Situational Analysis and Problem Identification in Business Consultancy

This report provides a situational analysis and problem identification in business consultancy, focusing on St Mary's Hospital. It includes a SWOT analysis, stakeholder analysis, and risk assessment. The report also discusses specific projects and a detailed plan of action.

BUSINESS
CONSULTANCY
1

Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................4
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS AND PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION ..........................................5
POSSIBILITIES..............................................................................................................................9
SPECIFIC PROJECT AND DETAILED PLAN OF ACTION ...................................................11
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................18
REFRENCES.................................................................................................................................19
2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report is based on various issues identified by the situational analysis. This is a main
purpose for conducting this project. For this project SWOT analysis have been used for analysis
the issues faced by company and their stakeholders. Along with this SAF model was used for
testing the reliability and validity of SWOT analysis in identification of risk. Stakeholder
analysis, risk assessment has been done by using risk matrix and stakeholder matrix. As these are
more effective for St Mery's Hospital in identification of types of risk and stakeholders who have
involved in this project. At last, number of effective tools will be applied within the project for
completing each activities of report in set time duration. These tools are Gantt chart, CPA,
resource planning chart etc. With the help of these tools or methods, project manager can easily
analysis risk within a given time period.
3

INTRODUCTION
Business consultant is a professional who provides expert or professional advice in a
specific area such as management, security, accountancy, human resource, law, marketing,
engineering, finance, science or many others. This report is based on situational analysis of an
organisation. It is defined as an effective analysis of the external and internal factors of the
business organisation. It clearly identifies an organisation’s customers, capabilities, business
environment, customers and potential customers, and their impact on the business (Bennun and
et. al., 2018). For this project St Mery's Hospital is a given case study that is specialises in
offering of their services to both children and adults. It is a type of healthcare organisation that
was opened in 1845 in Paddington, London. This hospital wants too little improvement in several
specific areas like responsiveness, effectiveness, safety and others. This report is based on
different aspects such as situational analysis and problem identification, possibilities, specific
project and detailed plan of action. These are considering main elements that will be used under
this report for completing project successfully and effectively. For situational analysis, SWOT
analysis will be used as it support in gathering of secondary data about the business. SAF, risk
assessment and stakeholder analysis will be used for addressing issues faced by St Mery's
Hospital. Gantt chart, WBS etc. tools will also use for overcoming issues of time and quality in
effective manner.
4

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS AND PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Situation analysis is considered as analysis of external and internal factors of a company.
Through this management can identify its capabilities, potential customers, business
environment, targeted customers and many more (Coates and Cottam, 2019). This can be done
through different models and theories. In respect of St Mary’s Hospital which provide hospitality
services now they are going through some problems and for that can conduct situation analysis.
For which they can conduct evaluation of different aspects, which are mentioned below:-
About St Mary’s Hospital
St Mary’s Hospital is NHS hospital which is conducting its business in the London,
United Kingdom from 1845. The mission of respective hospital is to provide high quality health
services at the affordable price in order to improve leaving quality of society or people.
Moreover, vision of respective hotel is to provide health, healing and hope to society by
providing them quality services. St Mary’s Hospital is based on effective value and according to
that they respect and care to their employees who offer health care services to other. Now they
are facing some issues in their operations because they not able to deliver quality service to
potential customers.
Services of St Mary’s Hospital
There are numbers of services provided by St Mary’s Hospital through different
departments and by these services hospital able to attract as well as retain customers with them
for long time. This will include services related to skin cancer, Testicular cancer, rehabilitation,
Prostate cancer, Respiratory medicine, speech and language, Urology, Vascular surgery, Trauma,
Blood transfusion, Breast surgery (Draijer, 2020). Along with this, they also provide services
related to accident and emergency, Anesthesia, Audiology, Bariatric surgery, Cardiology, COPD,
Critical care, Dermatology and many more.
Target and potential customers of St Mary’s Hospital
The potential and targeted customers of St Mary’s Hospital are children, adult and old
age people who required any types of medical facilities at any time. The respective hospital
generally provides quality health care services for these peoples so that they can leave their life
effectively.
SWOT Analysis of St Mary’s Hospital
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By conducting this St Mary’s Hospital able to determine their strengths that help them in
grabbing opportunities as well as they also able to identify their weaknesses which they need to
improve for avoiding threat situation (Hu and et. al., 2019). Explanation of SWOT Analysis of St
Mary’s Hospital is given below:-
Strengths Weaknesses
 Financial position: St Mary’s Hospital
has strong financial position at the
marketplace. Through which they able
to provide quality as well as effective
services to their patients. This will
also help them in adopting new as well
as advance technology for medical
treatment.
 Product portfolio: Respective hospital
has wide product range for the society
which helps them in expanding their
customer’s base in effective manner.
Moreover, it will also help them in
gaining high profitability as well as
market shares at potential
marketplace.
 Online presence: St Mary’s Hospital
has strong as well as effective online
presence at the marketplace through
different social networking sites and
social media. By this they able to
effective interact with customers
which help in retaining them by
developing strong relationship.
 Workplace diversity: St Mary’s
Hospital follows diversity at the
 Ineffective time management: St
Mary’s Hospital is lack in time
management activities which impact
on their business operations and
function. Moreover due to this
sometime patients also not able to get
proper medical facilities in proper
time. This will affect the company
goodwill and market value at the
potential marketplace.
 Poor inventory management:
Respective hospital has bad or poor
management of inventory due to
which they face shortage of medicines
and other related tools (Kindl and
Casais, 2019). Due to this hospital
staff not able to provide quality as
well as proper services to patient.
 Decision making: St Mary’s Hospital
has long decision making process
which is time taking which lead to
delay in providing services to potential
as well as targeted customers. Along
with this, due to this hospital also face
delay in applying new and advance
technology at their workplace.
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workplace which helps them in
developing positive as well as
motivates working culture (Sokol,
2020). This will also motivate
employees to conduct work properly
because every employee feels equally
important for hospital.
Opportunities Threats
 Adopt new supply chain method: St
Mary’s Hospital need to adopt new
supply chain model at their workplace
because through that they able to
conduct their work properly. Along
with this, it will also help in
conducting each and every work in
timely manner so that patient get
services on time.
 Adopt new technology: Respective
hospital must adopt new as well as
advance technology at their workplace
because through that they can decrease
cost of services as well it will also
help hospital in providing quality
services to patients.
 Government regulation and rules:
There are several rules which are
developed by government so that
industries conduct their work properly.
But these rules and regulation get
change according to time and
situation. This is threat for respective
hospital because their management
need to change their plans
accordingly.
 Competition: It is main threat for St
Mary’s Hospital because there are
numbers of international as well as
local hospitals operating in London
(Williams, 2019).
Industry trend: St Mary’s Hospital comes under the healthcare industry that provides different
services to the patients. It is an integration and aggregation of industry in the economic system
that gives services and goods to effectively treat patients with preventative, rehabilitative,
curative and palliative care (Bencheva and Stoeva, 2018). There are different healthcare trends
that are shaping 2020 such as reversing the technology gap, data sharing, real-time interactions
&5G, supply chain and logistics, AI computing and health teach with human touch. These are
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effective trends that will be beneficial for St Mary’s Hospital in treating of their all patients
safely and effectively.
Problem identification of St Mary’s Hospital
Problem identification is considered as process through which a person can identify root
cause of issues or problem through that they are going. In respect of St Mary’s Hospital they are
facing some issues which impact on the work performance and effectiveness. These problems are
related to some specific areas such as effectiveness, responsiveness, safety and others. The main
cause of these problems is related to improper time management and service quality. So it is
essential for respective hospital to adopt more effective supply chain process which helps them
in conducting work properly and at given or allotted time duration. Moreover they also need to
develop strategies for enhancing service quality effectively (Draijer, 2020).
By conducting this analysis St Mary’s Hospital able to improve their services as well as it
will also help them in attaining desire goal as well as objective in successful manner.
SWOT analysis is an effective and useful framework for identifying the problems faced
by St Mary’s Hospital (Lousiane and Syaroni, 2020). This is a framework that support company
in identification of its weakness. By identifying the weak area, company can use ways for
reducing the weakness. Therefore, SWOT analysis is an important framework for St Mary’s
Hospital in identification of problems.
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POSSIBILITIES
There are many numbers of approaches that will help in analysis of the situation of the
present in market along with industry. Those that are commonly used in this direction are known
as SWOT, PESTLE, Porter etc. All these are different in nature and have different abilities to
ascertain the factors that present in market and have impact over the operations of an
organisation. The use of any tool is totally depends over the requirement of an organisation and
the market they operate. It is important for the management to ascertain the viability of tool in
respect to the power of determining the factors exist in environment, impact over an organisation
and the ability of an organisation cope with same (Derr and DeLong, 2018). There are many
methods are exist that can be used by the management to analyse the viability of the tool like
CBA, Business case and SAF. The method which is used in the report for the evaluation of tools
is SAF. This is the effective model that analyse tool on the basis of three different factors such as
suitability, acceptability and feasibility.
SAF Criterion
Suitability is worried about whether an elective tends to the key issues is able to
identifying vital situation associated with the St Mary’s Hospital. On the other hand, Feasibility
is worried about whether an organization has the assets and abilities to convey a methodology; as
it were, on the off chance that it could work practically speaking. In last, the acceptability part of
a SAF technique model is tied in with estimating the arrival, hazard and partner responses
coming about because of a specific methodology (Chadwick and et. al., 2018). Returns will be
estimated dependent on the advantages that partners anticipate from the technique and could be
monetary just as non-money related, contingent upon what the partners choose. The application
of this criterion is provided below over two different tools:
Application of SAF on PESTLE
Suitability: This is assessed by ascertaining the ability of strategy to support in decided
objectives. The main aim of the St Mary’s Hospital is to analyse the market and ascertain own
organisational viability to meet with same. In this regard, PESTLE will help in determination of
the impact of external factors but does not provide information over internal resources. This
clearly depicts the medium level of suitability against to the set objectives of St Mary’s Hospital.
Acceptability: This is assessed on the basis of the resulted return, risk and meeting
stakeholder needs. In relation to the PESTLE, the risk is high s time consuming and hard to
9

analyse process. While considering the point of return then this provides information upon
external factor impacts. In last, it does not meet the need of St Mary’s Hospital about analysing
the capacity of internal resources (Dasi, 2019).
Feasibility: This is about the analysis of financial ability of an organisation to implement
the strategy or the amount funds required for its carrying in future. The St Mary’s Hospital has
sufficient amount of financial resources that will allows the organisation to easily apply the
same. But, this will hinder the ability to gain information upon internal resources.
Application of SAF on SWOT
Suitability: In accordance to the objective of St Mary’s Hospital, this analysis helps in
ascertaining both kind of information whether internal or external. This clearly depicts that it
matched with the objective of St Mary’s Hospital (Okereke, Onokpaunu and Ikonomwan, 2018).
Acceptability: SWOT analysis is easy to conduct and does not required harsh efforts. The
amount of returns associated with this analysis is more satisfactory in comparison to the
objectives. Also, the risk associated with same is low. It meets the need of St Mary’s Hospital
too where it provides both type of information.
Feasibility: This tested by the involvement of funds within the analysis and funds have by
St Mary’s Hospital. This is a common analysis that does not require too much fund. This will
also provide the opportunity to analyse all type of required information (Sturdy, 2018). Also, the
hospital has efficient amount of funds through which they can easily conduct the analysis with
the aid of SWOT technique.
It is clear from the analysis of the both PESTLE and SWOT technique that the one
applied is more effective and improves the effectiveness to get effective information that
improves decision making. This will also aid in end through attainment of desired results
(Raudino and Poletti, 2018).
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SPECIFIC PROJECT AND DETAILED PLAN OF ACTION
Gantt chart: It is a useful and valuable graphical tool which displays number of activities
that is performed against time. Gantt chart also recognized as visual presentation of a project
where the each activities or tasks are broken down or shown on a chart which creates it is easier
to know and interpret (Polonsky and Waller, 2018). Within project management, it is a popular
tool as it support in identification of starting and ending time of each activities of project. Under
this chart different number of activities will be included which are determined as below
according to the given project.
Timing Activities
Week 1 Implementation of situation analysis
Weeks 2-3 Identification of risk
Weeks3-4 Testing of risk
Weeks4-5 Risk assessment and stakeholder analysis
WBS: This is a tool that helps in completion of project within a set time period and in
systematic manner. Work breakdown structure is an effective method that breaks entire project
into subtasks. It is a useful tool or technique that defines a time estimate or detailed cost and
gives appropriate direction for schedule development and control (Roth and Reichert, 2019).
Work breakdown structure
Process identification
of risk
11
Implementation of
Situational analysis
(SWOT analysis)
Testing of the risk
(SAF model)
Time and quality issue in St
Mery's Hospital.
Provide reliable and valid result in
identification of risk through
SWOT analysis.
Completion of project

CPA: It is known as critical path analysis that is used by project manager for completing
each activities of project in systematic manner. This is an effective project management
technique that needs mapping out every key activity that is essential to complete full project
timely. It includes finding the amount of time required to close each task and the dependencies of
all activity on any others (Zhang and et. al., 2018). According to the current project, CPA is
useful St Mery's Hospital to analysis risk and effective ways for overcoming it within a given
time period.
Figure 1: Critical path analysis
Resource planning charts: Project managers make use of resource planning charts i.e.
Gantt charts to analysis the critical path, a colour-coded network diagram that shows a sequence
of tasks via the project timetable, the duration of each activity, and the highest path from the start
of the initial project task to the end of the last activity. This tool will also support St Mery's
Hospital in identification of time for completion of full project within given time duration
(Charlesworth and Johnson, 2018).
Aim and objectives of the project:
Project aim:
Main aim of this project is to analysis the importance of situational analysis in identification
of risks faced by business. A case study on St Mery's Hospital.
Project objectives:
 To identify the issues faced by St Mery's Hospital through situational analysis.
 To explore role of SAF model in identification of reliability and validity of data gathered
from secondary source i.e. SWOT analysis. To determine the various tools and approaches for overcoming issues identified by the
situational analysis.
Risk assessment: It is a term that is used to explain the entire method or process to an
organisation in identification risk. In order to complete this project, there are some risks that will
be faced by St Mery's Hospital. These will be determined as below:
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Ranking given from 0 to 5. for ex., 5 is High and 0 is Nil
Risk Reason Mitigation/Avoidance/
Transfer/Acceptance measure
Rankin
g
Time Time is major issue faced by
St Mery's Hospital while
providing service to the
children and adults. It is a
major issue that have negative
impact on hospital. Along with
this, in order to implement
situation analysis for
identifying risk, appropriate
time period will be require by
business (Metallo and et. al.,
2018).
In order to overcome this type of
risk, St Mery's Hospital must use
Gantt chart, CPM and WBS.
These are considering main tools
of time management that support
an organisation by overcoming
the risk of time.
5
Quality Poor inventory management is
another risk that is identified
by using SWOT analysis. St
Mery's Hospital has poor
administration of inventory
due to which they face lack of
medicines as well as other
related elements. Due to this
staff of hospital not capable to
give quality and proper
services to both type of patient
such as children and adults.
In order to solve this type of issue
company must use total quality
management approach as it will
help them by managing inventory.
TQM may have been the
primary quality oriented
philosophy to transition into St
Mery's Hospital. It is mainly
based on three principles.
4
Financial risk This is another risk that will In order to overcoming this kind 3
13

be going too faced by St
Mery's Hospital while
implementing situational
analysis and SAF model for
testing reliability of situational
analysis.
of risk, project manager must
receive fund from different
sources.
Lack of resources For collecting information
through there is lack of
resource available which have
negative impact on business.
For this resource planning chart is
useful tool that support St Mery's
Hospital in implementation of this
project.
3
Stakeholder analysis
Stakeholder analysis introduces as an effective process and important technique for
stakeholder identification and finding their needs. This analysis is applied to identify all key
stakeholders such as internal and external who have a more interest in the problem with which
the project is associated (Ryan and et. al., 2018). This is an effective part of the project that
supports an organisation in identification of its stakeholders who have their involvement in the
project. There are some stakeholders which will be shown as below:
Stakehold
er
Name/Au
thority
(Category
of
stakehold
er)
Co
nta
ct
Per
son
Pho
ne,
Em
ail,
We
bsit
e,
Add
ress
Impact
How
much
does the
project
impact
them?
(Low,
Medium,
High)
Influe
nce
How
much
influe
nce do
they
have
over
the
projec
t?
(Low,
Mediu
m,
High)
What is
important to the
stakeholder?
How
could the
stakehold
er
contribut
e to the
project?
How
could the
stakehold
er block
the
project?
Strategy
for
engaging
the
stakehold
er
Customers - Low Mediu
m
Patients are
important part of
They
contribute
They
could
By
arrangin
g day to
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this project
because they get
service from
support St Mery's
Hospital. They are
important because
they have
accurate
knowledge about
the services and
facilities provided
by support St
Mery's Hospital.
their full
efforts by
providing
accurate
informati
on and
data about
the
business
services
given by
support St
Mery's
Hospital.
block the
project by
not
providing
informati
on about
the
support St
Mery's
Hospital
and their
services.
day
activitie
s.
Service
provider
- Medium Low They are
important part of
the project
because they
provide effective
services to the
patients. St
Mary’s Hospital.
They have their
online presence
and for this
service provider
are able to
effectively
interact with their
customers. As it
help an
Service
provider
plays an
important
role
within
this
project by
providing
effective
services
to the
patients.
As it turn
to help
business
in
They
could
block this
project by
living in
the. St
Mary’s
Hospital.
In order
to
engage
service
provider
in
project,
conferen
ce and
seminar
are best
strategy.
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organisation in
retaining them for
longer period.
improvem
ent of its
reputation
.
Governme
nt
- High High It is important to
the government to
support St Mary’s
Hospital by
providing
accurate amount
of fund and also
to develop
effective policies
related to the
health of patients.
They are
another
stakehold
er that
plays
important
role by
providing
funds
from
different
equipment
s used
within
hospitalit
y
industry.
- -
Detailed plan of action: This is a plan that supports St Mary’s Hospital in overcoming of
risks identified by the situational analysis. There are different types of risks faced by St Mary’s
Hospital such as Ineffective time management, poor inventory management, decision making,
government regulation and rules and competition (Chernopyatov and et. al., 2018). These are
major risks that have impact on business performance, operations, supply chain management and
logistics of hospital. There are some strategies by which St Mary’s Hospital can easily overcome
these types of risk which are explained as below:
Plan of action for Strategies
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overcoming risk identified
through situational
analysis
Poor inventory
management
St Mary’s Hospital faced risk of poor inventory management,
and in order to overcome this issue, hospital must use total
quality management because it is a best and effective approach.
As it support St Mary’s Hospital in management of its inventory
or stick of medicine.
Time management St Mary’s Hospital faced issue in delivering of quality services to
the patient timely. It is a biggest issue and in order to manage
time, development of effective technology will be a best strategy
for St Mary’s Hospital. As technology helps them to maintain
time and also to provide quality and quick services to the
patients.
Competition To reduce this type of risk, St Mary’s Hospital must provide
equality services to the patients in quick time duration. As it
assist them in development of their growth and success at
marketplace (Chernopyatov and et. al., 2018).
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CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned information, it has been concluded that situational analysis is an
effective framework that helped an organisation in identification of its internal and external
factors, and their impact on business performance. For this SWOT analysis has been applied as it
support company in determination of its capabilities, resources, and stakeholders. In order to test
validity as well as reliability of SWOT analysis SAF model has been applied. As this model
assist an organisation in measuring risk, return and stakeholder reactions about the project. Gantt
chart, WBS etc. tools have been used that helped an organisation in completion of its project
successfully and within given time period.
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