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Competitor Analysis: Positioning Easespot in the Market

Easespot is a web-based and mobile application that provides real-time tracking of seat availability in the library. It also offers additional features, such as booking discussion rooms for students. Currently, the USTP Main Library manages bookings for discussion rooms through their Facebook page , but they lack a system for tracking available seats. This often causes inconvenience for students who visit the library, only to find it overcrowded.

With Easespot, students can easily check the availability of seats before heading to the library, saving time and effort. The app’s discussion room booking feature streamlines the process, making it more convenient and accessible for students. By integrating these solutions, Easespot enhances the overall library experience, ensuring that students can focus more on their studies and less on logistical concerns.

As Mr. Jovan Labitad says, a system that tracks the availability of seats helps students like them avoid inconvenience.

3rd year IT student at the USTP-CDO campus

This innovative approach addresses common pain points in library management, promoting a more organized and user-friendly system for both students and staff.

Competitors:

LibCal by Springshare

LibCal is a popular library management solution designed to handle seat reservations, room scheduling, and event management. It enables libraries to monitor seat availability, impose booking time limits, and generate detailed reports on usage and trends.

Differences: LibCal is more generalized for various libraries and institutions, while Easespot focuses on university-specific needs such as real-time seat tracking and seamless discussion room bookings.

Roomzilla

Roomzilla is a cloud-based room booking system often used in coworking spaces, libraries, and universities. It provides a mobile-friendly interface and integrations with calendars like Google Workspace.

Differences: Roomzilla emphasizes room bookings and lacks real-time seat tracking, which is a core feature of Easespot.

Links:

https://www.roomzilla.net/

https://www.springshare.com/libcal/

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TAM SAM SOM

"I interviewed Ma'am Grace Vidal, the librarian and Main Library Services Leader at USTP-CDO."

Before I asked the interviewer the question related to the TAM SAM SOM, I told her the background of our start up business.

Question:

"Are you interested in buying our product, or would you provide us with feedback if we write an email to the USTP Library regarding our system, the Library Space Management?"

Answer: Dili gyud basta- basta makapagawas og kwarta labi na kita isa ka public sector na skwelahan, mo agi pa gyud na siya og mga process. I check pa ang quality, I present pa siya sa mga tag-as na opisyalis, bidding system. Mao gyud na siya ang disadvantage kong sa public gyud. Kong sa amoa dili pa gyud mi makahatag og assurance na kami isa sa mag palit sa inyong system, impossible gyud siya naa ra sa 10% ang akong mahatag sa inyoha. Syada baya gyud ang inyong system pero mao pod lagi the budget.

Conclusion:

"Based on the interviewee's answer, we can conclude that the USTP-CDO main library is part of TAM because, as she mentioned, there are numerous processes involved before the government can purchase any products. Additionally, she stated that it is impossible."

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TEM and Tech101 Lecture Series

It was the day 2 of the lecture and the speaker is Mr. Karl Fajardo the co founder of Serial Disruptors Learning Opportun-IT. He talks about the importance of revenue models for social and non-social enterprises and their vital role ensuring sustainability, scalability, and stakeholder confidence, regardless of a business's mission or focus.

In Social and Non - Social Enterprises

Social Enterprises - Focus on solving societal or environmental problems while generating income to maintain operations

Non-Social Enterprises - Prioritize chiefly the goal of enhancing profitability for stakeholders.

Despite aiming for different outcomes, both depend on strong revenue models to thrive.

Why Revenue Models Matter?

Revenue models create a foundation for generating revenue and sustaining financial health. They are vital for:

Sustainability - Sustaining cash flow.

Growth - Facilitating growth and creativity.me

Credibility - Fostering confidence among stakeholders and investors.

Without a strong foundation, businesses face the risk of instability, limited growth, and eroded stakeholder trust.

The Subscription Model’s Success

Mr. Fajardo highlighted the widespread use of the subscription revenue model, which represents 42% of the world’s millionaires. This steady income model has helped companies such as Netflix, Spotify, and Adobe achieve financial stability and sustainable growth.

Case Study: TOMS Shoes

A notable example shared was TOMS Shoes, a social enterprise known for its "One for One" model—donating a pair of shoes for every pair sold. TOMS demonstrates how a business can balance profitability with purpose, attracting socially conscious consumers while sustaining its operations.

Key Takeaways

A clear revenue model is crucial for lasting success. Businesses should match their revenue strategies with their goals, whether social or profit-focused. Embracing modern models, such as subscriptions, can improve stability and growth.

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Business Model Canvas (Blog2)

I Interviewed 2 students for our startup idea the Library Space Management from the University of Science Technology Southern Philippines to gain their insights regarding our system. I asked them 3 questions for the products and 3 for the services in total of 6 questions.

Ms. Celeste Mae P. Saa a 2nd Year Technology Communication Management from CITC

For Services:

How long would you expect to be able to reserve a study space for? Would you prefer time slots (e.g., 2 hours per reservation), or flexible use?

Answer: Flexible use, kay murag mas easy man gyud siya kong flexible kay kong mo abot pa og 2 hours like murag time consuming.

How important is it for you to track the availability of study sits before visiting the library, and how do you think this would impact your overall library experience?

Answer: Ang tracker kay ma track man gyud nimo kong available paba ang mga seats kay murag makaingon paka na ala! Pwede pata amo adto like maka avail paka sa mga vacant seat kay usually man gyud ga adto gyud mi sa library and pag adto namo hala, puno na kaayo mangita napod mi og available tapos wala mo naog napod mi or mo gawas napod so hassle kaayo na mo adto paka face-to-face para lang lantawon if naa pabay available or wala.

Would having access to real-time information about available study spaces improve your ability to optimize your time in the library? If yes, how do you envision this benefiting your study routine?

Answer: Yes siya for me kay like for example available na siya karon ma track nako na naa pay available so makaadto pami dadto then kanang murag ma sure namo na maka avail pami sa tables or chairs kay nakita man namo sa tracker na naa pay available sits

For the product:

Would you prefer to access real-time space availability via a mobile app, a web interface, or both?

Answer: Both, kay sometimes man gyud like dili man all the times cellphone atong gamit osahay gagamit man ta og mga laptop  or pc so ma access gyapon nato siya sa website kaysa sa phone 

How much time do you typically spend searching for available study spaces at the library, and would a system that allows you to track desk availability in real-time improve your experience?

Answer: Yes! Like kong onsa ka dugay kay sometimes man gyyd like maghulat pami na hala basin kana sila og mo hawa na sila hulatan nalang sa nato tas ang ending diay kay dili dayon sila mo hawa so murag nasayang ra ang oras na maghulat in-ana bitaw.Yes maka improve gyud kay syempre kanang dili makalas imong oras bitaw na dili sig pangita og maghulat kong kanus-a sila mo hawa.

Would having the ability to reserve a desk or study space before arriving at the library help you optimize your study time and reduce the hassle of searching for a spot?

Answer: Yes! Dako kaayo siya tabang like kanang benefit or advantage for us like for example naa palang ka sa balay tapos gusto mo anihi sa school kay para sa library kay naa pay wifi and book . Naa palang ka sa balay na makakita naka na hala pwede pata maka reserve para ma secure imong slot sa library.

Caissa Dharmdas a 2nd Year Technology Communication Management student from CITC.

For Services:

How long would you expect to be able to reserve a study space for? Would you prefer time slots (e.g., 2 hours per reservation), or flexible use?

Answer: I’d rather have a 2-3 hours per reservation so that other people would have a chance to occupy the library instead of spending money on study hubs.

How important is it for you to track the availability of study sits before visiting the library, and how do you think this would impact your overall library experience?

Answer: It would allow me to focus while at the library and creates safe place man gyud since if probably naa na ni ang tracking of seats kay it would avoid kanang overcrowding na lagi and then less noise and hassle to the students like me.

Would having access to real-time information about available study spaces improve your ability to optimize your time in the library? If yes, how do you envision this benefiting your study routine?

Answer: Yes, because instead of finding other study spaces because It is full the system will be the one who tells us if there are another sits ba na available para less hassle sa amoa and para dili pod time consuming. So it really has a good benefits sa among study routine.

For the product:

Would you prefer to access real-time space availability via a mobile app, a web interface, or both?

Answer: I would prefer both kay kanang not all students can access the website and not all students have a mobile phone so mas better gyud na ma access siya both through mobile app and web interface.

How much time do you typically spend searching for available study spaces at the library, and would a system that allows you to track desk availability in real-time improve your experience?

Answer: Probably kanang I will spend mga 5 minutes searching sa mga empty seats, Yes the system would likely help me to study well without the hassle na mangita pa og vacant seats. Since usually man gyud akong gakabantayan sa library kay crowded gyud siya so kanang instead na mag go ko sa mga study cafe why not sa library.

Would having the ability to reserve a desk or study space before arriving at the library help you optimize your study time and reduce the hassle of searching for a spot?

Answer: Ofcourse kay as what I have said earlier kanang it avoid overcrowding and then maka study diretso.

Insights:

Overall, it is really important to have a system that tracks the availability of seats in the library, as it will help avoid frustration, save time, and reduce hassle for students who need to go to the library. Additionally, it can help prevent overcrowding, especially for students seeking a quiet or safe space to study. With this, I can confidently say that our startup idea can help minimize the issue of seat availability in the library. We've also heard suggestions for features like room reservations, which would allow students to feel secure knowing they'll have a space to use, with many preferring to book a timeslot.

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Customer Profile (Interview 1)

The first interview focused on the challenges faced by students at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines for our customer profile, which aims to understand their struggles when visiting the library on the 3rd floor of the LRC. One of their main concerns is arriving at the library only to find no available seating for studying. As a result, they either have to search for another location or wait in the designated area for a seat to become available when another student leaves.

So I prepared questions for them to answer!

Interviewee: Jovan Labitad

BSIT - 3rd Year

1. How does the lack of available space in the library impact your ability to focus and complete your academic work efficiently?  

Personally, dili man gyud ko gaadto sa library but base sa akong mga observations. Maka affect siya, usually most of the time mo adto lang mi dadto mag book sa discussion room medyo puno siya permi mga bisag onsa na time. So maka affect siya kay puno perminti ang libary or elibrary man.

2. How often do you face difficulty finding a seat or space in the library during critical study periods, such as before exams?

Most of the time gyud kada adto nako puno gyud siya. Taga labay nako puno gyud siya permi.

3 .What alternatives have you considered when you are unable to find a place to study in the library, and how effective are they compared to studying in the library?

Mangitaa lang ko og vacant seats sa student lounge  or any vacant gyud sa swkelahan. Dili gyud siya effective compare sa library. Sa library man gyud kay hilom siya and maka focus gyud ka kay ma preasure pod ka sa imong environment kay focus kaayo sila. Unlike dire sa student lounge na naa ontana koy buhaton pero ma tintal ka sa imong sorroundings.

Reflection:

Based on the interviewee's responses, it is crucial for them to know in advance if there is an available seat in the library to avoid wasting time by arriving and finding no space, especially during exam periods when it is particularly crowded. Implementing a system to check seat availability beforehand would significantly help students plan their study time more efficiently and reduce stress during busy times.