CCL Report: Digital Technology Supporting Small Business Growth

This report analyzes the impact of digital technology on small business growth and innovation, focusing on Continental Consulting Limited, a UK-based consultancy specializing in business process re-engineering for small and medium manufacturing companies. The report outlines the company's aims and objectives, emphasizing the implementation of digital technologies like social media to drive growth. It includes a project management plan covering cost, scope, time, quality, communication, and risk, along with a work breakdown structure and Gantt chart. The research employs both qualitative and quantitative methods, utilizing primary and secondary data sources, with a sample size of 50 respondents. The report aims to provide insights and recommendations for effective decision-making in leveraging digital technology for business improvement. Desklib offers this solved assignment and more resources for students.

Managing Successful
Business Project

INTRODUCTION
Management play an important role in managing and functioning business functions
more effectively and efficiently. Nowadays, it has been observed that Digital Technology makes
easy for small, medium and large organisation to operate its business activities. Investment in
adopting of digital technology ensures in getting maximum profitable outcome to company thus
management of an organisation are required to prepare budget so as to implement digital
technology in its business operations which drives them to achieve desired goals and objectives
within pre-determined time period. The present assignment is based on Continental Consulting
Limited which is engaged in business process re-engineering of small and medium
manufacturing companies. The project covers the aim and objectives of company along with an
appropriate management plans which includes cost, scope, time, quality and communication. In
addition with this, work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart are also briefly discussed under
this report. The project also includes methods of research, tools and techniques used to evaluate
research, recommendation and reflection which can assist management in making an effective
decision for the betterment of an organisation (Adzic, 2011).
TASK 1
P1: Project aim and objectives
Continental Consulting Limited is medium sized company of United Kingdom is engaged
in providing consultancy services to small and medium manufacturing companies regarding
making changes or re-engineering their business process. It is located in London for the last
eight years and continuously making efforts in expanding its business to large scale operations in
order to achieving high sustainability and profitability. For this, the management has decided to
implement various digital technologies such as mobile technology, artificial intelligence, social
media platforms etc. These technologies drives an organisations to achieve its desired goals and
objectives within pre-determined time period and also compete with their rivals in market in
more effective and efficient manner (Brady and Davies, 2014).
Topic: “Impact of Digital Technology in supporting small business growth and innovation”.
As per the current scenario, innovation is must required to adopt in business operations
by every organisation irrespective of the size whether small, medium or large. Computerised
innovation makes easy for employees to perform their allotted task with minimum time and cost.

It allows an organisation to grab competitive opportunities of market through which they can
easily compete with the existing rivals in more effective and efficient manner.
Aim: “Impact of Implementation of Social media as digital technology to support small
business growth and innovation”.
The essential aim of preparation of such report is to examine the effectiveness of social
media in business operations of small and medium scale organisations like Continental
Consulting Limited.
Research objectives
 To identify the concept of social media as a marketing tool for an organisation.
 To examine the different types of social media that can be adopted to achieve growth and
expansion of Continental Consulting Ltd.
 To analyse the relationship between the social media marketing and business
performance of Continental Consulting Ltd.
Research questions
1. How social media makes huge impact on the business operations of an organisation?
2. What are the different tools of social media adopted by Continental Consulting Ltd. to
achieve growth and expansion?
3. How social media marketing and business performance are interrelated with each other?
P2: Project management plan with cost aspects, scope, time, quality and communication risk
Project can be successfully executed only if the management having enough knowledge
and capabilities to prepare project management plan consisting various elements such as cost,
time, quality, scope, communication and risk. These all elements are compulsorily required to
consider by management while making decision regarding implementation of digital technology
in business operations of an organisation (Crane and Matten, 2016). Such project management
plan assist management in assigning roles and responsibilities to their members involved in
execution of project activities. It can be further understood through describing such elements in
brief:
Scope: Before decide to implement digital technology in business operations, the
management first determine their scope and their role in achieving growth and expansion of an
organisation. Implementation of social media in working procedure has wider scope as it makes
easy for employees of Continental Consulting Ltd. to reach its targeted clients through the world

within minimum time and efforts. It enables members of company to influence their targeted
customers through offering the valuable suggestions and information about the new technologies
that can be used by them so as to achieve business growth and innovation (Drucker, 2012).
Cost: It refers to value of money which is essential need of an organisation to execute
project activities in more effective and efficient manner. Continental Consulting Ltd. is engaged
in re-engineering business system of small and medium sized organisations which are located in
London. Thus, it requires huge amount of money in order to bring new technological system in
business procedure of targeted clients. Adoption of social media to expand its business requires
huge cost due to which the management need to prepare a budget containing information of
allocation of cost to different activities. For example, payment made to different companies in
exchange of displaying their advertisement on their own official websites. Therefore, it is
important to prepare statement showing cost incurred in different project activities whose sample
are given as under:
Time: Setting time frame for completion of desired project activities brings maximum
profitable outcome to company. It binds employees as well to focus on completing allotted task
within given time frame which brings out maximum efforts from them in completion of project
activities. Therefore, the management of Continental Consulting Ltd. is required to prepare and
follow critical path in order to direct their employees to perform according to the time duration
allotted to them to complete allotted task (Kowalkowski, Kindström and Brehmer, 2011).

Quality: Quality easily attracts targeted clients due to which it becomes the main reason
an organisation go for quality instead of deduction of expenses. Continental Consulting Ltd. is
engaged in providing consultancy services to different businesses and customers of London.
Thus, to attract and communicate with them more effectively an organisation must have skilled
and knowledgeable employees who know how to deal with clients of different nature. Allotting
amount to conduct training and development programs for the employees enhances the quality in
work (Loch, DeMeyer and Pich, 2011).
Risk: Risk is always exist in every project activities which can affect the desired outcome
of company as well. Therefore, there is need to tackle future risk through pre-assuming the
situations that comes during performing of business activities. The management of Continental
Consulting Ltd. are held liable to identify the risk which can be related with lack of funds,
inadequate employees support, rivals new strategies etc. and plan accordingly. For example,
having improper knowledge of employees regarding using social media platform brings adverse
result to company due to which training and learning programs shall be conducted for them
before starting project.
Communication: In the context of an organisation, communication is necessary between
management and employees so as to maintain equality and diversity at workplace. There are
various communication tools such as meeting and conferences, interview etc. which help
managers in identifying the situations occur at workplace due to lack of equality. This will make
easy for managers to make corrective actions related with implementing employment acts so as
to maintain equality at workplace. On the other hand, researcher also uses various
communication tools such as interview, questionnaire, emails and texts etc. to get feedbacks and
reviews from the employees working within Continental Consulting Ltd. (Morris and Geraldi,
2011).
Resources: While conducting an appropriate research, various kinds of resources which
Continental Consulting Ltd. and researcher need to arrange and manage either from within or
outside of an organisation. In the context of an organisation, employees, financial reports etc. are
some resources which the management can use in order to determine the importance of
maintaining equality and diversity at workplace. In the context of researcher, support from team
members, respondents, funds etc. are valuable resources which need to attain to carry out an

effective research. Utilising these resources increases the chances of getting favourable outcome
at the end of research.
P3: Work breakdown structure and Gantt chart
WBS is one of the recommended disintegration of the work which is done under this
particular research into a reasonable area. This structure incorporates different advance which
are needed to be done to direct the exploration. Thus, the venture group of Continental
consulting Ltd has implemented with individual separation of projects with a particular aim to
recognise practical goals and objectives. This particular project structure talks regarding project
arrangement of various exercises that are being done and reliable measures are taken into
consideration during the time of conducting all those activities which are being done. This
process will increase the basic leadership capacity of users that will give clear vision regarding
projects and targets to them. The WBS structure assist an organisation through giving a chances
to make an individual to distinguish customer’s responses and their essential demand. This
specific strategy will also assist an organisation to attain their valuable aims and business
extension and advancements. This particular technique provides the management to make
decision and make valuable planning for the business growth and their expansions. It is prepared
on the basis of overall aims and goals of an organisation. This basic structure of project report is
divided into as follow:
1. Primary main and objective under this research.
2. Literature review
3. Conflicts features by the company
4. Aim of research projects
5. Selection of target respondents
6. Formulation of effective plan.
7. Analysis and criticise the information collected from the research
Technology is playing an eminent role in the arrangement of research which has been
conducted by using primary sources of research. Technology specialist of this organisation has
planning an effective survey that has been related with inquiries with relation to effects of
advanced innovation on their business performance. There are 35 respondents are chosen to
elaborate the scenario and connecting the goals of the project. Teenagers, young generations,
college students are the groups selected for survey.

TASK 2
P4: Small scale research by implementation qualitative and quantitative research
Qualitative and quantitative are two main methods of conducting an effective research
which are further discussed under the below:
Qualitative research: Under this research, the investigator searches for reliable and
accurate information about the market towards the decision taken by company for its growth and
success. It helps in identifying the thoughts, opinions of small number of respondents through
using different methods such as focus groups, individual interviews and observations. The
sample size is typically small and limited number of respondents are selected.
Quantitative research: Under this research, the researcher quantity the decision by way of
generating numerical data which can be further transformed into usable statistics. It is more
structured than qualitative data. Using mobile surveys and kiosk surveys, face to face interviews,
telephone interviews, the research can able to collect information from large number of
respondents.
Primary data: It is adopted by researcher with an objective of collecting reliable and
accurate information through using various primary sources such as interviews, questionnaire
etc. It is generally adopted if researcher have sufficient amount of time and money (Morrison,
2013).
Secondary data: It is adopted by researcher due to having lack of time and money.
Newspapers, journals, articles etc. are some sources through which the researcher can collect
data regarding the impact of digital technology on business performance. It contains less
accurate and reliable information which reduces the effectiveness of decision made by the
management for the betterment of an organisation.
Sample size: Under the research, 50 respondents are taken as sample whose views and
feedbacks are taken into consideration while drawing a valid conclusion at the end of research.
These respondents include employees, managers, customers etc.
Due to having more accuracy and reliability, Continental Consulting Ltd. has appointed
researcher to conduct qualitative research and uses primary sources in order to reach to an
effective and profitable decision. For this purpose, Questionnaire are prepared by research which
are given as below:
Questionnaire

Name
Gender
Age
Q1. Do you think social media can support Continental Consulting Ltd in achieving growth and
expansion?
a) Yes
b) No
Q2. Which social media tools brings maximum profitable outcome to Continental Consulting
Ltd.?
a) Facebook
b) Twitter
c) Instagram
d) Other tools
Q3) What are the main advantages that can be received by Continental Consulting Ltd after
adoption of Digital technology?
a) Enhancing overall performance
b) Minimising defects
b) Optimise uses of resources
Q4) Is there any requirement to invest funds in training and development programs for

employees to work on using digital technology?
a) Yes
b) No
Q5) Does digitalisation reduces workload of employees working in Continental Consulting Ltd?
a) Yes
b) No
Q6) What are the main barrier for company to adopt digitalisation in its business operation more
effectively?
a) Cost
b) Time
c) Conflict
Q7). Did social media reduces communication gap between Continental Consulting Ltd?
a) Yes
b) No
Q8). Is digitalisation play an important role in achieving high sustainability and profitability of
Continental Consulting Ltd?
a) Yes
b) No
Q9. Is there any requirement of increment in salary of employees working on using digital

technology within Continental Consulting Ltd?
a) Yes
b) No
Q10. Provide own recommendation to deal with challenges after implementing social media
tools?
TASK 3
P5: Evaluation research and data using appropriate tools and techniques
Evaluation of research is important as it assist research to draw a valid conclusion to the
company that whether to follow pre-determined decision regarding adoption of digital
technology or should re-think about this once again. Below is the proper evaluation of data
collected through research (Nicholas and Steyn, 2017).
Q1. Do you think social media can support Continental Consulting Ltd in
achieving growth and expansion?
Frequency
a) Yes 35
b) No 15