Project Business Case Report for Bedford Town Residencies during COVID-19

This report discusses the business options available to Bedford Town Residencies to face the challenges of COVID-19 restrictions and remote working of employees. It includes expected benefits, disbenefits, timescales, and costs of the recommended business option.

Assessment 1:
Project Business
Case Report

PART 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Bedford Town Residencies is a housing association which is facing various phalanges
with the implementation of COVID-19 restriction and remote working of the employees.
Employees have raised several concerns regarding usage of current technology to handle remote
working, the negative impact of isolation on mental health and motivation, negative impact of
employee monitoring tools on employee satisfaction and inability to handle work life balance.
The business options available to face the challenges include “Don Nothing” “Do the bare
minimum” and “Do something else”. The business suggested business option for Bedford Town
Residencies is “Do something else” which has various benefits and disbenefits.

Table of Contents
PART 1............................................................................................................................................2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................4
Reasons.......................................................................................................................................4
Business Options .......................................................................................................................5
Expected Benefits........................................................................................................................6
Expected Disbenefits ..................................................................................................................6
Timescales...................................................................................................................................6
Costs ...........................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................9
PART 2..........................................................................................................................................10
Reflective report .......................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
The present report is based on Bedford Town Residencies which is housing association in
Bedford which aims to offer suitable housing for local members of the region COVID-19 crisis
has affected communication between employees of the company. Staff members have raised
various concerns regarding communication and remote working. The present report discusses the
elements of project life-cycle with emphasis on business case and appreciation of weighted core
card model to present business options. The reason, expected benefits and disbenefits of
proposed options for smooth transition of staff going back to offices are provided in this report.
In addition to this, Timescale and costs are of the business options are also provided in this
report.
MAIN BODY
Reasons
The problem faced by Bedford Town Residencies is related to effective communication
barriers faced by staff members because of remote working. Finance team, consumer Service
Team, general administration staff and senior management team worked from home. Facilities
maintenance team and supported housing personal coaches frequented on site work and remotely
worked if reaching on site was not possible. Each functional department faced different problems
which negatively affected employee satisfaction business communication. Constantly connected
on remote working, ineffectiveness of communication through email, inability of mobile app
usage, data protection and privacy were some of the concerns raised by the staff members during
the Town Hall meeting of the company. Apart from this unhappiness of staff in using in having
to use personal network and personal mobiles and internetwork plans to communicate with staff
working on site and issues of isolation due to remote working were among the chief concerns of
staff members. Personal coaching staff raised concern over employee motoring tool affecting
staff satisfaction negatively. The deterioration of employee mental health because of remote
working and COVID-19 pandemic reduced employee motivation and productivity. It is essential
to address the mental health of employees in order to ensure creation of productive workforce in
remote working situations of the COVID-19 pandemic leads to longer restrictions. The main
areas of the business problem faced by Bedford Town Residencies include impact of remote
working on work life balance of employees, ineffectiveness of technology in solving

communication issues, mental health deterioration caused by remote working and concerns
related to employee monitoring tools affecting employee well-being. The organization needs to
address these issues in order to ensure that every functional department has high functioning
employees for growth of the company throughout COVID-19 restrictions. Bedford Town
Residencies will be able to attain business objectives by resolving these issues and be prepared
for future if the pandemic creates remote working situations for every employee.
Business Options
The primary business option available for the respective project is “Do Nothing option.
Under this option the company does not have to implement any changes which impact current
functioning of the company. This option will lead to employees facing the consequences of
ineffective communication technology, stress increase because of isolation, no change in
employee monitoring concerns and loss of work life balance of employees who are working from
home. The advantage of this option is that company does not have to implement any changes
which does not require any investment from the company (Smith, 2017). The disadvantage of
this option is that the employee dissatisfaction will continue to increase and the company will
gain lower amount of productivity. This will hinder growth of the company.
“Do the bare minimum” is another option available for solving the problems faced by
Bedford Town Residencies. Under this option the company has to make the bare minimum
efforts in solving the concerns raised by the individuals. This involves implementing policies and
changes which require the minimum financial and labour investment and can be completed in
least time. The primary advantage of this option is that the company will be able to ensure
minimum expenditure on remote working issues while also gain the outcome of resolution of
these issues to enhance the remote working productivity of the workforce (Webb, 2017). The
main disadvantage of this option is that the changes made by the company under this option will
have temporary impact with absence of surety that the concerns of the employees and reasons for
dissatisfaction are removed completely. The factors which lead to ineffective communication and
dissatisfaction of employees may return and cause more damage to the respective organization
(Mizuno and Bodek, 2020).
The last option for the company is “Do something else” which involves finding tu of the
box solutions for the concerns of the employees which provide beneficial results to the company
and solve various problems of the employees. The advantage of this business option is that it can

help the company find an effective low cost solutions. The disadvantage of this solution is that it
is time consuming to find a unique solutions for various complex problems faced by the
company which can cause damage to the firm.
Weighted scorecard is defined as prioritization framework which can be used to
numerically score and rank strategic options against cost and benefits (Burtonshaw-Gunn, 2017).
The weighted scorecard for business options available to Bedford Town Residencies is provided
below:
Criteria Weighing Option A Option B Option C
Value 40.00% 15 20 10
Employee
satisfaction
50.00% 25 60 35
Ease of
implementation
10.00% 30 10 20
Weighted Scores 100.00% 70 90 65
Expected Benefits
The expected benefits of the recommanded “Do Something else” option is that it requires
the company to improve employee satisfaction in cost effective meaner. This will be beneficial
for the company in long run as employee dissatisfaction factors will be improved while overall
output will be increased for timely completion of company targets despite the pandemic .
Expected Disbenefits
The negative impact of successful implementation of this project is that changes caused
by this project may lead to ineffective functioning of the company for certain time period which
can affect daily operations at the company.
Timescales
Time scale refers to the time taken to complete a sequence of events. It is essential to
develop timescale for various operations of the project as it helps in timely realization of
business objectives and keep the sequence of operations on track (DANA, AMOUEI and MIRI

LAVASANI, 2018). The time scale for the operations involved in the recommended options for
Bedford Town Residencies is provided below:
Costs
The process of budgeting includes estimation of revenue and expenses related to specific
activity. It is important to construct a budget for operation related to an activity as it helps
determine the overall investment needed to attain the objectives (Manupati and et. al., 2021). The
costs for the operations involved in the recommended options for Bedford Town Residencies is
provided below:
ACTIVITIES SUB-ACTIVITIES SUB-ACTIVITIES
AMOUNT AMOUNT (£)
Catering Starters 3000
Drinks 2000
Main Course 4000

Dessert 1000 10000
Human Resource
Event Planners 18000
Decorators 12000
Waiters 5000
Cleaners 5000
Technicians 10000 40000
TOTAL 50000
Particulars Amount
Promotional expenses £80
Cost incurred in technology £150
Training and development expenses £100
Collection of data £200
Other Expenses £200
Total Cost £730

CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that it is important to develop a business case in
order to understand the value of each business option. The reasons for conducting the project
which highlight the business problem needs to be included in order to ensure that the business
report can be easily understood. Weighted score card model can be used by business firms to
present business options. In addition to this it is essential to understand expected benefits and
disbenefits for the proposed business options to make the best decision. Developing costs and
timescale need to be provided in order to ensure timely completion of the project without
exceeding the budget.

PART 2
Reflective report
 Communication skills: I was able to effective communication skills in class which
includes verbal as well as written communication skills. I developed verbal
communication skills by participating in discussion in class and speaking during
presentations. In addition to this I was able to develop effective written communication
skills by understanding ways to construct a formal report with appropriate structure and
concise information covering every aspect of the amassment. This skill is related to the
Belbin's team roles in particular to the team role of resource investigator (Ismail and et.
al., 2019). Communication skills are required to become an effective resource
investigator as the role of resource investigator is to explore opportunities and develop
contacts. I will be able to utilize communication skills to develop contacts with others
and explore opportunities related with various ideas. This skill will help me take role of
resource investigator and become important part of productive team. Communication
skills are one of the most important employability skills as they contribute to smooth flow
of information in the company and assist in timely completion of various business
objectives.
 Numeracy skills: I was able to build numeracy skills by attending university classes as I
was given tasks which require usage of statistical data during the seminar activities. In
addition to this, I was able to utilize my numeracy skills in this submission by developing
costs and using weighted model to solve find a solution for the business problem of the
Bedford Town Residencies. This is an important employability skills as business firms
require employees to utilize various types of data include statistical and numerical
information and find solutions for business problems (Buglass and Jenkins, 2020). This
skill will help me give excellent outcome and gain swift career development.

 ICT skills: Usage of Microsoft office programmes during the unit is the evidence for
development of effective ICT skills. I was able to utilize my ICT skills to develop a
concise report with formal structure which can be easily understood by others. This skill
is linked to monitor role of the Blebin's team roles. This is because ICT skills are used by
the monitor to identify and evaluate various options without prejudices and biases. I will
be able to utilize ICT skills to understand and evaluate various options effectively. ICT
skills are one of the most demanded employability silks in the current digital age. This is
because employers hire candidates who can use ICT programmes such as Microsoft
office programmes to construct detailed reports on various operations of the company. I
can use my effective ICT skills to produce formal reports which utilize statistical
information and can be easily understood. This will help me gain quick success in my
professional career.
 Problem solving skills: Problem solving skills refer to the ability to easily handle
difficult situations and find unique solutions for various problems quickly. I lack high
problem solving skills which decreases my employability and professional capabilities.
This skill is linked with the Belbin team role of Planter who solves difficult problems of
the team by challenging current ideas and providing unorthodox solutions. Planter plays
an important role for creation of highly productive and effective team as the out of the
box solutions provided by the planter help the team remove barriers and move towards
successful attainment of team objectives (Turner and Mulholland, 2017). I will be able to
solve various problems and recover teams from drastic conditions with the hep of
effective problem solving skills. Problem solving skills are needed by employers because
businesses face dynamic changes which can be handled by employees with problem
solving skills. Developing effective problem solving skills will help me gain quick
employment and advance forward in my career.
 Teamwork skills: I lack effective teamwork skills as i am not able to be part of
synergetic team and produce work with the same level of quality in comparison to
individual assessment. Teamwork skills have previously affected my work in University
and will also negatively affect career development during my professional life. This is
because increasing trend of remote working has increased demand of employees who are
able to coordinate and communicate with others to build and sustain high performing

teams. This helps the company attain business objectives in a timely manner. It is
important to develop effective team work skills in order to reach management or
leadership roles as this is an essential requirement to be part of the senior staff in business
firms (Firth, 2020). I will focus on developing this skill in order to increase my
employability and work with others in University to produce high quality outcome in a
team setting.
SMART framework
The SMART dreamwork to develop teamwork skills and problem solving skills is
provided below:
Objective Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely
To enhance
teamwork
skills
This is
specific
objective as it
focuses on
building
teamwork
skills in order
top ensure that
I am part of
high
functioning
teams.
The
measurement
criteria for this
objective is to
develop the
ability to
ordinate with
others
effectively. In
addition to this
improvement
introduction
high quality
results while
working in a
group through
collaboration
is another
criteria for
measurement
for attainment
This skill is
attainable as
participation
in team based
environment
helps in
development
of effective
teamwork
skills. In
addition to this
I can also
utilize my
communicatio
n skills to
develop
effective
coordination
skills after
participating
in various
This is
relevant skill
as it will help
me perform
effectively in a
team setting. I
can use this
skill to
perform better
in group
assessments at
university and
provide
excellent
results to my
employer after
starting my
professional
career. In
addition to this
team wok
4 months

of this
objective.
team based
tasks. Theories
to build
effective
teams such as
Tuckman's
team
development
theory can be
used to attain
this skill as it
will help
understand
different
stages
experienced
by high
performing
teams.
skills is
required by
employers
which makes
this skill
relevant
(Hakak and et.
al., 2019).
To develop
problem
solving skills
This is
specific
objective as it
aims to build
problem
solving skills
which can be
be used to
deliver unique
solutions for
various
barriers in
The
measurement
criteria for
building
problem
solving skills
is the ability to
utilize critical
thinking and
deduction for
finding unique
solutions for
This skill can
be easily
attained by
gaining
knowledge of
critical
thinking skills
and learning
reasoning
theories. This
will help me
practice to
This is
relevant skill
as it will play
an important
role in helping
me gain
employment
and improve
my
performance at
the university.
In addition to
6 months

group setting. various
barriers.
look ate every
aspect of the
situation in
order to come
up with put of
the box
solutions for
various
barriers.
this I can
utilize this
skill to
provide out of
the box
solution which
will help me
advance to
senior and
management
roles in my
career quickly.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Smith, C., 2017. Making sense of project realities: Theory, practice and the pursuit of
performance. Routledge.
Webb, A., 2017. Project management for successful product innovation. Routledge.
Mizuno, S. and Bodek, N., 2020. Management for quality improvement: The seven new QC
tools. Productivity press.
Burtonshaw-Gunn, S. A., 2017. Risk and financial management in construction. Routledge.
DANA, T., AMOUEI, H. and MIRI LAVASANI, M. R., 2018. Onshore sure gas pipelines
Quantitative risk assessment in south pars gas filed development project phases 9-10 and
issue the solutions to improve HSE management plan. Journal of Environmental Science
and Technology.
Buglass, A. and Jenkins, H., 2020. Going digital: introducing ePortfolio to promote digital
literacy in ITE. Enhancing Graduate Employability: a case study compendium. 1(1).
pp.64-72.
Firth, M., 2020. Group work and alternative assessments. In Employability and Skills Handbook
for Tourism, Hospitality and Events Students (pp. 310-322). Routledge.
Hakak, S. and et. al., 2019. Cloud-assisted gamification for education and learning–Recent
advances and challenges. Computers & Electrical Engineering. 74. pp.22-34.
Ismail, A. and et. al., 2019. Effectiveness of entrepreneurship programmes in developing
entrepreneurship skills towards quality TVET graduates. Journal of Technical
Education and Training. 11(1).
Turner, J. and Mulholland, G., 2017. Enterprise education: towards a framework for effective
engagement with the learners of today. Journal of Management Development.
Manupati, V. K. and et. al., 2021. An Integrated Fuzzy MCDM Approach to Supplier Selection
—Indian Automotive Industry Case. In Computational Management (pp. 473-484).
Springer, Cham.