BTEC National Award in e-Business

Unit : 13 – e-Business planning

Assignment
Issue date: w/c 31st March 2008
Submission date(s): (see individual tasks and
scheme of work)

_____________________________________________________________________

Grading advice

This assignment will allow you to achieve up to a DISTINCTION for the unit. In order to achieve a
PASS for this unit, you must successfully complete all the tasks under the PASS criteria stated above
(i.e. Tasks ). In order to achieve a MERIT for this unit, you must successfully complete all the PASS
criteria and all the MERIT criteria stated above (i.e. Tasks & inclusive). In order to achieve a
DISTINCTION for this unit, you must successfully complete all the PASS, MERIT and
DISTINCTION criteria stated above (i.e. Tasks - inclusive).

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Scenario (relevant to all tasks)

You are the new Operations Director of Flamingo Ltd, it

wasn’t easy but you managed to negotiate yourself a salary
of £80k (plus package) and you’ve been in situ’ for two
weeks. The interview process was a long, drawn out affair,
but the shareholders, in particular Mr Imran Khan
(Managing Director), seemed to take to you straight away
and he was certainly impressed with your background in e-
business project management.

Flamingo Ltd is a small-medium sized enterprise (SME);

their principal business function is the ‘middle man’ within
a fashion clothing supply chain. Although defined as an SME, they operate on a large
scale, buying and selling clothes specifically targeted at the teenage/female market,
with a turnover of £6m and net profits (before tax) of £3m.

Flamingo Ltd imports 50% of its stock from China, while just 20% comes from the
UK. Mr Khan expects even more of his stock to come from China once the quota
restrictions are ended which will enable the business to be highly competitive in a
price driven industry. “In my business, the only thing that matters is price,” said Mr
Khan.

The company has recognised that it has an opportunity to build on its existing supplier
relationships and take advantage of the dynamic market conditions. Mr Khan is
convinced that developing his existing product to new markets is the strategy to
follow, and maximising on-line facilities to drive this vision.

The only problem is that Mr Khan has no idea how he is going to achieve this vision,
that’s why he has invested in you.

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Task 1
(Commencement date: w/c 31 Mar 08 Submission date: w/c 21 Apr 08)

Pass Criterion 1: “describe the features of a business plan for a selected SME to include planning for
an e-business strategy.”

Pass Criterion 2: “Identify the key internal issues likely to face the management of an SME when
planning an e-business strategy.”

P1.
Write a paper describing the features of a business plan. This work must specifically
relate to Flamingo Limited and include planning for an e-business strategy.
(Your work should be clearly sectioned under the following headings: 1) Business description and
mission. 2) Management of the business. 3) Competition. 4) The market and customers. 5) Products
and services. 6) Marketing and sales. 7) Operational plans. 8) Financial plans and projections. 9)
Action plan. 10) Tracking and evaluation.)

P2.
Produce a paper that begins by identifying the key internal issues you were likely to
have faced (as an employee of Flamingo Limited) when planning the e-business
strategy.
(Your work must include the conflicting objectives of internal stakeholders, i.e. owners, managers and
staff. In terms of a SWOT analysis, these would be categorised as ‘weaknesses’. You should use a value
chain analysis from the points of view of primary (logistics, operations and service) and secondary
(procurement, HRM, technology and infrastructure) activities as the focus of your efforts.)

Task 2
(Commencement date: 21 Apr 08 Submission date: w/c 12 May 08)

Pass Criterion 3: “Identify the key external issues likely to face the management of an SME when
planning an e-business strategy.”

Pass Criterion 4: “Identify the key resource requirements of e-business planning for a specified SME.”

P3.
Produce a paper that begins by identifying the key external issues you were likely to
have faced (as an employee of Flamingo Limited) when planning the e-business
strategy.
(Your work must relate to the conflicting objectives of external stakeholders, i.e. customers, suppliers,
government and community. In terms of a SWOT analysis, these would be categorised as ‘threats’. You
should use a PESTLE analysis or Porter’s five forces as the focus of your efforts.)

P4.
Produce a paper that begins by identifying the key resources required when planning
the e-business strategy for Flamingo Limited.
(No matter how thorough the planning, a plan needs to have resources allocated to it before it has any
chance of being successful, therefore your work must encompass: finance, people and technology.)

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Task 3
(Commencement date: 31 Mar 08 Submission date: w/c 02 Jun 08)

Merit Criterion 1: “Draw up an outline business plan for a selected SME to include planning for an e-
business strategy.”

Merit Criterion 2: “Analyse the key internal issues likely to face the management of a specified SME
when planning an e-business strategy and comment on how these may be successfully addressed.”

M1.
Produce an outline business plan for Flamingo Limited.
(Your work must relate to the business environment explained in the opening scenario and take into
account Mr Khan’s expectation and vision of the future including planning for an e-business strategy.)

M2.
Expand the work you produced for Task 1, P2 to encompass an analysis of the
internal issues and comment on how they may be successfully addressed.
(The analysis must focus on ‘cause’ and ‘effect’ together with ‘enablers’ and ‘blockers’. You should
then go on to suggest strategies to address each issue. In terms of a SWOT analysis, these would be
categorised as ‘strengths’.)

Task 4
(Commencement date: 21 April 08 Submission date: w/c 04 Jul 08)

Merit Criterion 3: “Analyse the key external issues likely to face the management of a specified SME
when planning an e-business strategy and comment on how these may be successfully addressed.”

Merit Criterion 4: “Explain in detail the likely resource requirements of a three-year e-business plan
for a specified SME.”

M3.
Expand the work you produced for Task 2, P3 to encompass an analysis of the
external issues and comment on how they may be successfully addressed.
(The analysis must focus on ‘cause’ and ‘effect’ together with ‘enablers’ and ‘blockers’. You should
then go on to suggest strategies to address each issue. In terms of a SWOT analysis, these would be
categorised as ‘opportunities’.)

M4.
Expand the work you produced for Task 2, P4 to explain in detail the likely resource
requirements of a three-year business plan for Flamingo Limited.
(The detail must include reference to: hardware and software, finance, internal and external funding.
Please ensure that alternatives are considered with advantages and disadvantages identified. You
should also include an analysis and comments on Flamingo Limited’s gearing ratio and return on
investment.)

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Task 5
(Commencement date: 08 Sep 08 Submission date: 29 Sep 08)

Distinction Criterion 1: “Draw up a detailed and comprehensive business plan for a selected SME to
include planning for an e-business strategy.”

Distinction Criterion 2: “Evaluate the key internal issues likely to determine a successful e-business
strategy in respect of a specified SME; prepare a blueprint for a local Business Link partnership on
how such issues may be addressed at SME level.”

Distinction Criterion 3: “Evaluate the key external issues likely to determine a successful e-business
strategy in respect of a specified SME; prepare a blueprint for a local Business Link partnership on
how such issues may be addressed at SME level.”

Distinction Criterion 4: “Assess the likely minimum resource requirements necessary to support a
realistic three-year e-business plan for a specified SME.”

D1a
Produce a detailed and comprehensive three-year business plan for Flamingo
Limited to achieve their e-business strategy.
(This task requires you to assimilate your findings from tasks 1-4 in a business plan format. Your work
must include an evaluation of the internal and external issues likely to determine its success and the
minimum resources required. Also, you must ensure recommendations are offered, based on these
findings, in the form of a risk analysis and be realistic in relation to the business situation.)

Task 6
(Commencement date: 08 Sep 08 Submission date: w/c 13 Oct 08)

D1b
Prepare a document for publication by Business Link that highlights the key internal
and external issues that are likely to determine the success on an e-business strategy
and details how such issues may be addressed, generally, at SME level.
(Refer to a Business Link website for ideas as to how this document can be constructed and presented.)

End

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