This document outlines a plan to train for and apply for a job as a Salesforce analyst. It will use an action research methodology involving four iterations: self-assessment, training, preparation, and finding/applying for a job. The action research spiral of plan, act, observe, and reflect will guide each iteration. The goal is to gain the necessary skills and experience to work as a Salesforce analyst through self-study, practice, and applying for an analyst role.

1. Running Head: Training and applying for the job as Salesforce
Analyst 1
Training and applying for job as salesforce analyst 21
Training and Applying for job as Salesforce Analyst
Action Research Paper
Table of Contents
Introduction 5
Methodology 8
Literature Review 13
Proposal 16
Iteration 1: Self Assessment (Skills, Opportunities,Strenghts) 17
Iteration 2:Tranining 17
Iteration 3:
Preparation………………………………………...…………………
……………18
Iteration 4:Finding and Applying for

2. job……………………………………………………18
Iteration 1:Self Assessment (Skills, Opportunties, Strengths) 19
Plan 19
Action 20
Observe 22
Reflect 24
Iteration 2: Tranining 26
Plan 26
Action 27
Observe 29
Reflect 30
Iteration 3: Preparation 32
Plan 32
Action 33
Observe 35
Reflect 36
Iteration 4: Finding and Applying for a job 37
Plan 37
Action 38
Observe 40
Reflect 41
References 43
List of Tables and Figures
Figure 1. Action Research Sprial Diagram9

3. Figure 2. Iterations diagram16
Figure 3. Salesforce.com sign up and
login………………………………………………19
Figure 4. Navigating Salesforce.com
homepage…………………………………………21
Figure 5. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system
and applications………...23
Figure 6. Salesforce IdeaExchange
resources……………………………………………28
Figure 7. Resume
Writing………………………………………………………………..
.34
Figure 8. Google Search for Salesforce Analyst job in New
York……………………….38
Figure 9. Salesforce Analyst job located in New
York……………………………………40
Introduction
Professionals and employees who use Salesforce technology for
sales, analytics, marketing as well as customer service all
running in the cloud or software-as-a-service (SaaS) are critical
in addressing diverse needs of businesses and organizations.
Salesforce is a web-based application or service where new
releases take place approximately three times annually for all

4. customers. This technology offers organizations and businesses
a visionary concept and an innovative strategy for addressing
information technology and information systems complexities.
For instance, sales representatives in businesses employ
Salesforce to manage their leads, accounts, opportunities and
accounts, and also Salesforce assists them to focus more on
making money rather than doing administrative work
(Kachinske, Roach, Gilliland & Kachinske, 2008). Sales people
can also use Salesforce to manage customer support, customer
information, and interactions and also manage business
workflow. Marketing people in businesses use Salesforce to
manage track leads, campaigns and also use social media to
interact with constituents. Customer service employees use
Salesforce to address customer concerns, and the executive team
uses Salesforce for measuring the businesses’ overall
performance and productivity as well as for internal
collaboration. Sales managers in an organization use Salesforce
to monitor team activities and pipeline, to pinpoint crucial deals
that seek their involvement, and also reduce the ramp-time on
new employees. Administrators in organizations or individuals
involved in a company’s customer relationship management
(CRM) initiative also use Salesforce to customize, configure,
maintain as well as implement solutions in business
successfully (Francis & Maklan, 2009).
Salesforce.com is an internet-based CRM tool that comprises of
numerous powerful and essential features necessary for all the
staff in business and organization. It has enabled companies to
connect with customers in a more interactive way and also to
run businesses from mobile phones through developing
innovative mobile solutions. The Salesforce CRM application
assists in managing the interaction between a business and
customers and partners through social media and networking
sites, phone calls and meetings with consumers and paralegals
penetrating to sales, marketing and support service. The
Salesforce provides various service automation capabilities in
businesses hence leading to easy use, reduced costs as well as

5. improved business performance. The Salesforce automation
systems are critical in enabling the software to provide
automated gathering, assimilation, analysis, and information
distribution thus enhancing salesperson's productivity.
It is essential to integrate Salesforce in Information Technology
organizations as well as have Salesforce analysts who
understand its features and functionality so as to maximize its
potential in addressing the organization requirements and
attaining company objectives. Salesforce analysts have various
critical responsibilities in organizations and businesses. These
analysts gather, develop and also document the present, and
future business process flows. Salesforce Analyst also tests the
Salesforce setup and configuration in a company, test case
development, performance and load testing, and also carry out
end to end testing and functional testing. Salesforce analysts are
also responsible for conducting business, testing and training
requirements gathering, and other processes such as workflow
analysis, functional design, business process reengineering
(BRP) leads and gap analysis. Salesforce analysts in a company
must demonstrate the application’s capability and functionality
in providing solutions for business problems through the
implementation of proof of Value pilots and production of
support documents. Salesforce analysts must also manage the
relationships with all the business stakeholders so as to achieve
the set goals. Competent Salesforce analysts must also ensure
that they stay up-to-date with the new Salesforce releases and
also leverage the new applications and updates applicable to the
company. Salesforce analysts must undertake training so as to
improve their skill in working with Salesforce technology as
well as ensure that they can competently assist businesses to
achieve their goals through its use.

6. Action Research (AR) Methodology
What is Action Research?
Action Research (AR) refers to a systematic and rigorous
approach to research or investigation that is undertaken by a
researcher to diagnose and develop a solution for a particular
problem or to understand a phenomenon. The AR methodology
embraces the principles of collaboration, empowerment,
reflection and emancipation of groups or researchers whose aim
is improving a social condition. The methodology is deliberate
and a solution-oriented inquiry that is owned and conducted by
either an individual or a group. The method is characterized by
spiral cycles of problem definition and identification,
systematic data gathering, reflection, analysis, data-driven
action taken and eventually problem redefinition. According to
Wentworth, Earle, & Connel (2013), the linking of the terms
“action” and “research” indicates the critical features of the
approach, that is practically trying out ideas as a way of
increasing knowledge or skill about or enhancing curriculum,
teaching, and learning. Reflection in AR methodology is
significant as it enables the researchers to reflect on their
practices or the process so as to determine the challenges or

7. problems encountered; hence, is sometimes known as" is a
reflective investigation.” The reflective practice in AR is also
crucial in allowing the researcher to define the problem clearly,
in determining and also undertaking the proper action for
improvement, and in monitoring the effectiveness of the
selected and accomplished solution or action.
The process of AR in Information Technology gets described as
a spiral of activity that encompasses various phases namely
plan, act, observe and reflect (Information Resources
Management Association, & Khosrow-Pour, 2004). The various
phases get demonstrated in figure 1 below.
Figure 1: Action Research Spiral Diagram.
Each stage of the research depends on the outcomes of the
preceding step. The AR process starts with desirable changes or
improvement of a condition or phenomenon and proceeds in a
spiral of phases, all of which comprise of planning, action,
observation and evaluation of the outcome of the action. The
iterative AR process requires that researchers together with
practitioners collaborate to diagnose a problem and learn from
the reflection of the previous step. AR is described as iterative
and recursive, not linear, thus implying that the stages may be
repeated and are nonsequential (Willis, Inman & Valenti, 2010).
History of Action Research
AR dates back to the 1930s when Kurt Lewin introduced the
phrase “action research.” Lewin defined AR process as a
specific research methodology in which an investigator gains
new social understanding about a social system and at the same
time attempts to change the social system. The initial AR
approach developed by Lewin was in the form of clinical,
action-based social psychology. The aim of the approach is to
gather information through an investigative process so as to
gain insight, develop reflective practice and also effect positive
change in educational environments. AR process, which is

8. problem-focused, future-oriented and context-specific, was
founded on a partnership between action researchers and
participants, all of whom took part in the change process. The
participatory process of the approach is educative as well as
empowering as it entails of a dynamic strategy that interlinks
problem identification, planning, action and its assessment.
Knowledge and skill on a subject may get enhanced through
reflection and research. Due to the ability of AR process to
improve practice and develop an appropriate course of action
for problems, it’s have broadened to almost touch on all sectors
including information systems, sociology, engineering,
medicine, Information technology, etc.
According to Kock (2007), the most widely accepted AR cycle
was developed by Susman and Evered (1978). The Susman and
Evered’s (1978) perspective of the AR cycle is made up of five
different phases namely 1) diagnosing, 2) action planning, 3)
action taking, 4) evaluating action and 5) specifying learning.
The first phase, diagnosing, entails of the identification by the
researcher of a particular situation at an organization that will
probably result in gaining the relevant knowledge. Action
planning, the second step involves the establishment of the
alternative courses of action for the improvement opportunity so
as to gain it and also gain knowledge. Action taking phase
entails of choosing and implementing of the most appropriate
course of action as determined in action planning step.
Evaluating of the action entails of studying the outcomes of the
implementation of the selected course of action. The last stage
is the specifying learning that involves evaluation of the results
of the previous phase and generating knowledge basing on that
assessment.
Justification of Action Research
AR process has been widely used in solving problems through
identification of a suitable approach. AR also assists IT
professionals acquire and enhance their knowledge and skills in
information technology and computing by following the four
step AR model. AR model plays critical roles in the emergence

9. of practical concerns of the persons affected by a problematic
condition and also to the goals of social science through
engagement as well as the cooperation within a mutually
acceptable ethical framework. AR easily allows compatibility
with a majority of the scientific standards and techniques
including those employed in project development. The
information technology processes get integrated into project
development through collaboration, inquiry, and consultation.
IT experts have widely used AR process as it allows the
determination of appropriate innovations that are indispensable
in developing and improving the current information systems.
Appropriateness of Action Research
AR approach is appropriate for this research because it provides
a systematic way of developing an appropriate course of action
for addressing the problem. AR methodology, which gets used
by IT professionals to enhance their knowledge and skill on
information-related systems, is appropriate for the researcher to
acquire extensive knowledge and expertise necessary to work as
a Salesforce Analyst. Salesforce analysts require extensive
knowledge and understanding of Salesforce features and
functionality as well as hands-on skills so as to adequately
assist businesses to attain their goals through the use of the
Internet-based service. The AR cycle that involves plan, act,
observation and reflection, will assist me in gaining a
significant understanding of the research and at the same time
practically solve the problem. The AR methodology is
collaborative, thus will enable the researcher to seek assistance
from seasoned Salesforce analysts as well as receive guidance
on how to effective work with Salesforce features in an
organization. The planning feature of AR approach will enable
the researcher to be systematic, to set relevant objectives as
well as to avoid confusion during the implementation of the
course of action. The reflective feature of AR approach allows
the researcher to reflect on the action selected as well as review
the challenges encountered.

10. Literature Review
Advances in computing and information technology in the past
few decades have significantly changed the world we live as it
has affected all sectors including education, business,
governance, and communication. One of the leading and hot
new innovative technologies is the Salesforce technology.
Salesforce Technology is the leader in cloud computing that
provides software applications for all aspects of running a
business including customer relationship management (CRM)
tool, sales, Enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer
service, business analytics, marketing automation, innovation
management, knowledge management, mobile application
building and many others. Cloud computing describes a blend of
information technology and computing concepts such as
numerous computers connected through a real-time
communication network (internet) (Hill, Hirsch, Lake, &
Moshiri, 2012). Saleforce is a Software as a Service (or SaaS)
implying that with cloud computing all software applications
required by a business can be accessed through the internet. The
technology works on the same connected platform, as it draws
from one customer data.
Salesforce.com is a SaaS vendor based in the United States and
offers a way for enterprises to manage as well as analyze their
customer and prospects data. The company was founded by
Marc Benioff in 1999 and right from its start has delivered
software applications over the internet. The company that has
now over 67, 000 clients with over 1.5 million users and 3, 600
staff is now placed in third place, after SAP and Oracle
(Buxmann & Hess, 2012). Salesforce.com provides an on-
demand platform for Web-based applications, Force.com. Users
can use Salesforce’s infrastructure so as to develop custom
applications that they can use themselves of providing through
the AppExchange marketplace. The Salesforce.com clients pay
monthly charges for using the applications and services they
want, thus saving upfront costs required to acquire software

11. licenses and implementation. The platform also saves
organizations and businesses costs of data storage as there is
space available on the Salesforce cloud storage. Salesforce
developers can extend the Salesforce system by developing
applications on the Force.com platform as they make use of the
vendor’s proprietary languages such as Apex and Visualforce
(London & Lucas, 2012). Salesforce.com is responsible for
managing all the applications updates directly as well as
backing up the information. Salesforce.com encompasses of a
CRM online system. The CRM system in business is critical in
maintaining contact with new and existing customers (Goodey,
2015).
Salesforce technology has significantly many advantages when
integrated into a business. Since Salesforce enables a company
to draw from the same customer data, as opposed to operating in
silos, the entire organization can function as a team. Also, since
all the operations of a company are done in the cloud as
opposed to getting installed on site, it allows even the largest
organizations to undertake enterprise-wide deployments in a
very short time as compared to the traditional deployments that
may take a year. The application of information technologies
such SaaS and cloud computing, vendors that include
Salesforce.com have developed great sales force automation
(SFA) as well as CRM web-based tools and software
applications to be more accessible as compared to the past
(Smith & Sun, 2015). Salesforce is favorable among customers
as compared to other technologies because it is fast to use, easy
due to its end user adoption and also effective in meeting
business needs of customers. Salesforce allows a business to
have a full suite of services required in the management of the
client's lifecycle that gets categorized into three product
families namely Sales Cloud, Service Cloud and Marketing
Cloud (Gupta & Pareek, 2014). The services comprise of tools
and functionalities necessary to manage accounts, track
opportunities and also follow leads. Salesforce was not the first
CRM system to get developed; however, it is greatly different

12. as compared to other CRM systems in the market including
spreadsheets and sticky notes. Salesforce technology unlike
other traditional CRM systems is an Internet service, thus
superior and provides numerous functionalities. Unlike these
other traditional CRM systems, a user can sign up and log in
through a browser and immediately the technology is available
for use. As long as a vendor has internet, they can be able to
access Salesforce anywhere in the world. Despite stiff
competition from the software application and components
vendors such as Oracle, Microsoft, Amazon and many others,
Salesforce.com has become a leader in the market. According to
Hurwitz (2011), Salesforce.com became successful since it was
at the right place at the right time.
The contributions, benefits, and functionalities of Salesforce in
an organization, numerous enterprises and business have
integrated the technology into their operations so as to assist in
meeting their business needs. For instance, the use of Salesforce
as a company database platform for closed orders, contact
management as well as pipeline reporting significantly
contributes to the success of a good sales business and
salesperson (Taber, 2013). The proper functioning of Salesforce
in a company must be supported by Salesforce experts who
include Salesforce analysts and Salesforce developers.
Salesforce analysts who understand the features and
functionalities of the technology are very critical in
organizations utilizing the technology. They undertake
numerous responsibilities ranging from demonstrating the
capability of Salesforce in offering solutions for the business
needs also to undertake testing and training requirements
gathering, and other processes in the organization.
Proposal
I will be required to train and apply for a job as a Salesforce
analyst in a company in which I will use my knowledge, skills,
and expertise of the technology so as to assist in meeting the
business goals and needs. I will employ the Action Research
design cycle in my research so as to acquire knowledge and gain

13. experience in Salesforce as well as apply and get a job in an
information technology company. The purpose of using the
iterations in the research is to show my knowledge as well as
understanding of the iterative process of action research. The
iterations are shown in the diagram below and their summaries
are given in the section below.
Iteration 1
Self-Assessment (skills, opportunities, strengths)
Reflect
Observe
Act
Plan
Iteration 2
Training
Reflect
Observe
Act
Plan
Iteration 3
Preparation

14. Reflect
Observe
Act
Plan
Iteration 4
Finding and Applying for a job
Plan
Plan
Plan
Plan
Figure
Figure 2: Iterations DiagramIteration 1: Self-Assessment (skills,
opportunities, strengths)
During the first iteration of the research, the investigator will
evaluate own skills, opportunities, and strengths about working
with the Salesforce technology features and functionalities. The
researcher will evaluate their expertise in navigating Salesforce
by performing tasks such as accessing Salesforce on any
browser, browsing the homepage, navigating the applications
and also managing records in Salesforce. This iteration is
critical in ensuring that the researcher identifies the capabilities
and strengths concerning how to work with Salesforce
technology, determine the weaknesses and limitations that may
be a hindrance to achieving a successful career as a Salesforce

15. Analyst and identify the opportunities available. Iteration 2:
Training
This iteration session will entail of learning and training so as
to acquire relevant knowledge and hands-on skills required to
work with the various features of Salesforce. I will focus my
training in modules that include Structured Query Language
(SQL), Excel VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), Modelling
techniques, Salesforce Security and Business Processes,
Salesforce Security and Business Processes and Salesforce
Administration Fundamentals. I will attend conferences relating
to Salesforce as well as consult with seasoned Salesforce
analysts on what is required to be a competent Salesforce
Analyst as well as learn from them. In this session, the
researcher will also seek to understand various high-level
features of Salesforce and know how they are used in solving
business challenges. This iteration is essential in understanding
the use of Salesforce to solve vital business challenges and the
role played by Salesforce analysts. Iteration 3: Preparation
After the training iteration, the next iteration is the preparation
that will entail of preparing for a job as a Salesforce analyst in
an enterprise. The session will involve activities such as
preparing a good resume, preparing for an interview as a
Salesforce Analyst and also practicing and mastering the skills
required for the job. The researcher will also consult seasoned
Salesforce analyst about interviews for such a job and how to
write a good resume. Iteration 4: Finding and Applying for a job
During this iteration, the researcher will embark on searching
for a relevant Salesforce Analyst job available in different
organizations. The researcher will search on the internet and
also visit websites and physical locations of organizations that
can be potential employers. When the research finds suitable
Salesforce Analyst opportunities, they will write cover letters
and then make applications to the organizations.

16. Iteration 1: Self-Assessment (skills, opportunities, strengths)
The activities involved in the first iteration include navigating
on Salesforce.Com as well as consulting with a Salesforce
Consultant so as to assess own skills, opportunities, and
strengths about working with the Salesforce technology. The
iteration also involved evaluating practical skills concerning
working with Salesforce features and functionalities. The
iteration aims at ensuring that the researcher identifies their
capabilities and strengths, their weaknesses and limitations on
Salesforce and identify the opportunities available for a
Salesforce Analyst. Plan
In my plan, to assess own skills, opportunities and strengths
about working with Salesforce features and functionalities, I
intend to test myself on navigating on Salesforce.Com by
opening a user profile and performing different tasks. I intend
to know my capabilities as well as my weaknesses concerning
the use of Salesforce. I intend to open a user profile with
Salesforce so that I can inherit a User license that will be
assigned to that profile. Although there is no preferred browser
for opening a user profile, I intend to use the Mozilla Firefox
profile to sign up and log in to the user account.
Figure 3: Salesforce.com sign up and log in.
I also intend to know how to activate and deactivate a user in
Salesforce, know how I can reset the user password, and also
test myself on profile management in Salesforce. I also plan to
perform various tasks on Salesforce such as scheduling events
and things to do on Salesforce.
In my plan to know my strengths and skills I will consult with
Mr. Edward Jairus, Salesforce Consultant, who will assist me
know the various items I need to focus on, as well as assess my
capabilities on Salesforce. Since Mr. Jairus worked as a
Salesforce Analyst for over four years in a sales organization, I
intend to gain skills on how to set up and configure Salesforce
in a company and also know how carry out performance and

17. load testing as well as an end to end testing and functional
testing. I also intend to learn how to add and delete leads and
contacts in Salesforce in an organization, how to deal with
duplicates of contacts and leads and other similar tasks
involving leads and contacts. Getting a company’s leads and
contacts (the customers) into a system in an organization is one
of the critical first phases in working with Salesforce
(Gohmann, Barker, Faulds & Guan, 2005). Salesforce offers an
easy-to-use wizard that assists in importing contacts and leads
(Mr. Edward Jairus, Personal Communications, 15th January
2017). I also plan to consult with the Salesforce consultant on
the opportunities that I have when pursuing a career as a
Salesforce Analyst as well as how to identify them. I plan to
ensure that before proceeding to the training session I know the
areas to emphasize on so as to have overall understanding and
expertise of Salesforce. Action
The first task I undertook was user management on Salesforce. I
first activated a user profile on Salesforce by navigating on
Salesforce and the new user button in the homepage filled in the
details before ticking in a checkbox on the user’s record.
Figure 4: Navigating Salesforce.com homepage.
I also performed tasks such as resetting user’s password,
resetting a user’s email address, configuring a profile and so on.
Despite providing capabilities and functionalities, working on
the internet also is associated with cyber threats and risks, thus
I worked on administrative permissions and general user
permissions. In an organization, the administrative permissions
and general user permissions of user profiles allow different
levels of capabilities and access rights for significant
functionalities of the Salesforce platform. An important feature
in Salesforce is the delegated administration that entails
creating non-user admin users’ administrators who have limited
capabilities. The delegated administrated gets supported where
the users have an assigned role (Taber, 2013).
I arranged a consultative meeting with Mr. Jairus on 16th

18. February 2017 at two o’clock in the afternoon at his office. I
arrived early for the meeting. Mr. Jairus was very helpful in
understanding the various roles of Salesforce Analysts. The core
responsibilities of Salesforce Analysts in an organization
include setting up and configuring Salesforce in an enterprise,
carrying out various tests, updating and monitoring the platform
and gathering, developing and documenting business flows. The
session also entailed discussions covering the configuration
components such as data modeling, page layout configurations,
record types, approval process configurations, formula fields,
email templates, and workflows. Salesforce configuration is a
technique to quickly and easily toggle setting as well as
switches so as to customize features, permissions, setup and the
entire data model (Mr. Edward Jairus, Personal
Communications, January 15th, 2017). Testing the platform is
also critical in ensuring that it functions properly so as to assist
in solving various business challenges. Mr. Edward also
practically demonstrated on how to navigate on Salesforce as
well as well tasks such as managing accounts and leads in
Salesforce. Mr. Jairus also guided me identifying suitable
opportunities so as to have a successful career as a Salesforce
Analyst. I also identified networking sites such as Linked In
that could assist in not only identifying opportunities for a
Salesforce Analyst but also help to create a network with other
Salesforce professionals and also share ideas and receive
updates about Salesforce. Observation
My observation on self-assessment of skills, opportunities, and
strengths regarding my career choice as a Salesforce Analyst
was that I have a widespread understanding of various features
and functionalities of Salesforce. I noticed that navigating on
Salesforce is easy and fast for users. I observed that a good
Salesforce Analyst must be passionate about information
technology and be willing to regularly train and know of the
latest Salesforce updates and releases. Setting up user profiles
was easy and also setting up company profiles with Salesforce
could be accomplished with information that included company

19. information and contact details, license information, default
language, locale and time zone, fiscal year settings and also
currencies and exchange rates. All the information can be
accessed on the company information page when the
organization signs up with Salesforce. Salesforce also provides
various security strategies and administrative and general user
settings that safeguard profiles in the platform (Fernandez-
Buglioni, 2013). I observed that Salesforce could be accessed
anywhere as long as there was the internet. From my
consultation with the expert in Salesforce, I also noted that
Salesforce is critical in influencing the relationships between all
stakeholders in a company. Therefore, a good Salesforce
Analysts must have efficient communication skills.
I also observed that there are unlimited opportunities and jobs
available for Salesforce Analyst. The rapid growth in
information technology and computing has significantly
changed the way organizations and businesses operate. Most
communications and transactions between stakeholders in
business are automated as various technologies have been
adopted. One of the leading and innovative technologies is
Salesforce that is a customer relationship management (CRM)
system and platform (Johnston & Marshall, 2016).
Figure 5: customer relationship management (CRM) system and
applications.
For the technology to function properly various experts are
required that include Salesforce analysts and developers.
Salesforce Analysts must use their expertise and skills to assist
an organization to identify opportunities, meet business needs
using Salesforce and also enhance and streamline business
operations through technical solutions (Kachinske, Roach,
Gilliland & Kachinske, 2008). I, however, observed that despite
the various opportunities and job openings for Salesforce
analysts, the experience was critical as a qualification. Most of
the organizations required a Salesforce Analysts with at least
three years experience. I observed that I needed to work more

20. with Salesforce so as to understand all components of the
technology. Reflection
The session on self-assessment of skills, opportunities, and
strengths concerning Salesforce technology was undertaken
successfully with minor limitations. Proper planning
significantly contributed to the success of the program. It
helped identify my capabilities that are relevant to enable work
as a Salesforce Analyst and also revealed my weakness that I
aim to learn and improve on during the training session. The
Salesforce consultant whom I consulted was extremely helpful
and willing to assist and provide guidance on all Salesforce
components. His expertise and many years experience as a
Salesforce Analyst made him a suitable individual to consult,
and by the end of the session, I was not disappointed. I now
know my strengths and where I need to improve on Salesforce
elements especially about setting up, configuration and
administration of Salesforce. The session was not only an
assessment, but I also discovered my passion for Salesforce
technology as I enjoyed every moment of the program and also
wanted to learn a lot more about the technology.
The first iteration session would have been more successful if I
planned several things differently. For instance, despite the
broad knowledge and experience that Mr. Edward, the
Salesforce consultant had on training and applying for a job as a
Salesforce Analyst, I should have consulted several other
experts and professionals in the field. Having more resource
people would have enabled me to gain extensive expertise.
The first iteration of the research prepared me for the second
iteration on training and improving my skills and expertise on
various modules of Salesforce.

21. Iteration 2: Training
Introduction
The iteration on training in the research on training and
applying for employment as a Salesforce Analyst will focus on
gaining as much understanding and hands-on skills as possible
so as to ensure I can work effectively with the Salesforce
technology. The researcher will also seek to identify as well as
interact with different Salesforce training resources such as
online Salesforce training. The researcher will ensure that by
the end of the training iteration, they can use the various high-
level features of Salesforce to address different business
challenges. This iteration is essential for a researcher who is
training and applying for a job as a Salesforce analyst because
they not only understand the use of Salesforce in finding
solutions for business challenges but also understand the role
played by Salesforce analysts in organizations.
Plan
In the training iteration, the researcher will first list down the
objectives that they aim to accomplish during this iteration on
training and applying as a Salesforce Analyst. In my plan, I also
intend to consult and meet with experts in Salesforce, including
meeting with Ms. Sally Cathy, a Salesforce Analyst in a leading
online marketing organization. I intend to show Ms. Sally my
goals in training in Salesforce so that I know whether my

22. objectives are in line with becoming a competent Salesforce
analyst in a business organization. The researcher also plans to
attend conferences whose theme and topic relates to the
application of Salesforce technology, where not only will I
consult with seasoned Salesforce consultants but also learn from
them and receive proper guidance on how to properly undertake
the training.
In my plan, I will also identify and use different Salesforce
training resources so as train in Salesforce technology. The
researcher will emphasize on certain areas in Salesforce that
play a critical role accomplishing the research objectives, in
which the researcher will aim at learning about the specific
feature, when it’s applied in business and how it is utilized. The
researcher not only plans to learn about the technology but also
plans to find certification if possible after training as a
Salesforce Analyst.
The researcher plans to undertake this iteration in a period of
two weeks, in which I will create a schedule that will guide me
and ensure that I don’t miss any of the planned actions. The
researcher also plans to record all the sessions and take notes of
what is learned so as not only to ensure that I understand better
but also use the records for assessing myself at the end of the
iteration session.
Action
The first task I undertook in this session was to list down my
objectives in training in Salesforce technology. The objectives
listed include 1) gain hands-on skills and expertise through
training in Salesforce, 2) experience real life situation on how
Salesforce is used to solve business challenges, and 3) get
Salesforce certification. The second activity entailed consulting
and meeting with Ms. Sally Cathy, the Salesforce analyst, who
scheduled to meet me at 10 o’clock every day in my first week.
During these meetings, Ms. Sally Cathy told me the various uses
of Salesforce technology in a sales organization as well as
showed me how her typical day looks like at the office.
Salesforce technology is a customer relationship management

23. (CRM) system that provides an organization with a full suite of
services to enable them to manage the client's lifecycle in the
organization (Kachinske, et. al., 2008). Therefore, a Salesforce
Analyst must have extensive understanding and hands on skills
on how to use the different features so as to assist different
companies of varying sizes to address their business challenges
(Ms. Sally Cathy, Personal Communication, March 20th, 2017).
The other task undertaken in this phase was attending a
Salesforce conference organized by Salesforce promoters. I
prepared adequately for the conference that took place on 29th
March at two o’clock. At the conference, I met Mr. Danny Ray,
a former Salesforce analyst, now a Salesforce consultant. Mr.
Danny gave me two online resources that would assist me to
learn about Salesforce as well as stayed informed about
Salesforce features. The two resources were Salesforce
IdeaExchange (http://success.salesforce.com.ideasearch) and
Salesforce.com local user groups. The screenshot below is an
illustration of the ‘Salesforce IdeaExchange” resource.
Figure 6: Salesforce IdeaExchange resource
Mr. Danny also confirmed the importance of Salesforce
certification and told me about the Salesforce Certified Platform
App Developer Exam. This Salesforce Certified Platform App
Developer Exam is an online exam on Salesforce that contains
multiple-choice questions that the candidate had to answer in 90
minutes, after which a result is displayed on the screen instantly
showing a pass or a fail, and a certificate is delivered to the
candidate's registered email (Kabe, 2016). The researcher first
undertook online classroom training on Salesforce that was
found at –http://certification.salesforce.com/app-builders. After
the training, the researcher then undertook the exam, and a
certification was delivered to the registered email. At the end of
the session on training, the researcher did an assessment that
showed that all the planned actions had been completed
successfully.
Observation

24. In the training iteration, the researcher observed that Salesforce
is a 21st technology that is very useful in businesses, especially
in marketing development. For instance, the use of Service
Cloud in organizations can assist to cut expenses, to accelerate
time to revenue, to enhance agility as well as to maximize
customer lifetime value (Taber, 2013). Also, companies that
decide to use the Software as a Service (SAAS) based salesforce
management solutions including Salesforce.com can benefit
greatly because it minimizes the need for infrastructure and
software licenses (Goodey, 2013). It is, therefore, essential that
businesses train their team and equip them with the knowledge
necessary to design, build and maintain the Salesforce solution
in the company (Ms. Sally Cathy, Personal Communication,
March 20th, 2017).
I observed that in business and sales organizations, customer
relationship management (CRM) had become an important
concept in enabling success and profitability of the
organization. Customer relationship management is defined as
an information industry term that comprises of business
methodologies, software and the Internet capabilities to assist
companies to manage their customer relations systematically
(Pan, Kim & Yang, 2015). Salesforce technology can assist
sales organizations to achieve effective customer relations
through the assistance of a competent Salesforce Analyst.
The researcher also observed that training is essential for all
information technology professionals as it allows them to
master how to use the different features of the particular
technology. Salesforce certification is necessary for Salesforce
analysts, Salesforce administrators and other Salesforce
professionals as it communicates dedication as well as expertise
(Mr. Danny Ray, personal communication, March 29th, 2017).
The researcher also observed that the Salesforce Analyst and
Salesforce consultant whom they met and consulted were
passionate and also were versed with the use of Salesforce. The
action session of the iteration was successful; however, I
observed that the two weeks I dedicated for the session were not

25. enough to train and learn all the features and modules of
Salesforce.
Reflection
The training iteration went well and allowed the researcher to
meet all the set goals. The researcher now has extensive
knowledge about high-level features of Salesforce and can apply
them in solving various business challenges. The objectives
acted as a training checklist for the researcher and also assisted
them to gain in-depth knowledge and insight on the technology.
The idea by the researcher to consult seasoned Salesforce
experts was one of the most important and helped him receive
proper guidance as well as learn about Salesforce. The
interaction with the online salesforce resources was one of the
best ways to learn Salesforce features and also network with
other Salesforce professionals. For instance, the Salesforce
IdeaExchange, which is a forum within the Salesforce Success
Community, allowed a Salesforce member to post new ideas
about Salesforce and also to see salesforce.com staff, partners,
and customers. The researcher’s move to undertake a Salesforce
certification was good in building their career in Salesforce, in
increasing employability for different Salesforce opportunities
and also joining the Salesforce certified professionals allows
the researcher to be notified of the release of new Salesforce
updates, training materials, and exams.
The only limitation encountered in the training session was the
limited time that the researcher had allocated for visiting the
Salesforce analyst at the sales organization. If the researcher
planned the session and dedicated more time, they would have
learned and also observed more about the features of Salesforce
and its uses in solving challenges at the enterprise.
The iteration on training was successful and prepared the
researcher well for the next iteration on preparation.
Iteration 3: Preparation
Introduction
During the third iteration on training and applying for a
Salesforce Analyst job, the researcher will embark on the

26. thorough preparation that will enhance their chances of getting
any Salesforce Analyst job that may become available soon. In
this iteration session, the activities undertaken by the researcher
will focus on writing an excellent resume and cover letter for a
Salesforce Analyst, staying up to date with Salesforce
technology and also practice working with Salesforce so as to
master the hands-on skills learned in previous sessions. The
researcher’s aim in the preparation iteration is to ensure that the
job seeker who is specifically targeting a Salesforce Analyst
position, will not miss any opportunity that may come they way.
This iteration session is very significant in building and
becoming successful in a career as a Salesforce Analyst because
it will assist in introducing the job seeker to potential
employers.
Plan
My plan in the preparation iteration is to ensure that I
adequately prepare so as to become ready to capture any
suitable Salesforce Analyst position that may arise. The first
plan for the researcher is to write a good resume and cover
letter that will sell them as competent and qualified Salesforce
Analyst to potential employers. Writing a good resume is
considered to be an art that requires numerous efforts so as to
be able to list expertise in a minimal set of lines (McKinney,
2006). The researcher will seek advice and guidance from
professional resume writers as well as use internet resources to
learn on how to write a good resume. The researcher plans to
pay special attention to the resume outline and also plans to use
terminologies and Information Technology (IT) terms that will
them look like they understand what they are doing. Since a
good resume is based on the profile of the job description, the
researcher who is seeking employment as a Salesforce Analyst
plans to review different past vacancies for Salesforce Analyst
together with the listed responsibilities; so as to become well
informed about the resume contents. The researcher also has a
plan to seek advice and guidance on how to write a good cover
letter. After understanding the different aspects of writing a

27. good resume and cover letter, the researcher then plans to write
sample copies that they will present to a senior human resource
manager for assessment.
The researcher also plans to use the hands-on skills and
knowledge in Salesforce technology obtained in previous
sessions to practice working with Salesforce. The plan is to
assist a Salesforce Analyst in their daily work. The researcher
also plans to interact with the networks created in previous
sessions as well as regularly visit internet sources that will
assist in staying updated about the technology. The researcher
plans to complete this iteration session in a period of two
weeks.
Action
My first action in the two weeks scheduled for undertaking the
career preparation iteration entailed consulting with a
professional on a resume and cover letter writing. The resume
expert whom I contacted was Ms. Betty Larry, who agreed to
meet at her office at 8 ‘clock on 1st April. Before I went to the
meeting, I prepared questions that would assist me to cover all
want I wanted to know about resume writing. When the day
came, I arrived early, and the meeting started as planned. I
learned a lot about the outline of a good resume and the
contents of a good resume and cover letter. The resume is a one-
to-two page summary of an individual’s objective, experience,
skills as well as achievements (L. Betty, Personal
Communications, 1st April). Also, in the meeting that lasted for
approximately two hours, the expert assisted the researcher to
develop a personalized resume. The researcher further did
research on resume writing in internet sources such as YouTube.
The figure 1 below is a screenshot of Youtube video displaying
a slide on a teaching on resume writing.
Figure 7: Resume writing (Source; YouTube)
Within the two weeks, the researcher was also fortunate to meet
with Mr. Lenny, a Salesforce Analyst at Innovative Tech
Company, through Salesforce.com local user group. Mr. Lenny

28. accepted a request to review my sample resume again as well as
offer practice on working with Salesforce technology. Different
positions have different responsibilities; therefore, the profile
appearing on the resume should show how hiring this person
benefits the organization (Lenny, Personal Communications, 8th
April). For instance, a Salesforce Analyst is mostly responsible
for development and implementation of Salesforce platforms
and projects; therefore, the resume of a Salesforce Analyst must
show their skills and knowledge in planning, coding and
executing features for Salesforce (Weinmeister, 2014).
Observation
The career preparation presented a very interesting and
educative opportunity, which the researcher also made different
observations. First, the researcher observed that the resume and
cover letter are crucial documents of a job seeker and all other
professionals as they can facilitate a career change. An
excellent resume, which is accompanied by a cover letter, can
assist a potential employer to decide whom to hire or interview
for a position easily. It is, however, true that an excellent
resume will not get an individual a job if they are unqualified,
but indeed, a weak resume will make the person lose a job
(Kiser, 2015). I observed that in resume writing grammar,
spelling and sentence structure are crucial as errors in these
components can be disastrous. The researcher also noted that
updating a resume as well as changing it to suit a certain job an
individual is applying for is important so as to ensure that the
potential employer sees the job seekers capability to be of help
in the organization. The researcher also observed that resume
writing is a challenging activity to many people applying for
different job position; thus, the reason for the emergence of
resume writing experts who assist people. However, the
researcher observed that the internet is a rich source of
information about resume and cover letter writing. There are
even applications that assist people with resume writing. For

29. instance, publisher templates assist in making a digital resume
in .doc format, which was found under the link
http://office.microsoft.com/en-
gb/templates/results.aspx?qu=resume&ex=1&av=ZPB&CTT=5
(Palani, 2016).
The researcher observed that when writing a resume when
applying for a job as a Salesforce Analyst, it is important to not
only include qualifications but also show how you have gained
hands-on skills in working with Salesforce features and
functions.
Reflection
The career preparation session was a fascinating but also
significant for the researcher. The researcher enhanced their
chances of been hired or been called for an interview if a
Salesforce job emerged and also learned how to ensure that they
write a resume and cover letter that gives them advantage above
other qualified candidates applying for the same job. It was
worthwhile for the researcher to undertake the preparation
session because writing a resume and cover letter is a lifelong
activity as professionals apply and change jobs all through their
productive years. The session went very well mostly because of
the experts who were willing to take me through the various
steps of writing an excellent resume. The idea to consult an
expert who deals with resumes provided an in-depth
understanding of resume writing, whereas, the guidelines given
by the Salesforce Analyst affirmed what the researcher was
doing was in line with the researcher’s career.
The researcher did not, however, have time to consult with a
human resource manager for consultation. The plan activities
would all have been completed including meeting a human
resource manager if more time was planned for the session. The
researcher plans to manage time better in their future career as
well as allocate sufficient time for actions. However, it can be
concluded that the preparation session was a great success and

30. prepared the candidate for the next iteration on finding and
applying for jobs that seek a Salesforce Analyst.
Iteration 4: Finding and Applying for a job
Introduction
The session on the search for and applying for jobs entails
activities such as searching for relevant Salesforce Analyst jobs
and also sending applications requesting for interview or
employment. The researcher will employ knowledge acquired
from the previous session to write a good resume and cover
letter for each opportunity.
Plan
Since I have already made a career objective on the specific job
I intend to search and apply, in this iteration, the plan is to
browse different online sources that advertise for jobs. In this
internet sources, the researcher plans on narrowing down to the
Salesforce Analyst jobs in which they qualify. In narrowing
down on the jobs available, the researcher plans to only
consider jobs available in the state of New York, because it
would be convenient for the researcher in many ways. After
identifying these jobs, the researcher then plans to apply for the
jobs one by one, in which the researcher will modify the resume
and the cover letter to suit the profile of each particular job.
The plan is to ensure that the resume and cover letter market the
researcher to the potential employer and also show what the
researcher can do including configuring Salesforce customer
relationship management to suit the needs of an enterprise or
developing and maintaining a Salesforce platform. The
researcher further plans to search for Information Technology
based organizations that use Salesforce as a tool in their
business. After identifying the companies, the researcher then
plans to contact the human resource manager in the enterprise
either via email or by making a physical visit to the
organization. The researcher then plans to request to join the
organization as a Salesforce Analyst. In the application of the
Salesforce Analyst jobs, the researcher plans on submitting pdf

31. formats of all the required documents including resume, cover
letters, certifications and any others that may be necessary. The
researcher also plans to market themselves on various
networking sites where there are other Salesforce Analysts,
Salesforce administrators, and other related professionals so
that they can assist in locating a suitable job or even refer the
researcher to potential employers. The researcher plans to carry
out the job search and application for two weeks.
Action
The researcher decided to start the job search in the internet
sources as it was the easiest and most available and the
researcher assumed there would be many opportunities
available. The researcher first used the ‘Google’ search engine
in which they typed “Salesforce Analyst jobs.” There were
many results for this research; hence the researcher decided to
narrow down the results to the preferred region by typing on the
Google search engine “Salesforce Analyst jobs in New York.”
The screenshot below is an illustration of the Google search and
results.
Figure 8: Google search for Salesforce Analyst job in the state
of New York
The Google search directed the researcher to different job
advertising websites that include “Indeed,” “Careerbuilder,”
“Jobsgalore,” “Resumelibrary.com,””jobsaccept,” “JobHero,”
and so on. The researcher keenly reviewed the different job
opportunities by assessing the requirements and responsibilities
of the Salesforce Analyst. Most of the enterprises specified that
a core responsibility for the Salesforce Analyst was the
definition, development and maintaining of business processes
within the Salesforce,com platform so as to drive business
improvements, improve workflow as well as enhance customer
relationship management, which is a primary role of a
Salesforce Analyst (Christensen & Raynor, 2013; Weinmeister,
2014). The researcher identified a particular job that they were
qualified and interested and decided to apply. The job posted in

32. the “Resumelibrary.com” website was located at Tarrytown in
New York and among the qualifications was the experience to
develop Salesforce products using visualforce and Salesforce
Object Query Language (SOQL), which the researcher was well
versed and had experience working with from previous sessions.
Visualforce is an easy-to-use framework that can be used
together with any HTML code and is regarded as an ultimate
solution in developing powerful business applications on
Salesforce (Gupta, 2015). Salesforce SOQL is a salesforce.com
language used for processing data from Salesforce data sources
(Davis, 2013). The screenshot below is an illustration of the
Salesforce Analyst job that the researcher applied.
Figure 9: Salesforce Analyst job located in New York
Observation
The researcher observed that there are many available
Salesforce related jobs available today and this may be
attributed to the increased use of Salesforce platform and
features to address various business challenges and improve
business processes (Ouellette, 2013). The researcher also
observed that having a well-defined career objective is essential
for a job seeker as it assists them in wasting time viewing jobs
available that are not related to their career. The researcher
observed that the internet is a wealthy source concerning the
availability of different jobs at different locations. The
researcher observed that the usefulness of the web might greatly
get based on the search engines such as Google search engine
that is a very powerful web-based software program and useful
tool designed to search any content (Jain, 2013). The researcher
also observed that the various job advertising websites available
on the internet are important sources in locating a job as they
are used updated almost every day. The researcher observed that
been well prepared with documentation and certification makes
it easy to apply for any job that an individual desires.
The researcher observed that for a Salesforce Analyst job, a job
seeker must have the knowledge and hands-on skills necessary

33. to work efficiently with Salesforce features and functions such
as visualforce, Apex, and Salesforce SOQL. Other duties
observed to be common for most job opportunities of a
Salesforce Analyst were executing and maintaining Salesforce
Service Cloud, Sales Cloud, and Marketing Cloud. The
researcher observed that although there were numerous job
opportunities available for Salesforce Analysts, most enterprises
specified that they wanted individuals who had over three years
experience; hence was challenging for the researcher.
Reflection
The finding and applying for a job session was successful due to
various reasons. The researcher had a definite plan on what they
intended to do (job search), where to search for the job, and
what particular job to search (career objective). The session
also became a success because of the Google search engine,
which was easy to use and also contained much relevant content
of the researcher’s search. The job advertising websites played
a critical role in undertaking this session as the researcher
found a wide variety of job opportunities for Salesforce
Analyst, with a detailed job description. The researcher spent a
little time on this iteration as compared to the period they had
set aside to complete. The researcher qualifications and
experience also assisted the researcher to settle down
comfortably on the particular job they desired. The availability
of digital formats of job application tools such as resume and a
cover letter also made it easy to apply for a job through email
and also made it easy to receive feedback from the hiring
organization.
The iteration would also have been easier for the researcher if
they had done several things differently. The researcher did not
include LinkedIn among the internet sources that they would
include during the job search. The job search revealed that
LinkedIn is a powerful networking site as it was widely
available in the search engine when the researcher sought for
job vacancies. Besides, LinkedIn can be used to not only assist
an individual to capitalize on extraordinary job opportunities

34. but also in building a brand and a professional network (Agin &
Howes, 2012). The researcher will in the future join LinkedIn
so as not to miss out any opportunities.
The researcher will now prepare for the interview for a
Salesforce Analyst Job at the company Keen360, Inc. since the
job search and application was successful.
References:
Francis, B., & Maklan, S. (2009). Customer relationship
management: Concepts and technologies.
Information Resources Management Association, & Khosrow-
Pour, M. (2004). Innovations through information technology.
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Kachinske, E., Roach, S., Gilliland, C., & Kachinske, T. (2008):
Maximizing Your Sales with Salesforce. com. Cengage
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35. applied view of emerging concepts and methods (Vol. 13).
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Willis, J., Inman, D., & Valenti, R. (2010): Completing a
professional practice dissertation: A guide for doctoral students
and faculty. IAP.
Buxmann, P., & Hess, T. (2012): The software industry:
economic principles, strategies, perspectives. Springer Science
& Business Media.
Goodey, P. (2015): Salesforce CRM–The Definitive Admin
Handbook. Packt Publishing Ltd.
Gupta, R., & Pareek, S. (2014): Salesforce. com Customization
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Hill, R., Hirsch, L., Lake, P., & Moshiri, S. (2012). Guide to
cloud computing: principles and practice. Springer Science &
Business Media.
Hurwitz, J. (2011). Smart Or Lucky?: How Technology Leaders
Turn Chance Into Success. John Wiley & Sons.
London, J., & Lucas, M. (2012). Using technology to sell.
Apress,.
Smith, W., & Sun, H. (2015). Pro Salesforce Analytics Cloud: A
Guide to Wave Platform, Builder, and Explorer. Apress.
Taber, D. (2013). Salesforce. com secrets of success: best
practices for growth and profitability. Pearson Education.
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(2005). Salesforce automation, perceived information accuracy
and user satisfaction. Journal of Business & Industrial
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Fernandez-Buglioni, E. (2013). Security patterns in practice:
designing secure architectures using software patterns. John
Wiley & Sons.
Johnston, M. W., & Marshall, G. W. (2016). Sales force
management: Leadership, innovation, technology. Routledge.
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Success on the World's Largest Professional Networking
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Creating and sustaining successful growth. Harvard Business
Review Press.
Davis, J. (2013). Teach Yourself VISUALLY Salesforce. com.
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Platform. Apress.

37. MUHAMMAD ASFAND 30307849
E-commerce and
technologies
Assignment 1
muhammad asfand
4/14/2107
Contents
Question 1
...............................................................................................
...................................................... 3
Question 2
...............................................................................................
....................................................... 3
Punjab group of colleges.
...............................................................................................
........................... 3
University of South Australia
...............................................................................................
...................... 3
Question 3
...............................................................................................
....................................................... 3
Punjab group of colleges.
...............................................................................................
........................... 3

38. University of South Australia
...............................................................................................
...................... 4
Question 4
...............................................................................................
....................................................... 4
Table of comparison
...............................................................................................
................................... 4
Question 5
...............................................................................................
....................................................... 5
Compare and contrast.
...............................................................................................
............................... 5
Appendix.
...............................................................................................
........................................................ 6
Punjab group of colleges
...............................................................................................
............................ 6
University of south Australia
...............................................................................................
...................... 7
Reference list
...............................................................................................
.................................................. 7

39. Question 1
The first business model from the chosen business is business
to consumers (B2C). The name of the
business is “Punjab group of colleges” . the url of this business
is http://pgc.edu.pk/ the second
business model from the chosen business model is business to
consumers(B2C). the name of the
business is “university of south Australia”. The url of the
business is http://www.unisa.edu.au/
(Schneider, G (2015) E-Commerce (11th) Course Technology)
Question 2

40. Punjab group of colleges.
This business belongs to “business to consumer” business
model. This business belongs to this
model because the business is dealing directly with the students
which are their consumers and
the students can get all the information from the website of the
business. The business is
providing services or information about the activities of the
business directly to the costumers
through the websites.
University of South Australia
This business belongs to “business to consumer” business
model. This business belongs to this
model because the business is dealing directly with the students
which are their consumers and
the students can get all the information from the website of the
business. The business is
providing services or information about the activities of the
business directly to the costumers
through the websites.( Schneider, G (2015) E-Commerce (11th)
Course Technology)
Question 3

41. Punjab group of colleges.
The aim of the business is to provide all the information to the
students easily through their
websites. The aim should be to give the students comfortability
to access all the information
easily. The aim is to attract the students on the website so that
they can get the required
information straight from their accounts that are on the website
of the business. information
should be eay to read and the users should be satisfied about
their privacy.
http://pgc.edu.pk/
http://www.unisa.edu.au/
University of South Australia
The goal of the business is to give comfort and ease to the
students to access the required
information easily. The goal is to attract students to the
business through the website by making
it user friendly. The main thing is the privacy of the users. The
business should satisfy the users
about their privacy and security of the website.( Schneider, G
(2015) E-Commerce (11th) Course
Technology)

42. Question 4
Table of comparison
Attributes Punjab group of colleges UniSa
URL relate to the business name Very good. Customer can easy
understand about the type of
business.
Very good. Customer can easily
understand the type of business
from url.
How easily is the website found
using general internet
Very good. Customer can easily
find the website on internet.
Very good. It is easy to find the
website of Unisa on internet.
the website give me all the
organisational information
Poor. It does not tell the
customer about all the things
and campuses of the colleges.
Very good. Customer gets all the
information on the website
requirements to provide a user’s

43. (personal or sensitive)
information
inapplicable. It does not allow
user to create any account. So it
does not ask about any personal
information.
Good. To create account it
always ask about the
appropriate information of the
users.
reassure users about the security
and use of their information
Inapplicable. There is no user
account on the website.
Good. The website assure the
user about the security by giving
accounts and passwords.
website foster user trust in the
organisation
Good. It can easily attract
customers. And can get their
trust.
Good. It can easily attract
customers. And can get their
trust.
How well does the website
address legal issues

44. inapplicable inapplicable
accessibility needs of users Poor. It is not easy to access all
the information on the website.
Good. Users can easily access all
the information that they need.
the language or cultural needs of
users
Poor. It is poor because a lot of
people does not know English in
that part of country and the
website is in English.
Inapplicable. All the users know
English.
all the product information that a
user could reasonably require
Poor. Users cannot get all the
campuses information on the
website.
Good. User can easily get all the
information of campuses and
degrees on the website.
allow all the customisation (user-
managed features) that a user
could reasonably expect
Poor. There is no customization

45. on the website for the users.
Good. It allows users to
customize their accounts.
website personalise the
experience for users
inapplicable good
website identify sufficient
channels for user service/support
Poor. There is no support for the
users.
Good. It provides support to the
users in any bad situation.
any information on the website
about the organization about
products or services
Good. It tells user about all the
services.
Good. User can easily see all the
services or degrees on the
website.
How easy is the information on
the website to read
Good. The writing pattern on the

46. website is good and really easy
to read.
Very good. It is easy to read all
the information on the website.
easy to navigate Good. It is easily to navigate
through the website to get
required information.
Very good. Users can easily
navigate through the website to
get required information.
How appropriate are the website
aesthetics for target audience
inapplicable inapplicable
How well does the website foster
community among users
Very poor. There is nothing on
the website which allow users to
interact with each other.
Very good. There are a lot of
groups and chat rooms where
users can interact with each
other.
How quickly does the website
load into your browser
Very good. All the browsers
easily load the website.

47. Very good. All the browsers
easily load the website.
How well does the website
support different web-browsers
or platforms (e.g. mobile devices
Very good. Users can easily
access the website from any
device.
Very good. Users can easily
access website. It has mobile
application for the users.
Does the website provide a
sufficient range of payment
options as could be reasonably
expected
inapplicable inapplicable
Does the website provide a
sufficient range of delivery
options as could be reasonably
expected
Inapplicable. Inapplicable.
(Schneider, G (2015) E-Commerce (11th) Course Technology)
Question 5
Compare and contrast.

48. the things that are good in both websites are that their url is
quite good. User can easily tell the type of
business by looking at the url. The second good quality of both
websites is that they are easily accessible
from the internet and it is easy to navigate on both of the
websites. The information on the websites is
easy to read for the users.
There are some differences in these two websites as in the
website of Punjab colleges users cannot have
their accounts and so that they cannot access all the information
directly from the websites e.g online
lectures etc. whereas on the UniSa website user can easily
access all the information. The website of
Punjab colleges does not have all the information regarding the
needs of the users. UniSa provides all
the information about everything on their website.
So the website of the university of south Australia is more
successful than the website of Punjab group
of colleges.( Schneider, G (2015) E-Commerce (11th) Course
Technology)

49. Appendix.
Punjab group of colleges
University of south Australia
Reference list
Schneider, G (2015) E-Commerce (11th) Course Technology
Lecture slides e-commerce and technologies
Question 1Question 2Punjab group of colleges.University of
South AustraliaQuestion 3Punjab group of colleges.University
of South AustraliaQuestion 4Table of comparisonQuestion
5Compare and contrast.Appendix.Punjab group of
collegesUniversity of south AustraliaReference list
(
Assignment
1
ITECH
3301

50. Electronic
Commerce
Systems
and
Technologies
)
(
ITECH 3301
A
ssignment-1
2017/
05
) (
Page
3
of 4
) (
CRICOS
Provider
No.
00103D
)
Name Due Date Worth
e-Business Website Evaluation
Week 4 – Friday, 24th March 2017 4:00 pm

51. 10% (20 marks)
Course Objectives
This assessment task relates to the following course objectives:
· discuss the meaning of e-Commerce from a business and
technical perspective
· appreciate the business environments conducive to the use of
successful e-Commerce applications
· compare and report on the types of e-Commerce and their
application to business
· review the technologies used to deploy an e-Commerce
solution
· apply an understanding of the development needs of a basic e-
Commerce web site using one of these technologies
· illustrate understanding of the design, maintenance, business
principles and administration of an e- Commerce site
· discuss ethical, social and political issues in e-Commerce
Overview
For any ONE e-business model listed in the table, select TWO
websites conforming to that business model that is related to the
Education industry. You must nominate four websites to your
lecturer who will randomly select two of them before you begin
working on this assignment. The nominated e-businesses must
be part of or related to the Education industry.
(Chaffey et al, 2009, p.26)
RequirementsTasks
1. Clearly state which e-commerce business model you have
chosen. For each chosen website report the business name, the
homepage URL, and include a screenshot of the homepage (as
an appendix).

52. 2. For each chosen website, in one or two paragraphs, explain
why the website belongs to that particular e-commerce business
model.
3. For each chosen website, in one or two paragraphs, identify
what you think is/are the principal business goal(s) of the
website.
4. For each website, consider the following attributes and assess
them on the following five-point semantic differential scale and,
for each attribute, briefly explain why you give that rating:
1
2
3
4
5
Very Poor
Poor
Inapplicable
Good
Very Good
a. How well does the website URL relate to the business name?
b. How easily is the website found using general internet search
engines (e.g. Google, Ask, AltaVista, Bing, Yahoo!)?
c. Does the website give me all the organisational information a
user could reasonably require?
d. Are requirements to provide a user’s (personal or sensitive)
information appropriate?
e. How well does the website reassure users about the security
and use of their information?
f. How well does the website foster user trust in the
organisation?
g. How well does the website address legal issues associated
with use of the website or engagement in transactions?
h. How well does the website provide for the accessibility needs
of users?

53. i. How well does the website address the language or cultural
needs of users?
j. Does the website contain all the product information that a
user could reasonably require?
k. Does the website allow all the customisation (user-managed
features) that a user could reasonably expect?
l. How well does the website personalise the experience for
users?
m. Does the website identify sufficient channels for user
service/support?
n. How easy is it to find any information on the website about
the organisation, their products or services?
o. How easy is the information on the website to read (i.e. is
provided information in appropriate language and with
sufficient detail for most users)?
p. Is the website easy to navigate (i.e. move through the website
to find information, products, or services, and engage in
transactions with the organisation)?
q. How appropriate are the website aesthetics (e.g. use of
layout, colours, imagery, fonts, etc) for the target audience?
r. How well does the website foster community among users?
s. How quickly does the website load into your browser and do
all website features, links and embedded objects (e.g. media
files or applets) work as intended?
t. How well does the website support different web-browsers or
platforms (e.g. mobile devices)?
u. Does the website provide a sufficient range of payment
options as could be reasonably expected?
v. Does the website provide a sufficient range of delivery
options as could be reasonably expected?
5. Compare and contrast your chosen websites: which website is
more likely to be successful than the other, and why?

54. Presentation
Please refer to the General guide for the presentation of
academic work, available electronically on the universities
website. URL: http://www.federation.edu.au. Present your
evaluation in a business or management style report, as outlined
in the guide.
Submission
Please submit an ELECTRONIC copy only via Moodle.
Include the final page of the specification – ‘Assessment
Feedback’ – as the final page of your submission document, to
enable feedback to be added to the submission file.
Submit a single Microsoft Word document (i.e. .doc or .docx
formats) with the required screenshots included as appendices.
Name the submission file according to the following: ‘ITECH
3301_yourSurname_yourStudentID_assign1.doc’
Please refer to the “Course Description” for information
regarding late assignments, extensions, special consideration,
and plagiarism. A reminder all academic regulations can be
accessed via the university’s website.
URL: http://www.federation.edu.au
Assessment Criteria
Students work will be assessed upon:
· good evidence of completion of all tasks including critical
analysis of required website attributes, five-point semantic
differential evaluation and accompanying outline and

55. justification.
· an accurate business report including elements, such as table
of contents, executive summary etc., evidence of quality written
expression including good grammar, spelling, punctuation,
sentence construction etc, reports should adhere to the
university style guide including formatting, layout and
structure, and should not exceed word limit of 1200 words
· evidence of formatted bibliography and in-text references
which comply with the APA style guide, a quality piece of work
will provide a range of references for example books, journals,
reputable websites, podcasts, etc, in-text references should be
used in such a way as to provide support for the work
Assessment Feedback
(
Student
)
e-Business Website Evaluation
Marking Criteria
Available Marks
Marks Awarded
Task 1 (all expected details included – screenshots included as
appendix)
1 mark total = 0.5 marks each website
Task 2 (clear assignment of model with reasoning)

56. 4 marks total = 2 marks each website
Task 3 (focused on business goal(s))
4 marks total = 2 marks each website
Task 4 (a reasoned response for each criteria)
0.25 marks each factor = 5.5 marks
total
Task 5 (clear reasoned argument backed by evidence derived
from website evaluations)
3 marks total
Document qualities:
Title Page (including assignment and student details)
Table of Contents (not typed into document – use reference
tools) Appropriate use of headings (use style tools)
Correct spelling and grammar (appropriate for business report)
Reference List and in-text Citations
2.5 marks total =
0.25 marks
0.25 marks
0.5 marks 1 mark
0.5 mark
Total Mark
20 marks
/20
Total Worth [10% of total assessment]
10 marks
/10
Comments

57. Marked by
Date