REFLECTIVE WRITING: Update on GOMC and Lab Assignment (7/5/2015)

GOOGLE ONLINE MARKETING CHALLENGE (GOMC) UPDATE #4

Assalamualaikum wbt.

Today, another update on our Google Online Marketing Challenge progress. Basically, we have sent our pre-campaign report to the company, however we did not apply for the credits to run our Google AdWords campaign for the company. This is a (HUGE) mistake that we have done in this competition.

In the rules have clearly stated that once we attach our pre-campaign report, we need to apply for the credits transfer which will be used by us to run the AdWords campaign. We only attach the pre-campaign file, but we did not apply the credits. This somehow lead us to a dead end in the competition. We have sent an email to Google about this, and in response Google replied that they cannot transfer us the credits as it is not within the application period.

This is very unfortunate for us and thus, me and my group cannot proceed in the GOMC. :(

LAB ASSIGNMENT FSM4503 #4

For this week lab assignment, we were given a task to create a report about websites and promotion.

Earlier before the lab, Dr. Fareed attaches to us a file in the FSM4503 Facebook group about elements in website design. During the lab session, Dr. Fareed has given to us a website link for us to observe the website design (http://www.intekmaresort.com.my/). Then, he asked us to create a report of 2 pages maximum about how L'Apprenti can learn and follow on how to increase their promotion based on website (http://apprentiputra.blogspot.com/). The report was made according to the GOMC groups.

From my point of view, there are big gap of difference between INTEKMA Resort website and L'Apprenti website also on their promotions. INTEKMA Resort used independent website where the design is not too complicated, also very well made, informative and up-to-date with their promotion whereas the L'Apprenti website used blogspot.com and most of the infos in the website were outdated (about two years ago) with most of the pictures have broken link and cannot being showed on the page.

L'Apprenti can make improvement on how to increase their promotion. First of all is that they need to have their own independent website rather than dependent website like blogger.com. By having their own website, they can design the website on how they wanted and put information much more easier, compared to using a dependent website in which can only produce simple website, and has less functions than independent website, also sometimes we need to pay the website company when we want to post an ads. There are several website design software that can be used such as Adobe Dreamweaver, WebStudio and also Google Web Designer.

Other than that, they also need to keep up to date with the current progress of L'Apprenti. Always put latest information like promotions and events in the website so it can attract people to visit them. They need to keep update the information regularly so that they are not off track from progression.

Lastly, SIMPLE YET ELEGANT. One way is that they need to put current pictures of L'Apprenti and they must not put too much pictures as it will make the website crowded. They need only to put necessary pictures only so that people will know the current story and progrress of L'Apprenti.

INTEKMA Resort website.

The promotion and service provided are told clearly and orderly mannered.

The website also put up a link to booking.com for online booking reservation.

L'Apprenti UPM website.

 Some of the pictures are missing due to broken link.

The events and information were outdated with some pictures missing.

REFLECTIVE WRITING: Update on GOMC and Lab Assignment (9/4/2015)

GOOGLE ONLINE MARKETING CHALLENGE (GOMC) UPDATE #3

Assalamualaikum wbt.

Today, an update about our Google Online Marketing Challenge. Supposely right now we had to write a pre-campaign report for the GOMC about our company, but we currently had a problem where my group did not have a company yet to join the GOMC. We discussed with Dr. Fareed about this problem, and he gave us time until next Wednesday (15/4/2015) for us to find a company that is willing to join the GOMC. Thus, we need to delay our pre-campaign report writing first for us to focus on finding a company.

Luckily that the pre-campaign report must be send to Dr. Fareed on 20/4/2015 for proofreading before we could use it for our presentation with the company about the GOMC on 23/4/2015.

LAB ASSIGNMENT FSM4503 #3

For this week lab, we were taught by Dr. Fareed how to  create database using Microsoft Access.

Microsoft Access is follow up application of Microsoft Excel. Basically, it has the same manners as Microsoft Excel has, only that by using Microsoft Access, we can create a much more proper database where we can sort the data according to the subjects that we wanted. For example, in this lab, we create a database according to the customer ID and the data is sorted according to the numbers of the ID: from lowest to highest.

Using Microsoft Access in creating database make us easier to create lists that somehow has a lot of fields that we can used for sorting. In food service management, by creating database, we can create a list of customers of our establishment, also can simplify our audit of list of food ingredients used in the restaurant.

The database sheet created using Customer ID.

  

To create the database, firstly we need to design the database in design view and insert all the fields of the database.

REFLECTIVE WRITING: Update on GOMC and Lab Assignment (12/3/2015)

GOOGLE ONLINE MARKETING CHALLENGE (GOMC) UPDATE #2

Assalamualaikum wbt.

Today, me and my teammates just needed to update on how our contact with the food service establishments that we have choosen. Basically, we have contacted them, but we haven't yet get the official response whether they are willing to join the GOMC. So, we are currently waiting their confirmation.

Today also we had received the official letter for the GOMC. With the letter, we can showed to the companies the legitimate of this event. Starting today also, we needed to register the team in the GOMC under the supervision of Dr. Fareed Ismail. Dr. Fareed gave us one week for us to register for GOMC, and select one company of our picks for the GOMC.

LAB ASSIGNMENT FSM4503 #2

For this week lab, we were taught by Dr. Fareed how to use menu item cost calculator and how to create our own menu cost card using the Microsoft Excel.

This lab session is actually the continuation of last week lab on how to use sum and multiply function for advance usage. The objective of this lab session is 

1) to design a menu item cost calculator to calculate the total cost of a meal, 

2) to calculate the total cost of primary & secondary ingredients and the utility and preparation costs for a meal and make it as a pie chart, and

3) to provide the instruction of the meal preparation and insert the photo of the dish.

At first, I don't know how to handle the mechanics in the menu cost calculator. But after some explanations by Dr. Fareed on how to change the calculating formula of the functions in the menu card, I gradually able to understand and handle the menu cost card, yet I still need some practice and learning to adapt myself with the calculation in Microsoft Excel.

To me, the benefit of creating menu cost calculator and menu cost card using Microsoft Excel is that it simplifies how we create a menu card. In a menu card, we need to have the ingredients, the costs and the costs of the ingredient in per units. Then, we need to calculate the selling price and profits margin of selling the product. It takes some time if we create the menu card by hand as we need to calculate one by one from the start 'till the end. But by using Mircrosoft Excel which have formulas and functions, we could save some time in creating menu card as the calculating algorithms have been made by the computer. We do not need to calculate one by one to create a menu card.

My example of menu cost card using the menu cost calculator method

REFLECTIVE WRITING: Update on GOMC and Lab Assignment (5/3/2015)

GOOGLE ONLINE MARKETING CHALLENGE (GOMC) UPDATE #1

Assalamualaikum wbt.

(Starting today, I'll be updating about my team journey and progress in the Google Online Marketing Challenge (GOMC) 2015 for the course FSM4503 Information System in Food Service.)

Today, me and my teammates for GOMC (Fikri Yahaya, Yazid Anuar, Zaim Jasmi and Alif Rosli) were tasked to search some food service related companies like restaurants and catering services for the GOMC and we need to cooperate with them on how to promote the companies and increase their marketing values using Google AdWords in three weeks.

Using Google search engine, we found some good companies that we can say have the potential to increase their market value and in one week, we need to contact ONLY ONE of them to establish a cooperation for the GOMC. Here were some companies that we have chosen:

1) Miyagi Japanese Restaurant (www.miyagijapaneserestaurant.com.my)

2) Nathalie Gourmet Studio (www.nathaliegourmetstudio.com)

3) Perdana Catering (www.perdanacatering.com.my)

4) Big Onion Food Caterer (www.bigonioncaterer.com.my)

5) Nurul Izzah Catering (www.nurulizzahcatering.com.my)

The next step for us in this challenge is to contact one of the selected companies and ask them whether they wanted to join this challenge, then promote the business using Google AdWords and increase their marketing values within three weeks.

That is all for now of our progress in Google Online Marketing Challenge.

LAB ASSIGNMENT FSM4503 #1

For this week lab, we were introduced about Microsoft Excel and how to use Microsoft Excel.

Microsoft Excel

  

Microsoft Excel is a program that allow us to create a spreadsheet or ledger of our records like finance. The idea of creating this program is to ease us in creating records, as previously we wrote our records in spreadsheets or ledger books. The benefits of Excel is it can save many records by books in one computer file, rather than we kept many books in piles in real life.

Example of a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel

Today, we were taught by Dr. Fareed Ismail on how to create a table with values, sum the values in certain methods and also how to create pie chart and bar chart using the added values.

Basically in my own opinion, using Microsoft Excel is better than writing our records in spreadsheets or ledger book as we can reduce mistakes and corrections done on writing. Using computer, we can easily adjust and make changes to our records and we can save them easily. Furthermore, we can create multiple copies of the file and create a secured file (if we wanted) to prevent any counterfeit or plagiarized files of our records by other people.

My final product using Microsoft Excel

REFLECTIVE WRITING: About Google AdWords (26/2/2015)

About Google AdWords

Assalamualaikum wbt.

My name is Abdullah Ariffin bin Mohamad Akhir and today, I want to share my short review about Google AdWords for the course FSM4503 Information System in Food Service.

From what I learned through the videos about AdWords, it is an online advertisement that post about specific business that could enhance the market of the business. AdWords helps posting our business by highlighting them in Google search site when relevant keywords are searched. The advertisement of the business can be customized according to the time and region that we targeted for the potential customers. AdWords also post the advertisement of the business in websites that are related with our business.

AdWords use the concept of pay-per-click: we only need to pay when someone clicks the advertisement link to our business and visits the site. We need to set the budget how much we will pay for the advertisement shown using AdWords for a month. From there, we can set how many we can pay for a day for the advertisement in AdWords.

AdWords can review how successful our advertisement through quality score and how many people have visits our business site through site analysis. Quality score is affected through the keywords that people used to search their interest, then stumble upon on our business advertisement and click the website. The higher our quality score that we get through our business advertisement using AdWords, the better and successful we are in promoting and marketing the business. The description of our advertisement and business in the AdWords help in attracting potential customers to visit our business site, which can enhance our quality score of our business advertisement in AdWords.