The Xavier’s Consulting Club initiated a project with a trust foundation’s sub-branch that works for Infrastructure Development in January 2024.
With a foundation in the belief that the five elements are fundamental to all creation, the Infrastructure company is a dedicated group involved in infrastructure development. Their profound commitment lies in crafting living spaces that resonate in harmony with the elements, fostering a balanced and sustainable life.
The joint endeavour focused on designing a residential township that emphasizes innovation and progress. Xavier’s Consulting Club worked closely with the client to incorporate new ideas and features, aiming to establish the township as a trailblazing example of urban development.
Opportunity:
The Mega-Integrated Township is an expansive development that encompasses a variety of residential options, including lifestyle apartments, group housing, bungalows, and row housing. At its heart lies a central business district that features a shopping mall with a multiplex, a Club, a modern commercial block, and healthcare facilities. Covering a total built-up area of 6 million square feet and sprawling across 90 acres of land, this township offers a rich tapestry of amenities and services to cater to the diverse needs of its residents.
Shristinagar holds immense potential and is on the brink of a transformation, with a clear roadmap for development in the works. While its current infrastructure and resource management practices have faced challenges in meeting modern sustainability standards, there’s a unique opportunity on the horizon.
The township boasts a well-constructed and highly functional mall providing a wide range of options including clothing, groceries, food, home appliances, furniture, and entertainment services. However, the mall presented an exciting opportunity for further growth and increased sales. Moreover, the company aimed to work on Shristinagar’s current limitations. Through a thorough analysis of demographics, resource consumption, infrastructure, and existing practices, areas for improvement were to be identified. This analysis would have paved the way for the development of a robust framework that promotes renewable energy, resource efficiency, and smart technology integration as per the vision of the company.
Shristinagar aimed to become a blueprint for sustainable development, fostering efficient resource use and minimising environmental impact, residents to experience a significant improvement in their quality
of life, benefiting from better infrastructure, smart technologies, and a focus on sustainability. Furthermore, there was also a scope to establish Shristinagar as a pioneering example for other townships, paving the way for a future of interconnected, sustainable smart cities.
Our Approach:
This report outlines the approach undertaken by the consulting team to gain a comprehensive understanding of Shristi Infrastructure Development Corporation’s operations, township management practices, and resident demographics. The ultimate goal was to identify areas for improvement and develop a strategic roadmap for Shristi to establish itself as a market leader.
The initial phase involved deep diving into Shristi’s internal workings and township management practices. This included understanding the company’s structure, operational processes, and resident engagement strategies.
Following this internal assessment, a thorough competitive analysis was conducted. This analysis compared Shristi’s offerings and resident experience to its competitors. By identifying strengths and weaknesses, the consultants were able to pinpoint areas where Shristi could differentiate itself and gain a competitive edge.
A comprehensive resident survey was designed and deployed to gain a quantitative understanding of the township’s demographics and resident sentiment. The survey was conducted across various locations within the township, including the mall and club, ensuring a diverse range of perspectives were captured. A total of 202 independent responses were collected, providing valuable insights free from bias. The survey not only targeted residents but also included non-residents present within the community, offering a well-rounded view of the prevailing conditions and challenges.
The collected data, both qualitative and quantitative, underwent a rigorous cleaning process to ensure its accuracy and usefulness. Subsequently, correlations were drawn between various factors to establish a strong research foundation. This analysis culminated in the development of a preliminary report summarising the key findings.
The final stage involved presenting the findings to Shristi’s managing team. A comprehensive PowerPoint presentation, accompanied by a detailed report, was used to effectively communicate the consultants’ insights and recommendations. This collaborative approach ensured clear understanding and facilitated informed decision-making by Shristi’s leadership.
In conclusion, the project approach employed a multi-pronged strategy to gain a holistic understanding of Shristi’s operations, competitive landscape, and resident demographics. The data collected and analysed provided valuable insights that will be instrumental in developing a strategic roadmap for Shristi to achieve market leadership.
Challenges:
Problems Identified in the Mall-
The mall experienced low customer footfall. And the ones who have a significant portion of the visitors were not satisfied with the variety of stores and brands offered, particularly apparel stores. Students comprise the frequent visitors. However, they have lower purchasing power, thus limiting overall sales. Corporate employees, who tend to have higher spending power, were not content with the mall’s ambience, atmosphere, maintenance, and activities offered.
The current decor and lack of greenery created an unimpressive atmosphere. The escalator positioned directly opposite the main entrance obstructed the view of the mall’s interior. Elevators placed right at the entrance make them too easily accessible, potentially hindering browsing and purchasing in other parts of the mall.
The mall lacked variety in dining options compared to the competitors. The food court suffered from sub-par ambience and hygiene. The sign leading to the food court was misleading.
Inconsistent furniture and a lack of a cohesive colour scheme made it visually unappealing. Being an open-air food court, customers faced troubles during monsoons. Moreover, the presence of stray animals hurt the experience of the visitors and posed a concern for their safety.
Washrooms were poorly maintained, unsanitary, and inconveniently located. Older stores in the mall were deteriorating due to inadequate maintenance and support.
Problems Identified at Club
Despite its range of amenities, the Club faces a few challenges that hinder its ability to fully satisfy its members. Here’s a breakdown of the identified issues:
The club faced the problem of free riders. Since the membership was paid, the member residents would bring guests without proper registration, straining resources and diminishing the value of paying members, and revenue for the company. A formal channel for addressing member concerns was absent, leading to potential frustration on the end of the visitor. The lack of a grievance redressal system needed immediate attention.
Though the club had a decent restaurant, its inability to consistently offer the listed menu items created inconvenience for members, and reduced satisfaction. The washrooms present in the club were not clean. The gym equipment required upgrading to meet member expectations. Members desire better maintenance of the swimming pool.
Problems Identified in Shristinagar Township
Shristinagar had limited offline marketing, for example, the township lacked billboard advertisements along the main travel path from the main station, missing out on potential residents who rely on traditional signage.
The absence of grocery stores within the township created inconvenience, especially during off-hours when the mall was closed. Besides, community engagement needed a boost to ensure a pleasant experience.
Further, an anonymous call to a salesperson of Bengal Shristi, made by the consultants to enquire about the residential spaces in Shristinagar, revealed limitations in communication skills during initial contact.
Impact
The comprehensive enhancements our project has brought about have notably elevated various facets of the client’s township, encompassing the mall, residential complex, and clubhouse. Our in-depth survey of the mall facilitated the proposal of several refinements, including the strategic placement of greenery to augment its visual allure. The client has commenced implementation of this suggestion, thereby nurturing a more inviting shopping atmosphere. In addition, our recommendations for bolstering security measures to instil customer confidence, introducing budget-friendly fast fashion outlets, and offering exclusive discounts to broaden the customer base are being actively pursued. Our advocacy for the revamping of the food court and sanitation improvements has also been heeded. These changes have yielded promising early indicators, with augmented foot traffic and heightened customer contentment.
Within the clubhouse, our identification and resolution of issues in the grievance redressal system has resulted in immediate enhancements, fostering a more agile and responsive system. Furthermore, our scrutiny uncovered disparities in the restaurant’s service standards, prompting the client’s commitment to effect essential improvements to ensure uniform dining experiences. Testimonials from clubhouse members attest to heightened satisfaction with the revamped grievance system and anticipation for enhanced restaurant service.
As for the residential complex, our evaluation affirmed the client’s commendable promotional endeavours to boost sales. Encouraging feedback on these endeavours was coupled with our suggestion to integrate themes such as a Spiritual theme or one premised on the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, space) to accentuate the township’s allure. Potential installations include the incorporation of fountains, fireplaces, and increased verdure. We also recommended refining digital marketing strategies to fortify the township’s online presence. The client is enthusiastic about exploring these thematic recommendations and bolstering their digital marketing endeavours.
Collectively, our surveys and recommendations have already begun yielding positive transformations across the client’s township. The proactive measures adopted by the client in response to our suggestions underscore the palpable impact of our efforts, paving the way for sustained advancements and heightened satisfaction among mall patrons, clubhouse members, and prospective residential buyers.