Improving the marketing strategy and operational processes on record management of family food business (Marie Homemade Embotido)

This action research aims to improve the marketing strategy1 and operational processes on record management2 of Family Food Business under the marketing and operations of Marie Homemade Embotido Prepared Meals Manufacturing. In a growing Micro, Small, Medium Enterprise (MSME) business, it is essential to keep the customers happy and satisfied. A happy and satisfied customer is a repeat customer4. Maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty drives the need to improve the customer experience of ordering, paying, and accepting the products\u27 delivery at their doorsteps. Though the family business has an existing way of marketing our products to our customers, it is not flexible and adaptable to the current situation. When Covid19 hit the entire world wherein, the government implemented massive lockdowns and community quarantine. It called for us to level up our game and strategy in marketing our products. Using action research, we improved Marie Homemade Embotido\u27s marketing process by creating an online presence on social networking sites. We used Lewin’s Change Management Model, Kubler-Ross Change Management Model, Agile Methodology, RACI Matrix, and the Usability Framework as third-person frameworks to guide the action researcher in each cycle. After establishing the content and parameters in creating the business social media page, Cycle 1 showed that an available and usable customer master file is essential for all business parts. Thus, after a successful evaluation, the team decided that creating a digital copy of an available and usable customer master file will be cycle 2 of our action research. The team continued taking action for Cycle 2, which resulted in an effective, efficient, and satisfactory Customer Master Excel File with efficient inter-linked processes. Training was conducted to explicitly share knowledge to make all the business aspects run smoothly seamlessly as possible. In a broader perspective, other MSMEs and organizations could utilize this action research to improve their marketing strategy by creating an online presence in social media and improving the operation processes of taking, listing, and recording orders by creating a master excel file – order list. Part of business improvements is putting great value on usability, accessibility, and knowledge transfer to efficient inter-linked processes and strengthening customer satisfaction and loyalty. The usability framework guided the team in the action research journey\u27s overall steps through active collaboration and intensive inquiry. Putting these frameworks together can help any organization in improving any process/service