Cloud-Based Computing: Providing an Advantage to a Small New Zealand Wine Business

Khalid Alsulaiman,Sharon L. Forbes

doi:10.26813/wbcrj/2019.03.01/cloud

Abstract

Oliver and Charlotte Martin (names disguised at their request) were both employed full time and leading very busy lives when they purchased their small, wine-celebration business located in New Zealand. The Martins desired to play pivotal managerial roles in their new wine business while remaining in their current jobs, but soon realized that they had become over-committed and needed to outsource the accounting of their wine business to a seasoned professional. The Martins wondered whether investing in new information technology, specifically cloud-based accounting and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, could help them become more efficient and effective as their winery operations grew. This case examines the risks and rewards of implementing cloud-based software programs. It also illustrates the linkages between the fields of marketing and management accounting, as the software programs highlighted in the case study have the ability to be integrated with each other.

Highlights

In late 2018 the owners of Wooldale Estate (Wooldale) decided it was time to review the effectiveness and utility of the cloud-based software programs that their company had adopted three years earlier
Wooldale primarily sold its wines through the restaurant and cellar door at events, such as weddings, conferences, or corporate functions and when hosting cruise ship passengers
Oliver wondered aloud: To what extent were we enjoying any advantages from cloud-based software programs? Because I was working at more than one job, I needed the reach that customer relationship management (CRM) was able to give me; I needed to communicate with people on a regular basis

Summary

Introduction

In late 2018 the owners of Wooldale Estate (Wooldale) decided it was time to review the effectiveness and utility of the cloud-based software programs that their company had adopted three years earlier. The company’s successful experience with Xero encouraged the managers to adopt two more cloud-based applications: Capsule and ActiveCampaign. The decision to use Capsule as Wooldale’s CRM software was made approximately two years after the company started using Xero.

Results

Conclusion