STARBUCKS CORPORATION

A study on the Management Information System

Submitted to: Submitted By:

Prof. Himanshu Joshi Group no. 12
Ayush Sureka
Manisha Jain
Pulkit Gupta
Steffi Annie Philip
Background
Starbucks Corporation is an American coffeehouse chain. It was founded in Seattle,
Washington in 1971.

Back then, the company was a single store in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. From just a
narrow storefront, Starbucks offered some of the world’s finest fresh-roasted whole bean
coffees. The name, inspired by Moby Dick, evoked the romance of the high seas and the
seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders.

In 1981, Howard Schultz (Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer) first
walked into a Starbucks store. From his first cup of Sumatra, Howard was drawn into
Starbucks and joined a year later.

A year later, in 1983, Howard travelled to Italy and became captivated by Italian coffee bars
and the romance of the coffee experience. He had a vision to bring the Italian coffeehouse
tradition back to the United States. A place for conversation and a sense of community. A
third place between work and home. He left Starbucks for a short period of time to start his
own Il Giornale coffeehouses and returned in August 1987 to purchase Starbucks with the
help of local investors.

From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only
celebrated coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brought a feeling of connection.

Today, with more than 15,000 stores in 50 countries, Starbucks is the premier roaster and
retailer of speciality coffee in the world. And with every cup, we strive to bring both our
heritage and an exceptional experience to life.

Reasons for selecting Starbucks

Since their first store opening in Seattle, this coffee chain has become the largest in the
world. Following are the reasons for selecting Starbucks.

Geographic Information System – Starbucks runs coffee all over the world. Behind the service
of the drink so much appreciated by the consumer the American company has put in place a
system based on the data of its users to optimize its performances. The ability to exploit
them for commercial purposes has never been greater. Starbucks perfectly embodies this
scenario, enabling it to retain the edge in its field. ‘’The right placement at the best location’’
This is the motto that could be adopted by the giant Starbucks which has put in place a
process to better identify where to place its new points of sale.
Customer Relationship Management – It is one of the largest food distributors and one of the
most recognized brands. If Starbucks is here today, it's because it has created a unique
"digital experience" around its stores.
Starbucks and the digital experience:
 At Starbucks, digital experience is at the heart of business strategy. It attracts more than 35
million visits per month thanks to its website, social networks and its mobile application.94%
of Facebook users are either Starbucks fans or they own a friend who is a presence worthy of
the greatest media.
Creating engagement around its brand with social networks:
Starbucks uses social networks to build its reputation. With more than 54 million fans on
Facebook, 3 million on Instagram, 7 million followers on Twitter and 500,000 on LinkedIn, it
now has an exceptional number of points of contact with its customers. It uses social
networks to drive product innovation
Combining in-store experience and online experience:
For Starbucks, the customer experience is not limited to in-store experience. In the Malaysia,
each store provides access to a unique platform, the Starbucks Digital Network, with free Wi-
Fi access. You can enjoy the Starbucks coffee by taking advantage of the international media
(New York Times, The Economist, The Wall Street, etc.) and local media.

Main function of Starbucks –

Planning –

- Planning for innovation –

• External factors played a major role in Starbucks goal and mission statement.
Planning for a new pattern of socialization, where people moved away from
dance clubs to a cozy atmosphere allowed Starbucks to establish itself as a
coffeehouse instead of a coffeemaker.
• Starbucks goals was to make coffee a necessity for a social experience.
• Starbucks strived to provide an inviting and reinvented place for individual to
relax despite their demanding schedules.
- Planning for Globalization –
• Starbucks focus on external factors when looking at globalization.
• One of the key aspects in globalization plans is to incorporate the surrounding
environment into the design of the stores themselves.
• Starbucks has history of a poorly planned globalization strategy. When trying
to build a market in Israel, Starbucks underestimated existing competitors and
the threat of substitute products available to locals.
- Planning for technology –
• With continued changes in technology Starbucks listens to their customer in
their approach. This has led to improvements to payment related customer
experience.
• Starbucks plans for providing free Wi-Fi. When first introduced Starbucks
required several checks to allow the use of their WI-Fi feed.

Starbucks control –

Starbucks establishes standards as a diverse company as they expand to their worldwide

locations. The manager must adhere to companies’ goals and strive to reach the benchmark
the company has set. They develop the organizational capability and hold each employee to
that standard by creating a team like environment. They use employee suggestions and
feedback from climate surveys to gauge employees’ complaints and ideas for a better
environment. Managers can take the responses and implement changes and new standards.
This along with controls that are designed and executed properly, managers get better
performance from their employees and are able to execute the company’s strategy better.
They must weigh the cost and benefits from control, but control is crucial for the
organizations success.

Leadership –

Globalization in leadership – With leadership we have to understand that expanding is

important of picking the right leadership when you are expanding so rapidly.

Innovation in leadership – Management Trainee Program started in 2013 to get people to

work for the company that are highly educated.

Leadership in diversity – They do not pick candidates by race, age, sex, IQ. They pick by
curiosity, innovation, emotional intelligence.

Leadership in ethics – Starbucks relies on image as they create an environment that involves
maximizing performances while keeping a relation with their community.

Organizational Function –
Structure is a crucial part of an organization. It defines each department’s roles and how they
are coordinated. Starbucks has a much-defined authoritative chain for reporting. Managers
delegate to their subordinates the responsibility and their function of the job roles while
meeting each customer’s need.
Starbucks employs a decentralized type of organization. This type of organizational control is
evenly dispersed across the country as a per store basis. This allows the company to be more
creative and independent but also carry the organization’s core values.

HRM at Starbucks –
Starbucks understands that their staff is one of the most important sources. The first leading
rule in their objectives even places the Starbucks's feeling to staff supply a good work
environment and behave each other with regard and self- regard. Organization realizes that
their staff has so effective role in the development of the Starbucks. All staff at Starbucks are
concerned to as mates, regardless what work situation they invade. The Starbucks's cultural
measures give staff feeling of substance to their job even though it is just filling a coffee.
Every mate even part time workers are qualified for getting attention of health, take part in
Bean Stock program and get a free coffee. Under control the Bean Stock program, staff are
advised stock the reasonable sector measures a few times in one year. The staff of Starbucks
take part in a profit sharing plan.
Employee relations, Motivation, Recruitment, Selection, Training, Career development,
Performance appraisal, Benefits and rewards are some of the important functions of HRM at
Starbucks.

Significance of the functions

Overall, the aim of becoming a worldwide global brand seems to be working in favour of the
company and is helping it to attract the attention of many major companies who would like
to share a partnership. This is all positive news for the company because it provides a strong
basis for future development of international markets, which further strengthens the mission
to become one of the leading specialty coffee retailers in the world.
The success of Starbucks would not have been possible without a set of goals that the
company aimed to achieve and a set of principles, which governed the decision-making
process. The six principles of Starbucks are stated as:
1-Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity.
2-Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business.
3-Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing.
4-Roasting and fresh delivery of our coffee.
5-Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time.
6-Contribute positively to our communities and our environment, and recognize that
profitability is essential to our future success.
Application of these principles can be used as a guideline for all employees from managers to
workers to aim to achieve the company's goals, while maintaining a certain type of standard.

Key activities of Starbucks

Primary Activities

• Inbound Logistics: The inbound logistics for Starbucks refers to selecting the finest
quality of coffee beans by the company appointed coffee buyers from coffee
producers in Latin America, Africa and Asia. In the case of Starbucks, the green or
unroasted beans are procured directly from the farms by the Starbucks buyers. These
are transported to the storage sites after which the beans are roasted and packaged.
These are now ready to be sent to the distribution centres few of which are company
owned and some are operated by other logistic companies. The company does not
outsource its procurement to ensure high quality standards right from the point of
selection of coffee beans.

• Operations: Starbucks operates in 65 countries either in the form of direct stores

operated by the company or as licensed stores. Starbucks has more than 21,000
stores internationally which includes Starbucks Coffee, Teavana, Seattle’s Best Coffee
and Evolution Fresh retail locations. According to its annual report, the company
generated 79% of the total revenue during fiscal year 2013 from its company
operated stores while the licensed stores accounted for 9% of the revenue.

• Outbound Logistics: There is very little or no presence of intermediaries in product

selling. Majority of the products are sold in their own or licensed stores only. As a new
venture, the company has launched a new range of single-origin coffees which will be
 sold through some leading retailers in the U.S.; these are Guatemala Laguna de
Ayarza, Rwanda Rift Valley and Timor Mount Ramelau.

• Marketing and Sales: Starbucks invests in superior quality products and high level of
customer services than aggressive marketing. However, need based marketing
activities are carried out by the company during new products launches in the form of
sampling in areas around the stores.

• Service: Starbucks aims at building customer loyalty through high level of customer
service at its stores. The retail objective of Starbucks is, as it says in its annual report,
“to be the leading retailer and brand of coffee in each of our target markets by selling
the finest quality coffee and related products, and by providing each customer a
unique Starbucks Experience.”

Support Activities

• Infrastructure: This includes all departments like management, finance, legal, etc
which are required to keep the company’s stores operational. Starbucks well designed
and pleasing stores are complemented with good customer service provided by the
dedicated team of employees in green aprons.

• Human Resource Management: The company’s committed workforce is considered a

key attribute in the company’s success and growth over the years. Starbucks
employees are motivated through generous benefits and incentives. The company is
known for taking care of its workforce and this is perhaps the reason for a low
turnover of employees, which indicates great human resource management. There
are many training programs conducted for employees in a setting of a work culture
which keeps its staff motivated and efficient.

• Technology Development: Starbucks is very well known for use of technology not only
for coffee related processes (to ensure consistency in taste and quality along with
cost savings) but to connect to its customers. Many customers use Starbucks stores as
make a shift office or meeting place because of the free and unlimited wifi availability.
The company in the year 2008 also launched mystarbucksidea.force.com as a
platform where customers can ask questions, give suggestions and openly express
opinions and share experiences. The company has implemented some of the
suggestions given via this forum. Starbucks also uses Apple’s iBeacon System wherein
customers can order their drink through the Starbucks phone app and get a
notification when they walk in the store.

• Procurement: This involves procuring the raw material for the final product. The
company agents travel to Asia, Latin America and Africa for the procurement of high
grade raw material to bring the finest coffee to its customers. The agents establish
strategic relationship and partnership with a supplier which is built up after
reconnaissance and communication about the company standards. High quality
standards are maintained with direct involvement of the company right from the base
level of selecting the finest raw material which is coffee beans in case of Starbucks.
Roles and Responsibilities of employees
Functional Structure.
The functional structure feature of Starbucks Coffee’s organizational structure refers to
grouping based on business function. For example, the company has an HR department, a
finance department and a marketing department. These departments are most pronounced
at the top levels of Starbucks Coffee’s organizational structure, such as at the corporate
headquarters. The corporate HR department implements policies applicable to all Starbucks
cafe’s. The functional structure feature of the firm’s organizational structure facilitates top-
down monitoring and control, with the CEO at the top
Geographic Divisions.
Starbucks Coffee’s organizational structure also involves geographic divisions. At present, the
company has three regional divisions for the global market: (a) China and Asia-Pacific, (b)
Americas, and (c) Europe, Middle East, Russia and Africa.
This feature of Starbucks Coffee’s organizational structure supports closer managerial
support for geographic needs. Each division head is given a high degree of flexibility in
adjusting strategies and policies to suit specific market conditions
Product-based Divisions.
Starbucks also uses product-based divisions in its organizational structure. These divisions
address product lines. For example, Starbucks has a division for coffee and related products,
another division for baked goods, and another division for merchandise like mugs. This
feature of the firm’s organizational structure enables focus on certain product lines. In this
way, Starbucks effectively develops and innovates its products with support from its
organizational structure.

Functioning of the IS select process that has been automated.

Starbucks tapped into new technologies to create a more efficient, automated process.
• The Mobile Payment System helps check the card balance, monitor Starbucks
reward points and see nearby store locations on a map or list
• Starbucks also uses Oracle that assists important decisions by generate monthly
reports. Oracle’s Automated information system for manufacturing assists store
managers in inventory control, distribution planning and manufacturing scheduling
• Intelligent Restaurant Information System (IRIS) helps compile and report all store
information
• By giving customers an online space to submit ideas and provide feedback on the
brand and their experience with it, Starbucks was able to use social technology to its
advantage
• HighJump Software’s Internet-based Supply Chain Execution Software solution
helped automate Starbucks’ product distribution network

Technology Infrastructure
In 2008, the technology infrastructure at Starbucks had become outdated due to which the company
had faced a “technology debt”, resulting in inefficiency in processes and decrease of profits. To
revamp the aging infrastructure, Starbucks invested in a new point-of- sale program and implemented
a new CRM system in 2011.

Starbucks had built its point-of- sale data warehouse on Oracle technology. This foundation, along
with the Oracle Exadata Database Machine, enabled Starbucks to scale and seamlessly migrate its
existing Oracle-based data warehouse to Oracle Exadata to expand insight and facilitate decisions,
even with explosive growth in data and the user population. It also equipped their computer systems
with cloud-based collaboration tools. The new CRM system Siebel delivers a combination of
transactional, analytical and engagement features to manage all customer-facing operations for
retailers. It enables new options for analysing customer and product trends, thus paving way for more
personalized marketing.

Starbuck’s manages their technology with a corporate information office (CIO) and a corporate
technology division that manages every aspect of Starbuck’s information and technology needs.

Starbucks also uses Microsoft’s Office 365 online service for store email and productivity apps, but
runs corporate systems on premises. It uses some SaaS options, but for infrastructure needs, it relies
nearly entirely on its own heavily virtualized data centre, rather than public cloud services.

Types of Information System being used

Starbucks mainly uses four IS systems:

• Transaction Processing System: Starbucks has developed a well-organized Transaction processing

system that collects the data and stores it in the multilevel data storage facility of the
organization. Starbucks uses IBM TPS system to punch in every order and store information such
as of sales, COGS, wastage, etc. It is used at the point of sale (POS) of outlets, that is, the location
where goods are sold or where transactions occur.
• Supply Chain Management System: Supply chain covers all activities from product development to
production, to the information systems required to direct these actions. The supply chain
management system at Starbucks helps improve their reporting system which further enhances
their production process. Starbucks uses High Jump SCM system at the parent company in USA.
• Decision Support System: DSS is a computer program application that analyses business data and
presents it so that user can more easily take their business decisions. Starbucks uses Online
Analytical Processing (OLAP) to do the large-scale data analysis and statistical analysis that act as
reference for decision making. A singular DSS system called Oracle is used at the parent company.
Oracle generates monthly reports on which important decisions are based.
• Customer Relationship Management system: Customer relationship management (CRM) is a
technology for managing all your company’s relationships and interactions with current and
potential customers. The two ways Starbucks uses CRM is through social media and Starbucks
Membership Card. These enable the company to have a better and deeper understanding of the
market by regularly maintaining the customer data and the organisation itself.

A very modern technology that is used by Starbucks to help the strategic level decision making
process is digital dashboard. In this, Key Performance Indicator (KPI) application is used by the top
management that provides it information about the key performance of the organization. It shows
the performance by showing it on a digital dashboard that shows progress of the organization
towards organizational goal.
Security of the Information Systems
Starbucks has its operations in countries, having stores and approximately employees. The company
also offers mobile application facility through smartphones for all its customers. But all these create a
challenge to protect the data of all the customers and to make it accessible to all the stores
worldwide. Also, it has to protect itself from the cyber thugs that can create alternative payment
systems and intrude the financial institution’s system. Thus, the need is not only to create an
information system that enhance the productivity and scalability but also develop a smart security
system to safeguard the information systems.

Starbucks protects the information of its customers by using technical, physical, and administrative
security measures. By doing so, they are able to reduce the risk of loss, misuse, unauthorized access,
disclosure or modification of the information. The highly sensitive and private customer information
(including credit and debit card details) the customers provide through Starbuck’s website or mobile
applications, it encrypts the transmission of that information using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
protocol. While the company has employed security technologies and procedures to assist
safeguarding customer’s personal information, no system or network can be guaranteed to be 100%
secure.

Scope for intelligence reporting and business intelligence

Currently, Starbucks uses its business intelligence to track which customer is purchasing what
product. But from 10 to 15 years from now, with increasing competitions in the market and to
maintain its market edge, Starbucks needs to use this information collected from the worldwide
customers to decide its product-composition, formulas and sugar content so that they can provide a
unique and distinguished product experience to its existing and newer customers.

In the future, the internet will be much faster. Also the people that have access to internet would
tend to increase many folds. This in-turn will reduce the internet costs. As a result, the extranets with
the suppliers of coffee beans will increase efficiency. Extranets between farmers and Starbucks will
increase accountability and honesty.

There will also be a need of increasing Starbuck’s staff within its intelligent reporting and business
intelligence so that it can adapt to the increasing extranet, ecommerce, and sophisticated
management information systems. For this, Starbucks will need to enhance its partnerships with the
companies like IBM or Google. Like many other companies, Starbucks is also the carrier of iTunes, and
wireless fidelity. Starbucks needs to possess the knowledge and skillset of future technologies so that
it can compete with other leading brands by providing unique services that are compatible with the
latest technology. Also, Management information systems will need to expand so that it will be able
to possess data regarding the technological services Starbucks is providing and the correlated profit or
loss. Thus, it will be able to provide unique customer experience.

Overall IS help in meeting business objectives and the organizational

strategies for the same
The main strategies of Starbucks are as follows:

• Expansion of Domestic stores

• International stores expansion
• Employee training and recognition
• Store ambience
• Product line expansion
• Coffee purchasing strategy

For the execution of its vision and strategy, Information systems has contributed significantly.
Starbucks has planned to install hundred thousand wireless chargers in more than seven thousand of
its stores in next three years. While the Internet of Things is a somewhat distant promise for
consumers, Starbucks is charging forward with it aggressively. Many of its store have super high-tech
coffee machines, which connect to the cloud to communicate the performance of the machines and
to track customer preferences. Through Information Systems, the company is able to track all its
revenues, thus understanding each store’s performance against labour, visualize product
performance during peak hours, align its sales targets, and also improve the sale margins. Starbucks is
also working on smart refrigerators that track the expiration dates of milk and other items inside,
smart thermometers, smart door locks, etc thus improving the inventory efficiency. Along with this,
Starbucks is also working to be a leader in Wi-Fi hotspot technology provider.

So, it is not its coffee that distinguishes Starbucks from others. Every restaurant and cafes provide
coffee. Thus, the feature that defines the Starbuck’s success is its information systems and its business
technology.