Apply project management techniques to plan the implementation of an information and e-business strategy and conduct a risk assessment for given information and e-business implementation.

Rationale for assessment design:

This assignment builds on the mid-term group assessment where you analyzed a company and made recommendations for their digital development.  It is recommended that you use the feedback from the group assignment to further develop and hone your e-business management skills on a particular area that interests you.  You have the opportunity to consider a particular technology or application in depth.

Links to module learning outcomes:

This assessment links to the four learning outcomes:

1. Critically evaluate how e-business and information can create competitive advantage for an organization in the global environment;
2. Demonstrate awareness of the activities required to design and implement an information and e-business strategy, taking into account the political, legal, societal and ethical implications of information, where appropriate;
3. Evaluate different e-business strategies and models and make appropriate recommendations for an organization;
4. Apply project management techniques to plan the implementation of an information and e-business strategy and conduct a risk assessment for given information and e-business implementation.

Assessment information and marking standards:

Assignment word limit: 2000 words

Due Date: 20th December, 2019, before 2pm on TurnitinUK

Task: Prepare a consultancy report that makes a proposal

You have full freedom in selecting the topic and designing your investigation, but keep in mind two important criteria:

5. Develop your digital expertise: do demonstrate your competence in the latest digital technologies or solutions:

→  you can focus on any technology or solution, which you find most interesting for yourself (feed your curiosity!);

→  you can either select a particular technology (for instance, SAP NANA platform), or a range of those (for instance, cloud platforms or macro-payment solutions).

6. Engage with business: do relate your investigation of digital technologies to a real business and suggest the applications.

You could approach this task in various ways (again, you have full freedom to design your investigation), for instance:

→ you could start your investigation with a particular company (from your presentation or select a new one), explore its digital innovations and advantages, and either suggest the ideas for its digital transformation (in case if your firm is at disadvantaged position in the industry) or analyze its disruptive influence on the industry (in case if your firm is a true digirati and digital innovator); or

→  you could start with selecting an interesting technology, and explore its disruptive effect on an industry and applications for real businesses; or

→  you could identify a weak spot or a problem in digital solutions (for instance, micro-payment issues), explore how this problem affects industries and businesses, and suggest what solutions could be adopted to resolve this issue.

How the proposal report will be marked:

7. Executive Summary
   Briefly summarize the content of the entire consultancy report for managers, this is not just the structure, but what the report recommends and proposes.
   10%
8. Proposal focus
   Students should clearly outline the aims and objectives of their proposal and explain how it will work or how it effects the industry.
   40%
   (learning outcomes 1-3)
9. Justification of the proposal
   Students should provide justification for their proposal ideas. This section, for instance, could include a table that summarizes the benefits and costs of the new technology or approach.
   20%
   (learning outcomes 1-3)
10. Implementation plan
    Students should include recommendations for digital businesses in a separate section.
    20%
    (learning outcome 4)
11. Report style and Academic Rigour
    The report should be written in good business English and be well structured and presented. The report should clearly include the academic insight, i.e. the concepts and the supporting references involved, indicated in the report and listed in the references and bibliography.