THE IMPORTANCE OF MARKETING INFORMATION SYSTEM (MIS) IN TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE PROVIDING ORGANISATION IN NIGERIA

THE IMPORTANCE OF MARKETING INFORMATION SYSTEM (MIS) IN TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE PROVIDING ORGANISATION IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

 Marketing information system is an interacting continuing future oriented structure of people equipment and procedure designed to generate and process an information flow to aid managerial decision making in company’s marketing programme. Looking at the importance of marketing information system in telecommunication service in Nigeria; A case study of mobile communication network, MTN Abuja, the use of questionnaires, interviews, and relevant literature were made use of analysis of this was done using percentage and chi-square and  conclusion and recommendation was also made in this research work.

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

One of the basic definition of marketing refer to as the process by which companies create value for customer and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return (Philip Kotler and Gary Armstrong 2008).

The definition makes us to see the marketing is functioned in future. It consists in set of activities or functions and one of such activities is the anticipating and identifying the needs of consumers. The marketer must carry out such activities that will enable him to identify what consumers want, how they want it and were they want it. The marketer must in addition have good knowledge of his environment (social and political). For the foregoing, the importance of adequate information of successful marketing strategies becomes more glaring, these information and knowledge is very necessary in the formulation of successful marketing strategies. It is the set of interacting facilities and procedure designed to provide marketing managers with reliable data and information for defining opportunities and developing marketing plans or strategies, this is referred to as marking information system.

Marketing information system can also be defined as the internal information of an organization it provides, what management needs to know about its set objectives correct condition and prevent failure.

Victor (2015) defined marketing information system as a continuing and interacting structure of people, equipment and procedures to gather, sort, analyse, evaluate, and distribute pertinent, timely and accurate information for use by marketing decision makers to improve their marketing planning, implementation and control”. Most information system are sourced form internal records. These records include sales report, sales orders, marketing intelligence system and also environmental sources which includes:

1. Government
2. Trade association
3. Distribution
4. Publication among others

Marketing information system provides the organization with basic information on the products, its demand and issue of pricing.

Having established the postion if the consumer n the product through te use of marketing information system the organization will how use information gathered to determine the best want to situate the production in the market. Marketing information  system has remained a relative unexplained but nevertheless important subdivision of marketing.

It is very essential as an avenue for an organization to get feed back on the performance of a particular products.

1.1     HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) is one of the two South African Cellulars.

In June 1994, as second licensed application of their core value, they have been successful in providing coverage and embarking on the telecommunication services. In the following countries, south Africa, Uganda, Swaziland, Cameroon, Roland’s and Nigeria. After successful  negotiation MTN. Nigeria license was signed and the commercial launching took place on 1^st – August, 2001. It started with 500,000 lines which covers only three (3) areas namely: Lagos, Abuja and PortHacourt and later extended it air services to some town like Warri, Enugu, Onitsha, Kaduna, Ibadan, Abeokuta etc.

Since August, 2011 to date MTN Nigeria has covered many parts of Nigeria and it is expected to cover more. MTN Nigeria is arguable the biggest market in Africa, it haws the potential and quality it takes to grow bigger than that of South African MTN. Nigerian covers the 900 MHZ and 1800 MHZ spectrum. It is front venture MTN (96.8%) and partner (23.2%). The invest is in excess of 1.4 billion to bring mobile telephone to Nigeria by MTN current telephone penetration into addressable markets.

1.2     STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) aims and objectives are to make profit and boost its productivity and increase in its effectiveness and efficiency.

The aims and objectives of Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) cannot be achieved because of some problems that financial constraint which renders the research work difficult because a lot of money is needed for the researcher to move around for the collection of the required data and the purchase of some of the materials needed and typing, binding also consume a lot of money.

Scarcity of material also constraint the aims and objectives of Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) where searching of for materials are difficult which is due to the fact that this research work required information from textbooks, magazines, journals and periodicals and these have not been readily available.

Finally, lack of adequate cooperation from the respondents is another problem which constraints the objectives of the organization where the researcher often faced difficult situation because most respondents are reluctant in answering questions, while someone out rightly hostile some company executive refuse to discuss vital information which they consider sensitive.

Consequently, for the organization [Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN)]  to perform actively, there is need to take the necessary actions to solve or remedies the above problems analysed.

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of this study is to examine how marketing information system is used in remedying organizations problems such as lack of relevant up to date publication on marketing information system and to know also how effectively and efficiently marketing information system can be applied in marketing organizations so as to achieve their aims and objectives.

          Specifically, the following are the primary objectives of the study:

1. Examine marketing information system most especially as a tool for improving market performance of the organization growth.
2. It is necessary that the activities of the firm be focused on consumer needs and want, we use marketing information system to find out how the influence the activities of the organization.
3. To discuss the concept of marketing information system and how it works in a product outfit.

1.4     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. How costly is marketing information system (MIS) in your organization?
2. What action does your organization take when there is scarcity of materials for marketing information system?
3. How does adequate cooperation enable you to achieve your marketing information system effectively?

1.5     STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESES

In this study, the researcher will test the validity of the following hypothesis question based on H₀ and H₁ which means the:

          Null hypothesis (H₀)

          Alternative hypothesis (H₁)

H₀: Adequate co-operation does not enable you achieve your marketing information system in an organization.

H₁: Adequate co-operation enable you achieve your marketing information system in an organization.

H₀: Financial constraint does not have significant in an organization during marketing information system.

H₁: Financial  constraint have a significant in an organization during marketing information system.

H₀: Marketing information system does not contribute positively to the organization.

H₁: marketing information system contribute positively to the organization.

1.6     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Most organization in recent time fail to succeed because information needed by marketing managers to effectively carryout their duties it not available carries tool late or cannot be trusted.

1. Most managers select scheme synthesizes and combine internal and external information on inputs on orders to recognize the firm relation to it’s consumers, competitors and it’s environment in general.
2. This work will be of immense benefit to all marketers and sales agents and the entire organization at large.
3. The idea and application of marketing information system enable firm to understand better the exchange process and the environment in which it operates. Marketing information system also help in maintaining and increasing the strategies I convincing people to patronize its organization.

1.7     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research work is mainly carried out on the importance of marketing information system (MIS) in Telecommunication service providing organization in Nigeria. The study therefore analyse how effective and efficient marketing information system (MIS) is to an organization.

1.8     LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

In the course of carrying out this research work , the researcher often faced various constraints, which render the researcher with difficulties these are some constraints faced by the researcher include the following:

1. FINANCIAL CONSTRAINT: As a matter of fact financial constraint is major problem which renders the researcher work difficult because a lot of money is needed for the researcher to move around for the collection of the required data and the purchase of some of the materials needed and typing, binding also consume a lot of money.
2. SCARCITY OF MATERIAL: The researcher find it difficult in searching for material, this is due to the fact that this research work required information form text books, magazines, journals and periodicals, and these have not been readily available.
3. LACK OF ADEQUATE COOPERATION FORM RESPONDENT: The researcher in answering questions, while someone out rightly hostile some company execution refuse to discuss vital information which they consider sensitive.

1.9     DEFINITION OF TERMS

MARKETING: Pride and Ferrell, (2008) see marketing as “The process of creating, distributing, promoting, and pricing goods, services, and ideas to facilitate satisfying exchange relationships with customer and develop and maintain favourable relationships with stakeholders in a dynamic environment.

MARKETING INFORMATION SYSTEM: It is a structure interacting complex, of persons, machines and procedure designed to generate an orderly flow of pertinent of information, collected from both intra and extra firm source for use as basis for decision making specified responsibility areas of marketing management, marketing information system.

It is a continuing and interactive structure of people equipment and procedure together, sort analysis evaluate and distribute pertinent timely and accurate information by the use of marketing decision makes to improve their marketing planning implementation and control.

MARKETING INTELLIGENCE: It is a set of procedure and source used by manager to obtain their everyday information about pertinent development in the marketing environment.

MARKETING RESEARCH: Is the systematic gathering recording and analyzing of data about marketing problem of facilitate decision making “or” is the systematic design, collection, analysis and reporting of data and finding relevant to a specific marketing situation facing the company.

 REFERENCES

Kotler Philip. (1991). Marketing Management Analysis, Planning, Implementing and Control (9^th edition). (New York: Prentice Hall International). P. 28.

Kotler Philip, and Armstrong Gary. (2004), Principles of Marketing 10^th Edition (New Jersen Pearson Hall Inc). Pg 44.

Ayuba Bello (2009). Marketing Principles and Management. 3^rd Edition (Kaduna: Shukrah Publishing Company LTD). Pp 99-108.