Problem Statement
Loblaws Canada is a widely recognized grocery store chain with a century-long history. The
executive summary of Loblaws Canada presents a thorough summary of the company's
financial achievements, strategic endeavors, and prospects for the future. Loblaws
differentiates itself from other grocery stores in Canada by offering a wide range of products
and demonstrating a solid commitment to sustainability.
Nevertheless, the summary acknowledges the challenges faced by Loblaws, including
heightened competition and ever-changing consumer preferences. The company's emphasis
on sustainability and innovation helps it to stand out from its rivals. The executive summary
effectively communicates Loblaws' strengths and weaknesses while providing valuable
insights into its future.
Loblaws, a Canadian company, faces intense competition in the retail industry. Due to the
rise of e-commerce goliaths like Amazon and Walmart, it has needed help preserving its
market position and profitability.
Additionally, the company needs to grapple with supply chain management issues, resulting
in inefficiencies and delays in delivering products to customers.
Project Description
Loblaws' investment in e-commerce and digital technologies has begun to yield positive
results. Loblaws is now one of Canada's largest online grocery retailers because of its
substantial online platform expansion.
Moreover, the company's efforts to enhance the customer experience have increased
customer loyalty and satisfaction.
Nonetheless, Loblaws must continuously invest in new technologies and innovation to
maintain a competitive edge over its rivals. The company's commitment to sustainability and
innovation differentiates it from its competitors. In summary, this business case study
effectively communicates Loblaws' strengths and weaknesses while offering insights into its
future.
Goal Setting
1. Increase market share and profitability:
Develop strategies to effectively compete with e-commerce giants like Amazon and
Walmart, focusing on differentiation, customer experience, and value proposition.
2. Enhance supply chain management:
Identify and address the challenges in the supply chain to improve efficiency, reduce
delays, and ensure timely delivery of products to customers.
3. Foster innovation and technology adoption:
Continuously invest in new technologies, digital solutions, and innovative approaches
to stay ahead of competitors, enhance operational processes, and meet evolving
customer expectations.
Potential Risk and Issue
Risk which entails this project are as follows:
Technological Risk: Implementing new technologies and digital solutions can
involve technical complexities and uncertainties. There is a risk of
encountering technical difficulties, compatibility issues, or system failures that
could impact the smooth functioning of the online grocery platform and
other digital initiatives.
Competitive Risk: Despite Loblaws' current position as one of Canada's
largest online grocery retailers, the competitive landscape in the e-commerce
sector is dynamic and rapidly evolving. There is a risk of new entrants, market
disruptions, or intensified competition from existing players that could pose
challenges to Loblaws' market share and growth.
Innovation Risk: To maintain a competitive edge, Loblaws must continuously
invest in innovation and stay at the forefront of emerging trends and
technologies. However, there is a risk of investing in the wrong innovations or
failing to adapt to changing customer preferences, leading to wasted
resources and lost market opportunities.
Common intermittent issues that can be identified are as follows:
Resource Allocation: As Loblaws continues to invest in new technologies and
innovation, there may be challenges in effectively allocating resources, including
financial resources, human capital, and technological infrastructure. Supporting the
creation and execution of new projects and initiatives requires careful resource
allocation and prioritization.
Scalability and Sustainability: With the growth of Loblaws' online grocery platform
and the increasing focus on enhancing customer experience, it is essential to address
issues related to scalability and sustainability. As the customer base expands and the
demand for online services increases, there might be potential bottlenecks in
infrastructure capacity, logistics, and supply chain management. Ensuring the
scalability and sustainability of the operations is crucial to meet growing customer
expectations and maintaining long-term success.
Project Timeline: Implementing new technologies and innovations requires careful
planning and execution. One potential time-related issue could be the risk of delays
in project timelines due to unforeseen challenges, such as technical difficulties,
resource constraints, or dependencies on external factors. In order to ensure timely
completion and prevent any harmful effects on business operations, it is crucial to
closely monitor the project's development and handle any potential delays.
Project Scope
In-Scope of the Project:
1. Conduct a market analysis to understand the competitive landscape and identify
strategies to compete with e-commerce giants like Amazon and Walmart effectively.
2. Develop and implement initiatives to enhance the customer experience, such as
improving website functionality, streamlining the ordering process, and providing
personalized recommendations.
3. Evaluate and optimize the supply chain management system to address inefficiencies
and delays in product delivery, including improving inventory management,
optimizing logistics, and implementing advanced tracking systems.
4. Continuously invest in research and development to identify and adopt new
technologies and innovations that can help maintain a competitive edge, such as AI-
powered customer insights, automation in logistics, or predictive demand
forecasting.
5. Conduct regular reviews and assessments of the scalability of the online grocery
platform to ensure it can handle increasing customer demand and identify areas for
expansion or improvement.
6. Implement sustainability initiatives throughout the company's operations, such as
reducing packaging waste, implementing energy-efficient practices, and partnering
with local suppliers to support sustainable sourcing.
7. Develop and implement a project management plan with clear timelines, milestones,
and deliverables to ensure effective project execution and timely completion.
8. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the project's success, such as
market share growth, customer satisfaction ratings, supply chain efficiency metrics,
and innovation adoption rates.
Out-Scope of the Project:
1. Retail Store Expansion: While Loblaws' retail stores are an integral part of the
company's operations, this project charter focuses on e-commerce and digital
technologies. Therefore, activities related to physical store expansion or renovation
would be out of this project's scope.
2. Marketing Campaigns: While marketing plays a crucial role in promoting the online
grocery platform and enhancing customer experience, specific marketing campaigns
or advertising initiatives would fall outside the scope of this project charter. The
project should focus on implementing technological and operational improvements
rather than marketing strategies.
3. Financial Reporting and Analysis: Although the executive summary acknowledges
Loblaws' financial achievements, this project charter primarily addresses the
challenges and initiatives related to e-commerce, supply chain management, and
innovation. Preparing financial statements, completing financial audits, or carrying
out in-depth financial analyses are examples of detailed financial reporting and
analytical tasks outside this project's purview.
Work Breakdown Structure(WBS)
Team Structure
Resource Name Roles Responsibilities
Shivankit Sharma Project Manager Define project objectives,
scope, and success
criteria. Analysis and
project closure
Danish Ahmed Pathan Business Analyst Research and develop
business oriented
solution.
Mimoh Singh Chouhan Facilitator and Marketing Planning communications
Head and test technological
solutions
Yash Naik Team Lead and Co- Tracks the task and issues.
ordinator