Let’s delve into the industry and university roles in the suggested digitalization project:
Industry Partner:
The industry partner in this project would be local businesses, such as small retailers, artisans, service providers, or food establishments. Their role is essential as they will be the primary participants on the digital platform. Here’s a breakdown of their involvement:
- Collaboration and Needs Assessment:
The industry partner collaborates with the university and project team to identify their specific needs, challenges, and goals. They provide insights into their current operations, customer base, and desired outcomes from participating in the digital community marketplace. - Platform Onboarding and Setup:
The industry partner works closely with the project team to set up their business profiles on the digital platform. They provide necessary information, product or service descriptions, images, and pricing details. The project team assists them in navigating the platform and making their offerings visible to the community. - Training and Support:
The industry partner receives training sessions and ongoing support from the project team. This includes guidance on managing their business profiles, updating product or service listings, responding to customer inquiries or reviews, and understanding the platform’s features. Regular communication channels are established to address any questions or technical difficulties. - Engagement and Promotion:
The industry partner actively promotes their participation in the digital community marketplace to their existing customer base and the broader community. They leverage their networks, social media platforms, and physical locations to raise awareness about the platform and encourage community members to engage with and support local businesses.
University’s Role:
The university plays a crucial role in facilitating the digitalization project, leveraging its resources, expertise, and connections. Here’s an overview of the university’s involvement:
- Project Management and Coordination:
The university, specifically the project team, leads the project management and coordination efforts. They oversee the overall implementation of the digital platform, ensuring timelines, deliverables, and objectives are met within the designated timeframe. - Platform Development and Design:
The university’s team of designers and developers work on building the digital platform. They collaborate closely with the industry partner to understand their requirements, design an intuitive and user-friendly interface, and implement the desired features, such as business profiles, search functionality, and secure payment options. - Training and Technical Support:
The university provides training sessions to the industry partner, helping them understand the platform’s functionalities and utilize them effectively. They also offer technical support, troubleshooting assistance, and regular communication channels to address any platform-related issues or concerns. - Marketing and Promotion:
The university team develops a marketing strategy to promote the digital community marketplace within the local community. They leverage their marketing expertise, social media channels, and connections to raise awareness about the platform and its benefits. They also collaborate with the industry partner to highlight success stories and unique offerings to attract customers. - Evaluation and Feedback Collection:
The university team gathers feedback from the industry partner, customers, and other stakeholders to assess the platform’s effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. They conduct surveys, interviews, or focus groups to understand user experiences and iteratively enhance the platform based on the received feedback.
By bringing together the industry partner’s local business expertise and the university’s technical and project management capabilities, this digitalization project aims to create a collaborative ecosystem that benefits the community as a whole.