Contents Question 1 ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Question 2 ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Question 3 ..................................................................................................................................... 6 References ....................................................................................................................................... 8 1 Question 1 Having read the article on Bomaid, a Medical Aid society based in Botswana, we can identify the macro environmental factors using the PESTEL model. Let’s explore and unpack these: Political: Although the article itself does not reference any political details, it does refer to Botswana being stable. Botswana is known to be calm with peace and harmony at the core of the country's stability. The political system is open, which is a factor that has led to the country being stable. Economy: Since Botswana is a developing country, they are seeing a rapid economic growth, and development of the urban upper class. The diamond driven economy has brought about much-needed development in terms of modern infrastructure. This is a huge factor at Play for a company such a Bomaid, when an economic environment is favourable it is somewhat easier for business to flourish too. With the offering of the student medical aid cover, which is specifically designed for cover locally and abroad, this indicates that the international trade policy has not hindered them in offering its services. Furthermore Bomaid also aligns itself with the United Nations Sustainable Development goals on health and wellness. Social: As a Medical Aid Society, population, age, demographics and health consciousness are at the core of the offerings. Threats of epidemics and diseases are a serious concern and should not be taken lightly. Considering the demographics in Botswana a lot of time is invested on education as this is important, as they always say prevention and better than cure. Botswana is filled with the most diverse ecological environment with one of the most famous deserts in Africa, to one of the biggest deltas in the world. These attractions ensure a steady flow of tourists. It is also home to many a farmer. Botswana is a developing country and therefore we do still see many people living in poverty, it is these people that would have been most affected by COVID either health wise or household income affected. 2 Technology: Bomaid prides itself on innovation, with the tailored plans, educational offering, value-added benefit enhancements and graduate programme upskilling. These innovations would not be possible without the use of and updating of technology. Like most companies Bomaid have both a website and a Facebook page, in today’s digital age both are imperative for day to function and 24/7 reach to their customers. Environment: One of the most evident macro environmental factors at play would be the weather, the climate. As a warm and dry country that lacks surface water this means they would not see many of the tropical diseases other African countries may be exposed to. The Drier climate could be contributing to the many respiratory Diseases adding to the strain in the healthcare system. Certainly though climate change can also affected human health, through the spread of water borne diseases and malnutrition among others. Legal: Although the countries public Health policy comprises basics of health services carried out in small facilities and two major hospitals, these can work alongside and hand in hand with the private facilities on offer. Society will always have a need for complementary offerings that supports the country in the drive for a healthy citizen base. In conclusion we can see that that many macro environmental factors have been at play, most have been an advantage, some may have been a challenge and the others opportunities. 3 Question 2 There are a combination of factors that have led to the success of Bomaid, it is evident from the company mission “Our Mission is to provide competitive and diverse health care solutions for members through innovation and excellence”. Excellence is a powerful word and you can well imagine that in order to achieve this the company has very clear processes in place. A work force that is committed to achieving excellence would most certainly have SMART deliverables guiding them to achieve. The key to success is generally in the people we employ. Another Success factor would be the analysing and constantly keeping abreast of demographic trends, understanding the changes in age, family units and population diversity as knowing this will enable Bomaid to explore other opportunities or expose threats. A great example of this would be the need for a student plan, it is likely this came about after realising a gap and taking the opportunity to offer this to a very specific market type. Innovation is key, responding to the changes and ensuring they remain competitive in what they offer. The offering of tailored plans to entry level through to comprehensive plans, is the perfect solution to offer most up to date benefits without the disruption to everyone. Tackling health care in a country is not something done in isolation. Alliances, partnerships and relationships with other organisations go a long way to ensuring a widespread service offering. As the article says “To deliver this extensive coverage, Bomaid relies on a varied and comprehensive network of service providers across Botswana” Creating value for customers and enhancing the customer relationships has come about through the value added benefits they offer inclusive of vaccines, vitamins and supplements. This is such an innovative way to promote health, and reduce the need for 4 medical services through prevention. While that may be the aim, from a customer perspective it shows a caring organisation which promotes a favourable reputation. Reputation and word of mouth positivity is free advertising and marketing. Bomaid has the reputation “the medical aid you can trust”, this in itself is a success factor. Consumers will often choose to do business with a company that is highly regarded by the general public. This is true testament to the success of the Bomaid, however they do not sit back and take this for granted. They recently unveiled a refreshed logo to the market. This logo refresh initiative is more of a facelift, which leverages on the existing Bomaid brand equity and it is meant to communicate change within the organisation. The refresh is expected to propel The Society to gain more competitive advantage and increase market share while repositioning its portfolio. Bomaid is the oldest and largest Private medical society in Botswana, and the catch phrase Health and Happiness at Heart makes for a strong brand. In conclusion there have been many factors contributing to their success, their use of public relations activities as “free media” exposure, maintaining relationships through value adds and a positive public image to mention a few. I also believe their market intelligence and innovation have been key, knowing what the customer wants through market and consumer analysis, and understanding the customer and the environment to develop the solution, and then fulfilling the need. Adapting to the changes required. 5 Question 3 The digital age is both exciting and scary, it is evident that while some consumers love and quickly adapt to online platforms, others are reluctant, afraid or unaware. Therefore a company such as Bomaid who is operating in Botswana with a large rural component should make use of Omni- Channel activities. Simply put, this is use of virtual and physical aspects to services and marketing. It would be short sighted to expect that everyone has the ability and means to make use of electronic applications. Thus the need to embrace the old and the new. However, in saying that, I do believe that the future is in the use of digital, maybe not exclusively but most certainly to a great extent so no company can sit back and not embrace it. There are steps that can be taken to get people that much more digitally savvy. Although we know that the use of digital interactions can be more effective and cost efficient for consumer and businesses alike, this does not just happen overnight. There is a lot that has to happen in order to get this right. Since digital generally means the less need for employees, this is where Bomaid should start the journey. Staff need to feel safe and inclusive in order to be the companies’ best promoters of change. Use them to test systems, let them see the benefits to the company and to the consumer. Once you have buy in you can more seamlessly move this over to consumer use. There are aspects of change management that would be at play here to get this right. Education to consumer is the challenge. Change is always hard and consumers most certainly have habits – breaking these or changing the mind-set is not an easy task and will take time to embed. Often, part of the adoption and encouragement process could be the offering of extra benefits, the selling of the convenience and the 24/7 access to certain items. Especially 6 in medical matters people often want answers and fast, digital app’s can certainly offer this. There are so many functions within the medical field of business that can benefit from more digital applications. Appointments, accounts, benefits, plan details and balances are a few that come to mind, imagine having this all at the touch of a button rather than visiting an office or making a call. You can take all of this a step further, the use of an App, emails and websites can also get information out that much faster. In a time where we just experienced the COVID pandemic, what information did we all look for: information on the virus, on the precautions we should take, on the vaccine and on where to go for the vaccine. This was made simpler by technology and digital platforms the uses are endless. That’s why it’s so important to get on board. 7 References Harper, P (Date Unknown) Botswana Medical Aid Society www.africaoutlookmag.com/company-profiles/1425-botswana-medical-aidsociety?msclkid=92efc004c5ee11ec8f3f7c8633fff697 [Accessed 27 April 2022] Kotler, P.T and G. Armstrong. (2018). Principles of Marketing. 17th Edition. Pearson Education Leepile, N (13 July 2020) Botswana Vulnerable to Climate Change effects https://allafrica.com/stories/202007140084.html?msclkid=264c2773c5f511eca0097d654 37eb964 [Accessed 27 April 2022] 8
