engines gather information in different ways. Google is considered a crawler based search engine and automatically creates a list. For example, if you change your web pages, crawler based search engine eventually find these changes and that can affect how your website is listed. Page tittles, body copy and other elements all play a role. This makes it easier to find what you are looking for. Human powered directories depend on humans for its listing; you site they review.
A search looks for matches only in the description submitted. Yahoo is considered a human powered directory where you can type in a word in the search query, and a bunch of sites would show a description. You can search Coca-Cola on Google, Yahoo and other website and you will get a bunch of links related to Coca Cola such as http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/.

Putting online advertisements, also known as banner ads, is rapidly growing in today's business. Thus, Coca-Cola has adapted to these new changes by putting its online ads on today's most visited websites such as Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter. In addition, Coca-Cola has created its own page on Facebook, and Myspace. Coca-Cola is in the lead compared to its competitors with over 4,000,000 fans. This shows that Coca-Cola is surely doing its job to compete with other lead brands of soda. Coca-Cola gets its brand to the viewers.

Coca-Cola's fan page shows links to the blog, live positively, products and more. Facebook gives opportunities for consumers to become part of the advertising industry. Also, Facebook gives opportunities to share expressions about a product, whether people would recommend it or not.

What payments systems are used?

Coca-Cola accepts many different types of electronic internet transfers payments though their virtual online shop at the cocacolastore.com. Innotrac Inc. is their e-commerce partner in the venture which manages all aspects of order processing, fulfillment, and customer care. They accept all major credit cards through their encryption secured website which include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and also electronic Gift Certificates. In addition with being able to use their secured website for payment transactions, Coca Cola also offers customers the option of using PayPal for their transactions. Customers may opt with either way of payment, whichever they choose to be more convenient or feel comfortable with.

What type of IT organization is used?

Structurally, the organization can place the IT function in three the most common ways:

1. Top-down silo
2. Matrix
3. Fully integrated throughout the organization

• In a top-down silo approach, the organization would create a department or IT function devoted to everything related to technology-budgeting, project management, capacity, processing, etc. All other function must go through the IT department for approval of new projects.

• In a matrix approach, it is still a separate IT department or function, but the goal here is to maintain IT personnel within the IT department but matrix them across the other functions. The control still rests with the IT function and everything becomes more collaborative across the organization.
• In a fully integrated approach, many IT personnel are located within the other functional units; even though, there is usually a separate IT department or function. In addition, integrated IT people have their own budget, can approve department projects, can initiate the end-user development of smaller projects, etc. the Cola-Cola company has been using a fully integrated approach because the company has a separate IT department which controls their own finances; IT people can approve or disapprove any projects, change development of the projects, etc.

What philosophical approach is used?

“Live Positively” represents The Coca-Cola Company‘s philosophical approach to building essentially communities through taking leads that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where it operates.

 “The Live Positively” concept grew from the recognition that supportable growth for the Coca-Cola Company is essentially connected to its business and its marketing success, as well as its societal role. The Cola-Cola Company by having the courage to dream bigger and believe in what is possible – not what is impossible – these recipients contribute to a more-positive reality that both improves the world we live in and inspires others to also create a positive impact. Their goal is simple: to give more than they take.

http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/presskit_olympicgames2008_live_positively_press_release.pdf

http://www.accesshollywood.com/coca-cola-debuts-sustainable-fashion-for-olympics_article_10887

What major business initiatives are used or being considered and what software is being used? Are they top-line or bottom-line initiatives?

The major business initiatives are customer relationships management system where it has three different departments such as sales, marketing and customer service. All of these departments share information to get better satisfaction to customers. Coca -Cola is looking for ways to reduce costs, improve sales and profits, and deliver better-quality, more diverse products to consumers. Our Company works to create additional value for our customers by anticipating their demands and interests and to proactively deliver viable solutions for their businesses.

The second one is Supply chain management, which flows from outside the company to the inside the company. For example Coca-Cola has changed supply so that PowerAde is delivered directly to warehouses; Coca-Cola has dramatically changed its supply chain Management system. The change of practice is likely to affect distribution across the whole of the USA.

The last Business initiative is E-Collaboration that uses internet services to help and make it easy to work. Coca-Cola applies E- Collaboration with Microsoft Online Services technologies, this can save travel expenses through online meeting tools and collaboration platforms that span time zones and geographies. Coca-Cola is a top and bottom line initiative. The company tries to reduce the cost of manufacturing and at the same time, pushes to sell more products in order to increase their revenue.

How does the company reduce the buyer and supplier power?

Coca Cola is able to reduce the supplier's power significantly because most of the raw materials needed to produce concentrate are basic commodities like color, flavor, caffeine or additives, sugar, packaging. Essentially these are basic commodities. The producers of these products have no power over the pricing; thus, the suppliers in this industry are weak.Coca Cola is also able to control their bottling network because it has franchisee agreements with their existing bottler’s who have rights in a certain geographic area in perpetuity. These agreements prohibit bottler’s from taking on new competing brands for similar products. Therefore, Coca Cola bottling cost isn't excessive since it's been working with their bottlers for years which have built loyalty between the two industries.

When it comes to buyers, Coca Cola focuses on food stores, fast food fountain, vending machines, convenience stores and others in the order of market share. The profitability in each of these segments clearly illustrate the buyer power and how different buyers pay different prices based on their power to negotiate. For example, in a food store, customer have a lot of different choice; therefore, Coca Cola's profit is not as great as it is in a vending machine or a convenience stores in which the customer's are extremely limited.

How do they create switching costs and entry barriers?

Coca Cola has set up a bunch of barrier entries to new competitors. One of them is the advertising spend. In 2000, Coca Cola spent around $ 2.6 billion only on advertising and marketing. This makes it extremely difficult for a new entrant to compete with Coca Cola and gain any visibility.

Another barrier is the brand image and loyalty. Coca Cola has a long history of heavy advertising and this has earned it huge amount of brand equity and loyal customer’s all over the world. This makes it impossible for a new entrant to match this scale in this market place.



Lastly, the retailer shelf space is another obstacle new comers have to deal with. Retailers enjoy significant margins of 20% on these soft drinks for the shelf space they offer. These margins are quite significant for their bottom-line. This makes it tough for the new entrants to convince retailers to carry/substitute their new products for Coca Cola.

http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/careers/our_vision.html
http://www.scribd.com/doc/10552013/Coca-Cola-Marketing-Strategies

Business Strategies

Which of the 3 generic business strategies is used for the company?

The three generic business strategies according to Michael Porter are; OverallCost Leadership, Differentiation and Focus Strategy. The Coca-Cola Company has been an established trademark in the United States since 1886. Since then, the company has been able to differentiate themselves by being known as the world’s largest manufacture, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverages and syrups. There are over 3000 products bearing their famous trademark that are now sold in more than 200 countries worldwide. The Coca-Cola Company follows the differentiation strategy by spending enormous amounts of money in advertising to differentiate and create a unique image for their products. It provides different products to the customers and has been very much successful in gaining a leading position among the competitors.

Given that Coca-Cola is already well established around the world, they do not need to apply an overall cost leadership strategy. The price of their products do not need to be cheaper than their competitors in order to gain an advantage, because of how differentiated they make the brand to already be. They also do not use a Focus strategy, because Coca-Cola offers manydifferent beverages to market to a broad scope of people. These drinks include; fruit drinks, energy and sports drinks, bottled water, and an assortment of different flavors of carbonated.