Information technology has become one of the most important and crucial aspects of almost every business over the previous years. This technology has been showing a tremendous acceleration in growth significantly affecting the organization’s operations and forcing the businesses to modify the conceptualization of the strategies in order to comply with the rapidly growing information technologies.
The trend of information technology has emerged as the most persistent catalyst for business success since the last decade and their progress is based on the development and implementation of information technology in their all processes including the overall strategy formation in this “information age”. Information technology has been enabling the achievement of long-term objectives and goals of an organization critically by not only implementing and complying with the existing strategies but it IOS demanded to be the driver for performing every operation of the business.
Different organizations are using information technology for performing variety of tasks. IT has become mandatory for execution of almost every business operation. Some businesses are using information technology for providing the fundamentals of transactional processing and on the other hand, some organizations have implemented information technology for a broader aspect including the utilization of numerous communication technology systems like internet, for enabling the customers, suppliers, and distributors to make communications and interaction with the organization easily and most of the companies are investing for the development of a customized application to enhance their overall business performance.
Conventionally, in organizations, Information technology is incorporated for enhancing numerous departments including the flow of information in the organization, transactional processing, & management of data, communication, and support in decision making, executive-level support and workgroup support.
Uber
Uber Technologies Inc is an organization that is known for the name Uber in local as well as international markets. The business is based on numerous services that are transport oriented. These services include peer to peer sharing of ride, taxi cab service, and delivery of food, sharing bicycle, motorcycle sharing and a network company used for transportation.
The headquarter of the company is in San Francisco, California operating in more than 785 urban cities internationally. Websites and mobile apps can be used for accessing their platforms. The organization is playing an important role in economy sharing and they a very strong impact in their own industry that any change is referred to urbanization which is made by the company.
Services
Uber is providing numerous services to their customers internationally and spume services are offered according to the culture of the country. the businesses is entirely based on the communication technologies and their success is highly dependent on developing their IT department and information sector according to the rapidly changing pace of IT sector development to remain in the business or to sustain their position as the market leader.
Numerous transportation-related companies have been launched in the market and are identified as the competitors of Uber but primarily due to the developed IT infrastructure and their services Uber has maintained its position in the market as one of the top service providers.
Some of the services offered by Uber technologies are stated below :
- Uber Assist is providing additional assistance to senior citizens and physically handicapped customers
- Uber Auto service for Indian and Pakistani customers, providing transportation by auto rickshaw.
- Uber Bike a bicycle-sharing system which is dockless providing facility to the customers for renting electrical bicycles through Uber subsidiary known as jump bikes this facility is available in 9 metropolitan areas of the United States
- Uber is providing the facility of renting Lime scooters through Uber mobile App in 46 cities
- Uber Black is providing a black luxury vehicle to the customers
- Uber Boat is a water-taxi service, providing speedboats
- Uber Chap Chap is available in Nairobi, Kenya providing low-cost transport service through Suzuki Alto, a Kei car.
- Uber ESPANOLA is an Uber X new version allowing riders to request Spanish-speaking drivers
- Uber Flash is a service combining private cars and comfort DelGro taxi, available only in Singapore, is a service that combines both private cars and ComfortDelGro taxis.
- Uber GO, providing a hatchback transport in India and Pakistan
- Uber KIDS providing vehicle with a car with a facility of child safety seat
Uber MOTO, providing transportation by motorcycle in India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Dominican Republic. - Uber PETS including transportation of pets with additional charges.
- Uber POP providing a compact or subcompact car
All these services are possible due to the advancement of information technology because the organization is entirely based on the incorporation of IT in their operations and specifically the interaction and communication is the basic of Uber service which is only possible with the help of installing effective information technology systems.
Impact of Information Technology in Uber Operations
Uber Technologies Inc is a business that is entirely based on the incorporation of enhanced information technology systems. Different technologies used by Uber and their impact on their management has been comprehensively discussed below
Geo-Location and Core Location Framework
Geo-Location and Core Location Framework Both are almost same technologies developed for two different interfaces Android and iOS respectively. This software is used in the identification of device location. This technology has positively contributed in managing and dealing with the customers.
The customers can easily track their vehicle and can know about their locating at any point before they have arrived and the management of Uber can track their vehicle location any time when a customer is concerned about their arrival. Moreover, it is a very effective technology which has helped Uber in tracking vehicle in case of emergencies like accidents. They can identify their location and details can be sent to the customer as well as police or ambulance to help them out.
Assisting employees through Driving Directions
Uber organization is a transport facility for customers on their doorstep which requires exact location of the customer and driving assistance for the driver to reach at the destination with convenience and within time.
Map Kit and Google Maps are the software used by iOS and Android for assisting drivers in reaching their destination within time and with accurate directions. This technology has enhanced the performance of the organization through providing convenience to their drivers as well as customers and increasing their satisfaction level.
Opportunities of Partnership
Numerous application soft wares have been developed in the market for location services and tracking. Uber has selected the most reputed and technologically advanced companies for seeking guidance or assistance. The management of Uber has selection Google for mapping facility which is considered as the best android app for location services and now Google map is offering integration with Uber.
This technology has been positively affecting the Uber management by providing opportunity of Business partnership with well-reputed firms and making strong relationship. In addition to this they have also made partnerships with other mapping technologies for solving their logistic issues to become the global king and making part ships and strong relationship globally with successful businesses.
Push Notification Technology
Uber is constantly alert for any new technologies introduced in the market because they are not running an information technology sector in their organization for developing applications and soft ware’s but their services and management is based on providing transportation to the customer according to their demand. In order to enhance their operations and achieve their goals, the company has to focus on adding new features in their application.
Uber always sends couple of notifications to their drivers as well as the customers for example drivers accepting request and driver arriving or canceling the ride. In addition to this Surge pricing is an increased charge customer has to pay to the driver on rides that are booked during peak hours, holidays and harsh weather conditions. Drivers are always informed about the surge in their areas and before the holidays so that they can avail the opportunity.
In this way, Uber has increase their performance efficiency and building trust among the drivers by providing opportunities to earn more. A telecommunication provider Twilio has been selected by Uber for these text messages that have effectively helped the organization to communicate with their management and employees effectively.
In addition to this on the back end, the Uber management is monitoring the supply and demand. This monitoring helps the management in selecting the right time for the surge. The data of the customer and their routine of selecting Uber as well as their use of other competitors are also being monitored by the management to offer promotions according to the pattern used by the customer.
Integration of Payment
Uber is offering cash as well as credit card payment facility to their customers. Promotional codes, debit card, credit cards as well as cash can be used for the payments. 25% of the driver fare earned by the drivers is given to the Uber Company, most of the payments are based on credit and debit card removing human to human cash transactions and avoiding the culture of tips. This facility has assisted Uber management in getting their 25% from the credit cards directly instead of requesting drivers to paying them back through cash.
Uber has made a partnership with Braintree which is identified as the top market leader in the mobile payment market. This software house has enhanced the performance of their card-accepting method. The credibility and verification of the card is inspected by this company and it monitors the card payments. This operational efficiency has affected the transparency and credibility of Uber positively and enhanced all the operations related to online payments including credit card payments as well as the deduction of the fixed percentage for the Uber Company.
In addition to this, Uber is also using card Io service developed by PayPal for the scanning of credit card on iOS platform. this is a new technology introduced in the market that enables the scanning of credit card by only keeping it in front of the camera installed in the Phone.
The app itself enters the number and information of the bank in the application through scanning the card visa camera skipping the process of adding information manually in the application through phone. This application is not only for the customers but the application designed for the drivers is also compatible with this facility but the platform should be iOS. This technology has provided facility by enhancing the process of credit card scanning which is beneficial for their employees as well as their customers.
Moreover, the integration of PayPal and Uber has provided some more facilities to the customers as well as drivers. Customers can directly pay their fare from their PayPal account to the driver’s account and same is the case for drivers that they can receive their payment in their PayPal account. The integration of PayPal also offers the facility of splitting fares directly within the app while driving with the friends.
Data Visualization
Data visualization is a technique used by Uber company for leveraging details collected from billions of GPS locations and millions of events juggled in their platform every minute and utilizing it in a better way for maintaining and moving people from one place to another. Data visualization specialists are appointed in Uber ranging from information design developers and specialists to graphic professionals according to the blog managed by Uber Company named as data Intelligence Blog.
The basic responsibility of these specialists is to manage almost every aspect including developments related to the frameworks and the data developed for the drivers as well as the customers. This technological advancement required by the organization has created the demand of in house development for developing visualization tools according to their need. This data visualization as increased the efficiency of their operations because it helps the managers to analyze the market and develop strategies according to the demand of the market.
Final Thoughts
Information technology has become a vital part of almost every business operating in this modern world. Internet technology and numerous enhanced application soft wares have increased the efficiency of the business operations. these technological advancements are not only beneficial for the business but they are also very effective for the customers as they have created awareness among the local public and made them aware of their rights as well as they have reduced the risks and frauds associated with numerous business that were very common in the past. The operational efficiency of Uber is based in the incorporation of information technology in their business model because it is the core of the business. After the comprehensive analysis of the business operation of Uber, it has been observed the information technology systems acquired by the company have increased and enhanced their efficiency and ultimately resulted in amplified growth and success of Uber.
