Developing and Implementing BBQfun's Operational Plan

This project details the development of an operational plan for BBQfun, a simulated business, focusing on implementing an e-commerce strategy. The plan includes a summary of the operational environment, incorporating legislative and regulatory contexts, and BBQfun's policies and procedures. It explains the role of the operational plan in achieving e-commerce success and discusses the amendment of the existing plan, supported by different development methods and models. The project outlines the budgeting process, researches resource requirements, and includes two resourcing consultation role-plays with a social media/marketing manager and an operations manager. An action plan is developed, covering physical and human resourcing, timelines, and milestones, along with an analysis of resource requirements. Performance indicators, including a balanced scorecard for a customer service representative, are created, and risks to the implementation of the plan, along with contingency plans, are identified. Finally, a proposal for resourcing is developed for the Operations General Manager's approval, detailing the implementation and breakdown of costs. The project demonstrates the ability to develop a comprehensive operational plan, manage resources, and mitigate risks.

Develop an operational plan
Submission details
Candidate’s
name
Phone
no.
Assessor’s name Phone
no.
Assessment site
Assessment
date/s Time/s
The assessment task is due on the date specified by your assessor. Any
variations to this arrangement must be approved in writing by your
assessor.
Submit this document with any required evidence attached. See
specifications below for details.
Performance objective
You will demonstrate skills and knowledge required to develop operational
plans in consultation with key stakeholders.
Assessment description
In response to a simulated business scenario, you will research resource
requirements and develop (or amend) an operational plan in consultation
with relevant stakeholders. As a part of the development of your plan, you
will set performance indicators, plan for contingencies, and obtain
approval in accordance with organisational requirements.
Procedure
1. Read the BBQfun scenario information provided in Appendix 1 and
the BBQfun simulated business documentation provided by your
assessor.

2. Write a brief summary of the BBQfun operational environment that
includes:
a. an outline of the legislative and regulatory context that
is relevant to BBQfun’s operational plan (available on
pages 27–29)
Industry practices in the hospitality industry from the Australian laws
revolve around the:
 Occupational Health and Safety regulated under Safe Works
provides codes of practice for preventing hazards and work
environment risks1. This prevents unnecessary injuries and
legal claims.
 Employer verses employee relations compliance indicates
the minimum wage and employment standards2. This is a
platform for resolving compensation infringements.
 Consumer protection has regulations for the food and
beverage industry features the Food Act and the Australia
New Zealand Food Standards Code3. The latter looks at food
processes, substances and safety4. Also covered is the liquor
licencing for the bar section5.
 Quality management laws such as outdoor dining facilitates
for use of public land6 while the ISO 9001 supports
efficiency7
 Online business operation policies in line with the Australian
Business Licence and Information Service Health Protection
Service8 which has codes of practice for each business type.
It also caters for training and environmental protection laws
b. an outline of the BBQfun policies and procedures that
directly relate to the operational plan
1 WHS/OH & S Act, regulations and codes of
practice<https://www.business.gov.au/risk-management/health-and-safety/whs-
oh-and-s-acts-regulations-and-codes-of-practice>
2 Workers Compensation Act,
1951<https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/1951-2/default.asp>
3 Food Standards Code, Food Standards (Australia and New Zealand)
<http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/Pages/default.aspx>
4 Ibid, 4
5 Liquor Act, 2010; A2010-35<
https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/2010-35/default.asp>
6 Outdoor dinning, s 3 <
https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/2181>
7 Compliance Council (AS) What is ISO 9001
<https://www.compliancecouncil.com.au/standards/iso-9001-quality-management-
system>
8 Australian Business Licence and Information Service ( QN), ABLIS)
<https://www.business.qld.gov.au/starting-business/advice-support/tools/ablis>

Operating a registration process for the business in the hotel industry
involves details of its location needs for safety9. In this operation plan the
employee conduct policies include
 Employment classification indicates who gets employed on part
time, regular basis or overtime basis. This supports benefits and
wage allocation
 Non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies ensure that there is
ethics in the business operations such as training10
 Employment conduct policies explain rules for punctuality, work
attendance and schedules. It caters for leave and disciplinary action
in case of misconduct
 Safety and health policies indicate procedures for prevention of
work injuries and hazards.
 Advertising policies in the market system to protect intellectual
property define the effective use of social media
 Financial procedures are necessary for marinating its budget
objectives
c. an explanation of the role of an operational plan in
achieving the successful implementation of the e-
commerce strategy
An online operation plan guides inputs and outputs. This ensures that the
operations are within the processes, procedural elements and business
activities. An operation plan provides strategies for handling the tasks
within the stipulated goals and procedures11. It is a tool for maximizing the
potential of a business through digital platforms
9 Ibid, WHS
10 See Food Stands, construction and fit out of a food business
premises<https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/2158>
11 Kenneth C. Laudon and Traver Carol Guercio, E-Commerce: business,
technology, society (2016).

d. a discussion of your intention to either develop a new
operational plan for BBQfun, or to amend the existing
operational plan; support your discussion with reference
to different methods and models for developing
operational plans – such as methods for setting goals,
outlining actions, identifying risk and monitoring
performance
Amending the existing operational plan is strategic because it seeks for a
cost effective plan for its operations. BBQfun already has clear objectives
and set targets for COG and expenses. Its operational expenses feature
$5,004,714 out of which $1,000,000 is for premises. An online platform reduces the
budget but needs proper implementation, risk management and
performance metrics12. Adherence to quality standards through a
monitoring process checks for risks and performance. Capacity planning
using performance indicators allows for effective training and
management of employees. It also identifies and reduces risks.
e. An explanation of your budgeting process as part of your
operational plan.
The budgeting process is a strategic allocation of finances across
operations. It starts with a planning process geared towards the success of
the business. A feasibility of this business indicates a high spending on
wages and salaries followed by premises. The budgeting process seeks to
level the revenue and spending for a balanced operational process. The
resolve to reduce spending comes from the financial information and is
useful in decision making processes13.
3. Research resource requirements for implementation of e-
commerce strategy.
Online business requires information, IT skills, finances for implementation,
IT equipment, tools and physical location14. The businesses model requires
an innovative approach to entrepreneurial organization15 . This could be a
business to business or business to customer plan16
12 Privacy Act 1988 ( Cth), Australian Privacy Law, s 2.2, Privacy Code of Practice,
privacy Amendment Act 2000
<https://www.loc.gov/law/help/online-privacy-law/2012/australia.php>
13 Paul. M. Collier, Accounting for managers: Interpreting accounting information
for decision making ( 2005), John Wiley & Sons
14 David. J. Teece, Business models and dyamic capabilities, (2018), 51 Long
Range Planning, 1, 40-9
15 V. Kumar and Werner Reinartz, Creating enduring customer value, ( 2016), 80
Journal of Marketing, 6, 36-8
16 Jing Elaine Chen, Shan. L. Pan and Tao Hua Ouyang, Routine reconfiguration in
traditional companies e-commerce strategy implimentation: A trajectory
perspective, ( 2014), 51 Information & Management, 2, 270-82

4. Arrange with your assessor to participate in two resourcing
consultation role-plays.
Resourcing Role Play #1: Social Media and marketing
Manager: I would like a successful implementation of a new IT system for
BBQ. Besides blogs, what are some online sources of information that I can
use for this? Our plan is to reach a regional audience but we want to start
with two sub branches in Queens.
Consultant: Well, Social media is a great way to start. However, your
company needs a wider scope of knowledge for effective sales and
marketing.
Resourcing Role Play# 2:
Operations Manager: How much experience do you have in e-commerce?
BBQ needs to create an online presence and start making money. What
are some revenue collection points for e-commerce? I would also like to
know how we can tackle customer complaints effectively
Consultant: According to your company policies, the first thing would be to
connect with your customers through links17. This takes a lot of creativity
and innovativeness. Fortunately this is cheap to implement and customers
can get portals for sharing comments.
5. Participate in consultation role-plays with relevant personnel to
determine resourcing needs. You will role-play with the:
a. Sales and Marketing Manager – prepare to discuss human
resourcing requirements
Operations Manager: Our operational workflow involves dealing with
suppliers. We are engaging our employees on strategic business. These
activities are critical in sales and marketing but how can we maximize on
employee potential in order to meet our objectives?
Sales and Marketing Manager: Training supports performance in an
organization. However, this has to be within the relevant operations18. That
is why you need operation related training for strategic implementation of
company goals.
17 Wayne. F. Cascio, Leveraging employer branding, perfomance management and
human development to enhance employee retention, 2014, Taylor & Francis
18 Andrews, Hellen, The limits of Australian anti-discrimination law ( August 2016),
Research Report, National Library
https://www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2016/08/rr17.pdf cited cases include Age
Discrimination Act 2004, Fair Work Act 2009, Sex Discrimination Act and
Antidiscrimination statute ( Cth)

b. Technology consultant – prepare to discuss physical
resourcing requirements related to development of e-
commerce website.
Note: During consultation, ask questions and encourage the
personnel to provide information.
Operations Manager: Do we need any software packages for the online
implementation plan?
Technology Consultant: Intellectual property is critical therefore we need
credible sources for software licences. We can get this online but we shall
observe the patent rights laws for B2B, B2C management 19
6. Develop an action plan for the implementation of the e-
commerce strategy. In your plan include:
a. physical resourcing (all major steps for resourcing, including
procurement of different types of resources, but not to the detail
of including all procurement steps for each resource type)
b. human resourcing (all major steps, e.g. recruiting, training,
communication)
c. timelines and milestones for implementing the e-commerce
strategy
d. consultation and communication (ensure all affected staff are
informed and engagement is encouraged for all stakeholders)
e. An analysis of the resource requirements to ensure that the
action plan meets the requirements for implementation.
Objective Activity Responsibility Date Budget
Develop
ERM
service
Technology
requisition
(software)
Procurement, IT
department
May Pending
Business
integration
Additional staff
training,
recruitment &
induction
Human
resource/ICT
June/
July
$480,00
0
Content Design e- ICT May $400,00
19 Giusepe Nocella, Donata Romano and Gianluca Stefani, Consumers' attitude,
trust and willingness to pay for food information, ( 2014) 38International Journal of
Consumer Studies, 2, 153-65

managem
ent
content for e-
networks
( information)
unit/Managemen
t
0
Sign e-
contracts
Create online
payment
system
(invoicing,
security details
etc.)
IT/Legal depts. May $30,000
Managem
ent
change
Develop e-
commerce
communicatio
n points
distribution
channels/supp
ort)
Consultant firm/
Human
Resource/Market
ing
May $24,000
An example action plan template is provided in Appendix 2.
Ensure plans adhere to organisational requirements set out in the
scenario and in relevant policies and procedures.
7. Develop performance indicators for operational and financial
targets and amend or develop existing operational plans to
include KPIs and financial targets related to e-commerce
strategy. Develop a balanced scorecard for an e-commerce
customer service representative including three KPIs and
associated targets.
Food & beverages: The cost of goods ratio gives the financial targets.
Influenced by quality based training for sales staff and supplier the BBQ
KPI is the average spending per customer
Advertising Returns from sales; labour cost ratio is the KPI which means
BBQ invests $ 500,000 in advertising based on lower costs for higher
revenue target of $ 11M
Online rating: Give incentives to encourage positive customer feedback
on good or bad services compared to competitors

KRA (key
result area)
Target KPI (key
performance
indicator)
Result
Food &
beverages
$5,890,000 Cost of good
verses financial
targets
1.17%
Advertising
Returns
$62,187 Labour cost ratio
of advertising
verses profit
projections
0.04%
Online rating 1% error rate Overall online
rating
10%
Customer
communicati
on
<10 minutes per
interaction
Average
completion time
20
minutes
Financial
sales
$30,000 sales $ sales $ 50000
Professional
developmen
t
Participate in 2 hours
training
Training hours 152hrs
Note: The current budget and operational plan for BBQfun is located
in Appendix 1. A balanced scorecard template is located in Appendix
3.
8. Identify at least three risks to the implementation of the operational
plan and develop a contingency plan for each risk (you may use the
contingency plan template provided in Appendix 4). Risks must
include:
 Delays in project completion arise due to poor training or
performance contracts. This could hinder the implementation of
the strategy. Lack of the necessary IT skills for ecommerce may
hinder effective completion of this plan.
 Breach of contract may lead to legal suits. This is a risk arising
from the competitive market and may affect marketing units of
the organization. Strict implementation of legal contracts is
necessary

 Safety and health as a hazard means food preparation and
distribution should be within the WHS rules20
a. one risk due to employee underperformance
b. one risk related to management of intellectual property (IP)
c. one risk due to breach of health and safety compliance
responsibilities.
Contingency Plan
Company name: BBQfun
Name of person developing the plan:
Who was consulted as part of this plan?
Name Position
Risk identified: Delays in project completion
Strategies/activities to minimise the risk By when By whom
Proper training in e-commerce and staff
retention
June HR unit
Timely implementation of procedures Immediat
ely
All depts.
Budget allocation May Financial
depnt
20 Abdul Gafar Khan, Electronic commerce: A study on benefits and challenges in
an emerging economy, ( 2016), 16 Global Journal of Management and Business
Research, 1<https://globaljournals.org/GJMBR_Volume16/3-Electronic-Commerce-
A-Study.pdf>

Approved variations to the plan based on
contingencies faced
By when By whom
Management transfer May 31 Operations
manager
Employee acceptance July All
departmen
ts
Contingency Plan
Company name: BBQfun
Name of person developing the plan:
Who was consulted as part of this plan?
Name Position
Risk identified: Breach of contract
Strategies/activities to minimise the
risk
By when By whom
Adequate licencing for business design
model
June ICT unit
Legal implementation for trademarks,
copyrights and patents
Immediat
ely
Legal unit
Use of intellectual property (IP) rights and May 20 Management/

responsibilities in Information sharing , Staff
retention
HR
Approved variations to the plan based
on contingencies faced
By when By whom
Compliance with systems regulations
Training in intellectual property (IP) rights
and responsibilities
May 19 Operations
manager
Compensation to repair reputation July All
departments
Contingency Plan
Company name: BBQfun
Name of person developing the plan:
Who was consulted as part of this plan?
Name Position
Risk identified: safety and health
Strategies/activities to minimise the risk By when By whom
Proper food handling May Distributio
n and
storage
unit
Timely distribution Same day distributio
n

Effective supply systems As per
need
All units
Approved variations to the plan based on
contingencies faced
By when By whom
Food replacement As per
customer
complaint
Customer
care unit
Change of distribution channel ‘’ Supply
chain
9. Develop a proposal for resourcing to be presented for approval to the
Operations General Manager. Include in your proposal:
a. description of proposed implementation of resourcing
b. breakdown of costs
Numbe
r
Resources Costs
1. Plant & equipment $30,000
2. Promotional costs $300,000
3. Additional staff $480,000
4. Consultancy fees $50,000
Totals $860,000
c. benefits to organisation