Using Enterprise Modelling and SWOT methods to model, analyze and evaluate retailers’ measures against Covid

Abstract: As a result of the outbreak of Covid-19 in early 2020, the world was impacted at different levels, and the health and lifestyle of Chinese people were affected as a result. This was a serious challenge for the retail industry in China. Although many industries have resumed work since April 2020, the impact of the pandemic still remains, and retailers of all sizes are looking for a reasonable response to reduce their losses.This thesis uses a self-owned small coating retailer in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, China, asthe case study, and obtains the information needed for modelling through interviews and documents. The modelling approaches chosen for this thesis include Business Model Canvas(BMC) and Business Process Model Notation (BPMN). These two modelling approaches provide an intuitive way to read the information for the study. The SWOT analysis was then used to analyze the effects of the measures taken by the retailer in both short- and long-termperiods. Combined with the firm modelling, this thesis summarizes the measures taken by the case retailer in both periods. In the short term, the case retailer further reduces its own logistics costs with the aid of flexible working hours. In the long term, the case retailer expanded its business horizontally, transforming its business model of selling a single product into a business model of bundled sales of products plus services. This business model weakened the impact of the pandemic on the supply chain in terms of piling up goods and reducing th ecustomer base.