Online store from scratch. Part 2: Business model and some rules

Part one.

We continue a detailed analysis of the store building from the category of e-commerce.


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Before we start developing and describing our model, we need to adopt a few seemingly simple rules and strictly follow them:

This is the only way to see the whole picture and evaluate the work of each section. By the way, in practice, rarely anyone adheres to such a rule. Hence, frequent problems with illogical construction of processes, work on the basket and duplication.

Business is first and foremost making money, so we need to see a profit from our movements before doing something.

Even if you read the mega book and got hooked on another idea, put it aside, wait until the emotions, filled with competent marketers and “sellers”, cool down, and comprehend it in terms of logic, cold and ruthless.

Life makes its own adjustments. This truism works in business, there is always a chance to face a situation that is not calculated. Get ready for such a turn.

Often, what you have so diligently painted in your office and on paper looks so perfect, logical and beautiful, in life it may be absolutely not applicable.
Do not be lazy, much less ashamed of going to the people. First, it is an invaluable experience that will help in the future in the work, secondly, it is the respect of employees, which in turn will simplify and facilitate the implementation process.

I agree that sometimes it is time and you need to act immediately, in this case, we first do, but then we must describe it in the model. In all other cases, we first describe, build all the links and timeframes, after which we introduce and run in. Read "First we think, then we do."

Business only in books looks like a fun walk. In fact, it is hard and hard work. You are one in the field of a warrior, well, if with a companion on whom you can rely and divide the scope of activities.

You work 24 hours 7 days a week, everything is tied to you, even if you delegated some of your powers, you can make some decisions only. And even while on vacation, be ready to call with the question "What to do?".

And another factor, not a gift, is the psychology of the attitude to work so differently for the wage worker and the owner / co-owner. The attitude is so different that absolutely different decisions can be made on the same issue, not by malicious intent, but by different perceptions.

The main blocks.

To begin, we describe the main blocks. Next we describe them in detail and draw the initial model, after which we will draw each process.

The entry point, the beginning, we will have a call, that is, contact with the client. This can be a question for consultation in chat, call, e-mail.

The first event and the beginning of the process of interaction with the client in the financial and commodity sense is an order.

We will combine these two blocks into a sales block: Here we will place marketing (discounts, discounts for returning a client, that is, continuing processing of abandoned baskets / orders, etc.), advertising, etc ...

Until I forgot, another rule that we take as an axiom: The transaction (order) is considered completed only when the customer received the goods and gave feedback (that is, was satisfied and does not require a refund) about the completion of the transaction.

If you are planning a sales department with managers, then in this case the manager should control the transaction from the beginning to the end, and only at the end get your bonus.

This simple solution ties, loops, the process, and puts it under control by a vitally interested person who will kick purchases, delivery, etc.

Purchases: direct purchase of goods, and the organization of delivery to the warehouse.

Planning of the purchase itself is based on the calculated need (pre-order and stock replenishment instead of realized). Also, price comparison, supplier compliance check, etc. All this makes our ERP. The choice of the supplier with the most pleasant prices, the expansion of the range, etc. Leave until you.

Warehouse and warehouse logistics: packaging, delivery to the terminals of transport companies: even if your warehouse, at the initial stage, is a storage room in the corridor, anyway, start to get used to the observance of warehouse discipline from the very beginning. These are periodic inventories and strict accounting with clear maintenance in ERP. A cellular or address warehouse will help even in the “pantry” variant, to know in which box or compartment the products required for packaging are located and significantly reduce the time for assembling and packing the goods.

Financially accounting or economic sector: Accounting needs to be treated with respect and reverence, for all mistakes ultimately flow here. Here we will leave the control of financial indicators, planning, budget.

Control or audit department: Also without it. (Even if you need to control and check your work).

Agree, it will be strange if the sales department checks and evaluates its own work, for example, makes calls to customers and collects the status of "customer satisfaction" (and in fact in many companies that way). Or the storekeeper himself takes inventory and writes off the battle, marriage, etc.

At all stages of the chains, we set control points that collect information about the quality of work.

From here a conclusion that the call center (the center of calls and communication with the client through chats \ mail) cannot belong to sales. At least that part of it that collects information about the completion of transactions and customer complaints. Otherwise, a paradox.

All these blocks are not departments and a mass of employees, they are functions combined into main blocks. All these functions can be performed by one person (in the case of a small shop), as well as the whole staff with departments and their managers. The model is scalable, that is, it’s enough to put the state on the function and the model of a large trading company is ready. In this case, of course, you need to seriously detail everything and divide responsibility. rush to the adjacent functions and get a bonus for it, but this is a separate topic of the right motivation.

What to draw a model

Now you are probably waiting for me to point out links to mega cool, feature-rich and specialized software, and, of course, also mega expensive. No, the model can be no less qualitatively drawn on mega plain paper, with a simple pencil. But still we live in the age of the computer. Take the available programs and, if possible, free. For fans of linux (like me), LibreOffice Draw or the analogue of OpenOffice is quite suitable, for Windows Visio is similar. But Bizagi Modeler is best suited, although there is no package for Linux, you can run it in wine, and it is free, clear, simple and convenient. Since most people use Windows, I will draw in Visio and then we will shift something in Bizagi

(Lyrics: although with the release of Windows 10, which only does not look in your pants, it is time to abandon Windows and switch to Linux).

So, we will proceed to the model, we will begin with the general one and we will gradually complicate and detail it. We look through the text above and draw the main blocks:


Detail the blocks, let's start with the sale:

General details:


We get the main stages of work with the order:

The order itself, payment, delivery (logistics which includes packaging, etc.), completion of the transaction and control of the transaction.

Stages of work with references:

The appeal itself (call, letter), the handling of the appeal (consultation, work with the complaint, etc.), the execution of the appeal, control.

Detail further


We have added quite a large number of blocks. In principle, we can now calculate the added value of our order, purely for processing.

Since the cost of delivery, and with it, and all the costs of packaging, we immediately and honestly impose on the buyer, we will postpone this sector. We consider simple (prices are approximate, read from the ceiling, just for example):

Estimated cost of employee time:

Salary \ month 15tr.

Cost per hour 20 days (average working days in a month) = 15000 \ 20 = 750r \ day

1 day = 8 working hours. = 1h = 750r \ 8h = 93,75r

Price per minute = 1h \ 60m = 93.75r \ 60m = 1.5625r

Tel. And sms:

Cost 1sms = 0.5r

Cost of 1 minute of talk = 1.5p

Well, take the average numbers:

Order packing = 10 minutes (goes to shipping cost)

Order processing 2 minutes

Order confirmation 2 minutes

Control 2 minutes (bell)

And order for one order

2 sms = 1p

4 minutes tel. = 6p

2 minutes processing = 3p

Salary 4 minutes tel. + 2 minutes processing = 6m * 1.5625r = 9.375r

100 orders = 937,5r

Of course, this is not all the costs for an order, but so far those that are already visible according to the scheme. We will receive final expenses only when we draw the whole scheme and go through all the points.

Now we draw a logical scheme with maximum detail:

To be continued...

Schemes in Visio on Yandex disk

PS

Since the material turns out voluminous, and few people like to read long articles, I will divide them into parts. I will try to make a couple of issues over the weekend.