Reference no: EM132324301

ASSESSMENT TASK 1

Question 1: Identify and discuss in detail five quality management and continuous improvement theories.

Question 2: What does Kotters 8-Step change model tell us about transformational change for businesses? Discuss your answer in a paragraph.

Question 3: What is the diffusion of innovation theory and why might a manager implementing an innovation be particularly interested in this theory?

Question 4: What is the purpose of the ISO 9000 Standards for Quality Management and what standards are included?

Question 5: What is cost-benefit analysis and what is it best used for? In your response outline how you complete a cost-benefit analysis

Question 6: Discuss the concept of a learning organisation in one paragraph.

Question 7: Why is the concept of shared vision an essential component of a learning organisation?

Question 8: Discuss the concept of team learning in relation to a learning organisation.

Question 9: Identify and outline three different sustainability practices that are now common in Australian workplaces.

Question 10: Provide a definition of risk as identified in the Australia/New Zealand Standard for Risk Management (AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009)

Question 11: Discuss the concept of risk management. Outline the factors that make a risk management system successful and the factors that may inhibit effective risk management.

Question 12: In your own words, describe the seven steps in the risk management process as outlined in AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009.

Question 13: Identify and describe Five(5) ways of how to capture business information.

ASSESSMENT TASK 2

TASK SUMMARY: You are required to review systems and processes of a fictional business to develop options for continuous improvement and report back to the management team.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and complete the activities below.

Woodhouse Recruitment is based in central Melbourne and is a recruitment agency offering recruitment services. including sourcing screening and selecting candidates to meet clients' requirements. The company was established in 2010 bySimon and Petra James. a husband and wife team who are the Directors of the company the company also employs a receptionist. five recruitment consultants and an Administration Manager. The agency plans to recruit a further two new consultants to start with the company in early 2016.

The company specialises in the following areas of recruitment for both permanent and temporary staff
• Administration and office support
• Accounting
• IT
• Sales and Marketing

The company sees its point of difference as being an owner operated boutique-recruitment agency The company Currently has approximately3D clients who regularly use their services.

At a recent management team meeting. the management team (the Directors, Administration Manager. the Accountant and the Senior Recruitment Consultant) discussed the need to implement systems and processes for continuous improvement and innovation into the company This is in part based on the need to stand out from the Competitors in an industry where there are a large number of recruitment agencies

A number of issues were discussed at the management meeting which the management team feel need further exploration as part of introducing continuous improvement systems and innovations.

• Services Standards
The company states on its website that it has the following delivery service standards
- Service Promise - we are clear in what we offer and the benefits it brings to you
- Service Delivery - we offer consistent and reliable service to you Customer Relationships - we are open and honest with alt of our customers
- Compliance - we ensure we adhere to all ethical and legal requirements.
However service standards have not been clearly defined and there are no performance indicators in place to measure performance.
• Key performance indicators
No formal performance indicators are in place to measure key service standards including how quickly candidates are recruited to fill jobs or how many of the candidates pass the trial period effectively
• Social Media
There is no social media strategy in place Currently the company is not using social media to market positions or to source candidates but recognises this is an area for development Currently most candidates are usually found through the existing database (60%) or through advertising on job search websites.
• Staff professional development
While all recruitment consultants are expected to have minimum qualifications and experience. there is no process in place to ensure that recruitment consultants continue to participate in professional development activities to keep their skills up to date There is also no performance appraisal system in place.
• Sustainability
The business currently does not have any formal sustainability initiatives in place and is conscious of moving towards a green office environment both to be an environmentally friendly business. as well as to reduce costs.
• Stationery
All company stationery purchased is of the highest quality non-recycled and bleached paper that comes wrapped in non-biodegradable packaging and is sourced from overseas. The Accountant has identified that the cost of the stationery is astronomical and we should be reducing costs and sourcing Australian products.
• Recruitment Database
The database that the company was purchased off the shelf and keeps crashing because it is not able to cope with the amount of data that it contains. The recruitment consultants say that they are not able to customise the fields to include the data they need nor does it provide accurate reports. The Directors disagree with this feedback and have so far refused to spend money on investigating a new system
key business performance statistics are as follows.'
• Annual sales revenue for financial year 2014 - 2015 is $1350000 an increase of 10% from the previous year The target sales revenue was 12%
• Increase in profits for this financial year compared to the last one is 9%. The target was 10%
• 16% of placements are in the IT area. 18% in accounting 20% in sales and marketing and the remainder in administration and office support
• 40% of revenue is from repeat client business. the target was 70%
• All rate is 40% (where fill rate is the number of fob orders filled by the number of job orders received multiplied by 100)
• Average time to fill contracts for 2014 were as follows
- Temporary contracts was 8 days
Contract work is 20 days
Permanent search 23 days
Executive search 33 days
Key performance indicators currently used to measure business performance focus on financial indicators. including net operating profit and sales revenue. The company also tracks its fill rate and is seeking to improve this to the industry average of 47% over the next year

Based on the information provided in the scenario. select two topics or areas that you can research and review. develop
continuous improvement options and plan to implement innovative processes for. One of these topics must be a sustainability program.

Part A - Prepare report

Prepare a report to your manager (your assessor) that outlines the following for both topics:

Your topics or areas for improvement that you will plan a continuous improvement and innovative processes for, one being a sustainability program

Identify and discuss a range of strategies that you can implement to monitor and evaluate the current performance and sustainability of your topics/areas for improvement.

Analyse and provide a detailed account of the current supply chain and the (operational, product or service) systems the business is using to deliver their service. What is working well and what could be improved?

Identify how the topics/areas for improvement performance could be measured, including an outline of the assessment tools or techniques that could be used. Evaluate the effectiveness of each tool/technique.

Identify at least two specialists that could help Woodhouse Recruitment. This may be to identify technology and electronic commerce opportunities or to implement your ideas. Provide their contact details, the services they offer and your rationale as to why it may be beneficial to use their services.

Conduct research and analyse and report on trends and opportunities relevant to Woodhouse Recruitment in relation to your topics/areas for improvement. Use the resources provided by the assessor plus other external resources for this research.

Compare Woodhouse Recruitment's business performance statistics to industry benchmarks and speculate as to why they may not have met their targets.

At the end of your report, introduce and briefly discuss three examples of other innovative business ideas that Woodhouse Recruitment could adapt and implement.

Your report should be written in clear and concise English and contain relevant headings to identify the information.

Part B - Attend a meeting
1.Complete your report and send via email to your assessor at least three days prior to the meeting to discuss and present the report. Your assessor will advise you of the date of the meeting.

Your assessor will organise a number of fellow you to attend your presentation. These you will be playing the role of the management team.

2.At the meeting, you should discuss the key findings of your report, as well as your ideas for continuous improvement and innovation in the business.

3.During the meeting, you will need to demonstrate your interpersonal skills, as well as your ability to build trust and confidence and encourage creativity in the management team. To do this you will need to demonstrate throughout your presentation your ability to clearly and confidently present information, encouraging questions from the team and discussion and active listening techniques.

4. At the end of the meeting, you will need to take on board feedback provided and agree with the management team on the best way forward with your continuous improvement and innovation initiatives.

ASSESSMENT TASK 3: ACTION PLAN

TASK SUMMARY: You are required to develop an action plan for implementing the continuous improvement and innovation changes agreed to

Instructions:

Complete the following activities:

1. Develop action plans for implementing the continuous improvement and innovation initiatives agreed to in Assessment Task 2
• The plans should be developed using a relevant project management tool such as a GANTT chart that sets out all of the actions required to implement the initiatives including timing. responsibilities. required resources. communication and key performance indicators for assessing the introduction of the initiative
• Include a risk assessment for each initiative, identifying the possible risks and how they can be managed
• Document a cost-benefit analysis for each initiative. You may make some assumptions in your analysis
• Document the impact of the change and the consequences for staff for each initiative
• Document a brief contingency plan for non-conformance for each initiative

As an introduction to your action plans. discuss the importance of continuous improvement and sustainability as an essential element of business and competition.

2. Send an email and your action plans to your assessor and fellow students (from Assessment Task 2). Your email should indicate that you are seeking input and final approval for the action plan.

You will be assessed as to whether your plan and email have been written in clear and concise English and whether your email and plan addresses all of the content as specified in the assessment instructions above.

ASSESSMENT TASK 4: Analysis

TASK SUMMARY:
Students are required to develop a memo for the management team to report on customer service provision.

PART 1

Read the following scenario and complete the activities below

As part of the continuous improvement and innovation review and implementation. Woodhouse Recruitment implemented a formal survey to assess candidate's satisfaction with the company's services. The survey included 15 questions oaths focused on the company s services and desire to improve these. Of the 100 surveys that were sent out by post only 12 were returned Customer survey findings are as follows:

With Woodhouse Recruitment
• 7 totally satisfied
• 2 somewhat satisfied
• 0 dissatisfied
• 1 totally dissatisfied
No comments provided
Ease of doing business with woodhouse Recruitment.
• 5 totally satisfied
• 4 somewhat satisfied

• 2 dissatisfied
• 1 totally dissalisfied

Comments from candidates.
• Got the job I wanted thanks so much
• Consultants friendly
• Hard to contact consultants
• Didn't keep us up to date with progress of applications
Customers who said they would recommend wooddhouse Recruitment to others
5 very much so
4 most likely
2 no. I would not recommend
1 definitely would not recommend
Comments from cand dales:
• Would definitely recommend
• I would not recommend as I was not happy about the lack of information throwhout the process

Prepare a report that covers the following.

1. Read the article below and develop an analysis based on your review of this article

2. Discuss the successors from this type of continuous improvement initiative What could Woodhouse Recruitment take from this experience into future efforts to improve performance?

3. Review and analyse the results of the 12 surveys received outlining the results of the customer survey, well as potential reasons for the tow return.

Present the results of the survey in bar charts that include the percentages and provide an analysis of the everatt customer satisfaction, ease of doing business and customer loyalty.

You should also comment on the validity of the findings given the tow return.

4. Make recommendations for future customer surveys. including the frequency Submit your report to your assessor.

PART 2 - ANALYSIS REPORT

Utilizing your report in Assessment Task 2

Identify at least 2 Operational System/Key performance areas of Woodhouse Recruitment. Determine what as of operations you would consider for each system or key performance areas.

To whom would you seek advice when conducting analysis and evaluation?
You will also recommend areas for improvement on the systems and performance areas

2. Based from your recommended areas for improvement. discuss how you wilt be able to trial and test the new ideas. Consider cost benefit analysis or risk management for options

3. Your report should cover the following areas at minimum'
• Introduction/Background of your report
• Two operationat systems identified
• Identified experts for advice and consultation
• Recommended Areas for improvement
• Trial and testing utilising cost benefit analysis/risk management