Abstract:
In Sri Lanka, the wood furniture industry is a major part of the manufacturing sector.
During the last decade, many developments in Sri Lanka’s industrial sector have
affected the wood furniture industry. Because of the rapid advancement of technology
and the internet, online shopping has become the most popular mode of shopping all
over the world, including in Sri Lanka.
Imports are putting growing pressure on Sri Lanka’s small and medium scale wood
furniture enterprises. With the rapid change of marketing trends and the liberalization
of the economy, consumer’s needs and buying patterns are getting changed. To stand
ahead in the marketplace, small and medium-scale manufacturers have to identify the
customer needs and produce furniture that meets customer demands. Exploring the
important factors for customer satisfaction in the Sri Lanka furniture market helps to
understand the critical success factors to enhance future sales and to boost the
competitive advantage for medium-scale furniture enterprises.
The objective of the project was to analyze the issues that led to the dissatisfaction of
online furniture buyers and middle-scale furniture manufacturers with the current
marketing procedure, and to design, implement and evaluate an IT-based solution
integrating advanced technologies. The perception of consumers’ purchasing behavior
and consumer habits, social and economic factors, and technological aspects were
evaluated with the help of research and further analyzed through interviews and
questionnaires conducted with online furniture buyers and medium-scale wood
furniture manufacturers, to deliver an innovative IT solution for market wood furniture
which were produced by the middle-scale manufacturers through a digital platform. As
a result, the IT solution “Furniture Lee” was created."
