Assignment Question BSBMGT617 Task 1

TASK 1

1a Outline the processes that you will use to develop the business plan you are to create for this Assessment.

  • Any previous plans should be reviewed
  • Research will be undertaken to understand the objectives and direction of the organisation
  • Goals should be set for achievement by the business plan
  • Competitor analysis
  • Markets will be reviewed as outlined in the objectives of the business plan
  • Analysis of current business and business processes
  • Consultation with stakeholders
  • Research marketing requirements
  • Develop performance objectives and measures in consultation with key stakeholders
  • Identification of financial, human and physical resources
  • Consideration of whether permits or licenses are required.

1b Describe performance objectives and measures including key performance indicators that you have identified for the business plan you are to create for this Assessment.

The performance objectives for the Case Study could include:

  • To develop a fitness program for ‘Over 50s’ in our community
  • To market ‘Over 50s’ programs over a 3 month period as a trial with all classes at a minimum of 90% capacity
  • To develop a ‘return’ rate of at least 80% of ‘Over 50s’ attendees.

1c Identify the key stakeholders

The key stakeholders would include the CEO, General Manager Marketing, and Centre Managers. If the Learner is really thinking, they may suggest the inclusion of a doctor or other health professional in an advisory capacity.

TASK 2

2a Using the Vision, Mission, Values, Business Strategy, Objectives and Key Performance Indicators analyse and interpret each in relation to the project. How does it meet the requirements of the organisation in each area?

Both Case Studies should have been compared to the Bounce Fitness Vision, Mission, Values, Business Strategy, Objectives and Key Performance Indicators. Both Case Studies will meet requirements in terms of the documents suggested to be used. The reasoning will be varied but ensure that the Learner has given clear evidence of how each meets the needs of the overall business planning and goals. If the Learner states that either does not meet the overall needs, look carefully to see if the arguments presented by the Learner are supported by the overall documents and that their arguments are valid and then make your judgement.

2b Using the organisational Hierarchical Structure, discuss who would be appropriate to consult, how you would consult (include timelines) and your reasoning for consulting with your chosen individuals. These individuals will be your key stakeholders.

Consultation should involve the Board of Directors, CEO, General Managers Human Resources, Finance and Marketing, Centre Managers and staff, as well as possibly surveying customers and potential alternative health care providers. Consultation should be commenced very early in the planning process and take the form of meetings, (group or face-to-face), teleconferences (regular weekly teleconferences are held with each Centre, the Bounce Fitness website under the Performance / Finance / Financial Reporting), and then on a regular basis involving newsletters, emails, teleconference and face-to-face meetings (as appropriate to the Learner ’s plans). Ensure the timelines for communicating are practical as well as useful. This will depend on the plan of the Learner, so check this carefully.

2c Conduct your own research and report on the market requirements for the

Case Study in terms of customer need and pricing options.

The Learner must have conducted external research and this could include but is not limited to, research on alternative health care pricing, other facilities operating similarly, needs for older client exercise, contacting medical sites to learn of the numbers of seniors exercising and the support they require. The list is endless, check that the research conducted by the Learner was relevant to their perspective and useful. If used, ensure that it was accurately included.

The plans should have been compared and one selected by the Learner. Check that their reasoning is valid and logical and most importantly appropriate to their choice. Ensure also that their recommendation to the CEO provides clear reasons for their recommendation.

2d Develop the performance objectives and measures and discuss how you would gain the input from key stakeholders discussed in 1b.

The Learner must have developed performance objectives and measures. These may include efficiency measures, input measures occasioned through staff time or through the cost of investment, outcome measures, feedback from customers or from the effect on the wider market and competitors. There may be numbers of clients, customer satisfaction ratings etc. These will be speculative so ensure that they are realistic and possible given the plan.

2e What financial, human and physical resources will be required to implement your chosen option?

The Learner must have provided clear financial, human and physical resources appropriate for implementing the option. Look carefully at their plan and determine if the requirements are complete and valid.

2f Are there any licences or permits that will be required to implement your chosen option? If so, describe what these are and how you will obtain them?

There are no licences required for those doing the Case Study. If licences or permits are required for their own project, ensure these are correct.

2g On the simulated business, Bounce Fitness, you will find a business plan.

However, you are to produce a new business plan appropriate to the Bounce Fitness: Fitness in Maturity Brief intended to be used to raise funding or promote the venture.

If you are using you’re a project from your own business, you must produce a new business plan intended to be used to raise funding or promote an initiative to be conducted by your organisation.

Your business plan must include at a minimum:

  • Description of the business
  • Community awareness or branding
  • Environmental impact
  • Governance

Your business plan must include at a minimum:

  • Description of the business
  • Community awareness or branding
  • Environmental impact
  • Governance
  • Products and services
  • Quality
  • Financial, physical and human resource requirements
  • The workforce
  • Permit and license requirements
  • Marketing activity
  • Sales
  • Financial indicators
  • Profit and loss
  • Triple bottom line (abbreviated as TBL or 3BL) is an accounting framework with three parts: social, environmental (or ecological) and financial. These three divisions are also called the three Ps: people, planet and profit, or the ‘three pillars of sustainability’).
  • Productivity and performance targets for key result areas.

The business plan must include a description of the business, business products and services, marketing activity, financial indicators, productivity and performance targets for the key result areas such as: community awareness or branding, governance or management, quality, sales, triple bottom line (people, profit and planet) and/or the workforce. Check carefully to see that it is well presented, logical, supported by research and fact and is influential.

TASK 3

3a How will you communicate the business plan to all relevant parties and ensure understanding of performance requirements and timeframes?

The Learner should have either detailed or included a communication plan as the obvious means of communications. This would have covered all communications to be undertaken. In either this case or if the Learner has listed their means of communication, there must be a plan and detail for communication detail:

  • What the Learner wants to accomplish with their organisational communications and objectives
  • How those objectives will be accomplished through the program of work
  • Who will receive communications and at what points
  • The methods of communication and timetable
  • How the results of the plan will be evaluated.

The reporting may include meetings, teleconferences and emails. A good suggestion would be a weekly or monthly newsletter. The Learner should have included a template of their planned report and indicated frequency. Ensure that the information proposed for inclusion is appropriate in terms of financial and non-financial information and the frequency is appropriate as relative to their plan.

3b How will you ensure skilled labour is available to implement plan and how will your manage training if required?

Approaches could be made to colleges to obtain new graduates on work experience.

The Learner may have suggested a pilot project. If there is other testing suggested, consider carefully the validity, cost effectiveness and if it will actually achieve a credible and appropriate evaluation. The trainers should be required to meet the minimum qualification required by the organisation and any other training (including induction) should be noted and built into the timeframe.

3c How will you test and evaluate the performance measurement systems and refine, if necessary?

Again, a pilot may be the best option. Consider the suggestions of the

Learner and use your experience to make a judgement.

3d How will you ensure timely reports on all key aspects of the business are available, user-friendly and balanced in terms of financial and non-financial performance?

This should be contained in the Communication Plan. Ensure that the Learner has made some provision for reporting and that the means and timeframe are appropriate and useful to the achievement of the business plan objectives.

3e How will you report system failures, product failures and variances to the business plan as they occur?

There could be many potential failures suggested and these should be reported as soon as recognised. The inability to get doctors to refer clients or the inability to engage alternative health providers are two suggestions. They may have approached interest groups for seniors, aged care facilities or out-patients at the hospital. Consider the failure suggested by the Learner; ensure it is a valid potential failure and that their suggested options for reporting are appropriate to the issue and plan.

TASK 4

4a Analyse the performance reports against planned objectives.

The Learner must have provided an analysis. Consider their answers in relation to their stated objectives. Do they align? Check carefully to see that it is well presented, logical, supported by research and fact and is influential.

Ensure that these measures are compared to the actual information and fair and credible conclusions have been drawn.

Review the performance indicators and refine if necessary.

The Learner must have made useful and appropriate recommendations that are in line with their analysis in 4a. If they choose to refine the indicators, ensure that there is a plan in place to consult and inform stakeholders and that the stakeholders have been accurately nominated. Remember that informing everyone too early can be as big a problem as not informing enough. Consider this when making your judgement.

4b Are any groups or individuals under-performing? If so, how will you ensure groups and individuals who are under performing are coached, and necessary training is provided.

You will need to review their business plan and reasoning carefully to ensure that they have accurately dealt with this issue and any recommendations address the situation.

Training, coaching and counselling would probably be the most useful. Emphasis should be placed on coaching and support to enable the staff member to be clear on what is expected, where they are falling short and a plan to improve developed. This should be followed through until the situation has been resolved.

4c How and with what frequency will you review system processes and work methods as part of continuous improvement?

Depending on the plan, review could occur weekly, monthly or annually. The reasoning of the Learner must be sound and the review suggested by the Learner must be appropriate to the plan, and the information sought from the performance measures. Ensure that the Learner has provided valid methods for reviewing processes, for example, customer experience mapping, process mapping, cause and effect analysis, story-boarding etc.