Determining Digital Technology's Role: 4Com Plc Case Study Analysis

This research project investigates the crucial role of digital technology in enhancing the development and operational efficiency of 4Com Plc, a telecommunications company. The project includes a comprehensive introduction outlining the research question, objectives, and hypotheses, supported by a literature review that explores the benefits of digital tools and technologies for business development, including increased efficiency, improved decision-making, and enhanced communication. The research aims to determine the importance of digital technology in maximizing sales and revenue, and its impact on 4Com Plc's growth. The study uses a case study approach, analyzing 4Com Plc's operations and performance to demonstrate the practical applications and advantages of digital technologies. The project also details the research methodology, including primary and secondary research methods, data collection techniques, and communication of research outcomes. The project concludes with a reflection on the effectiveness of the research methods and potential alternative methodologies, providing a holistic view of digital technology's influence on business performance.

Research Project

Table of Contents
TITLE .............................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
P1) Research proposal which clearly define question and hypothesis with literature review. 1
P2) Research methods and approaches to primary and secondary research..........................7
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................9
P3 Conduct primary and secondary research by using appropriate methods and techniques 9
P4 Conduct primary and secondary research by using appropriate methods and techniques.12
........................................................................................................................................................12
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................21
P5 Communicate research outcomes in an appropriate manner for the intended audience. 21
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................24
P6 Reflection on the effectiveness of research methods and techniques. ...........................24
P7 Determine alternative research methodologies for the project........................................24
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................26

TITLE
“To determine the importance of digital technology to bring out development and
efficiency in operations for an association”. – A case study on 4Com Plc.
INTRODUCTION
In the world full of digitalisation each individual and organisations are engage in various
activities that are based on digital equipment. Each small as well as large business concern are
concern on developing organisational performance and productivity as to enhancing their
capabilities at market place (Sweetser, and et. al., 2015). Digital tools and technologies are
effective in enhancing organisational performance through implementing right tools at right
place this also effective in reducing the extra cost and expense in production. High production
has direct influence on improving sales and revenue of firm through attracting wide number of
people for their firm and its goods and services. 4Com Plc provides telecommunication products
and services to business in the United Kingdom. The company basically deals in digital handsets,
call recording, computer telephony integration, on hold marketing, voicemail, call management
and call reporting, online billing, wall-board display software, broadband, maintenance, VoIP
services, phone system, business mobile, iPads for business and telephone system maintenance
(Hughes, 2012). This report contents the study about the impact of modernized advancements in
the improvement and accomplishment of firm. In this a predestined point and targets are made
which are valuable in take the necessary steps appropriate route through utilizing capable
techniques. Composing overview expect feasible part in giving theoretical framework by
separating the sentiment diverse scholars and creators. Close-by this, for growing more qualified
outcome, get some information about have a few frameworks which need to help fittingly. Along
these lines, by accumulate particular data fitting judgement passed on around isolating and its
translation.
P1) Research proposal which clearly define question and hypothesis with literature review.
As a small telecommunication company 4Com Plc is concerned on gaining attention of
large number of people towards their firm as to providing high quality products and services.
4Com Plc was propounded in the year of 1998 as a telecommunication company which is
headquartered is in United Kingdom. The major purpose of firm is to attain high growth and
revenue at market place through enhancing their performance and productivity. The
fundamental duty of each business organisation is to fulfilling the basic desired of buyers as to
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sustain them for long time for gaining long time benefits from them. Consumers are the essential
element of market as the production and productivity is based on customer’s preference. This
Research is based on the importance of digital tools and technologies in maximising sales and
revenue of firm. The major motive of each small as well as large business organisation is to
identifying the changes that are arises in the trend and customer’s perception and producing
goods and services according to the changing needs and wants of people. Digital tools and
technologies plays a vast role in exploring all business activities at wide range through providing
fast and easy services to the potential buyers as to satisfying the needs and wants of people and
this also effective in gaining a competitive edge at market. The main aim of conducting research
is to enhance the skills and knowledge of the concerned learner in the field of marketing as how
digital tools plays an effective role in improving the productivity and performance of firm.
Research Aim
It is considered as the most important part of research project because the whole work
and activity of research rely on the title and aim of the research (Drucker, 2012). This consist as
an issue which is needs to be analysed by research for conducting a research work. The aim of
this particular research is to determine the importance of digital technology to bring out
development and efficiency in operations for an association – A case study on 4Com Plc.
Research Objective
This part of research relies on the research aims because in this various objectives are
prepared which are significantly interlinked with research title. This provide help to the
researcher for carry out the operations and activities of research in systematic manner. Some
essential objectives are described as below:
 To identify the necessity of digital technology for business development.
 To evaluate the importance of digital technology in order to maximise efficiency in
operations of 4Com Plc.
 To articulate relationship between digital technology and growth of 4Com Plc. To recommend various ways by which firms will sustain their performance at market
places and attain competitive advantage.
Research Question
This part of research is interlined with research objectives as these are created as per the
predetermined objectives of the research (Orton-Johnson and Prior, 2013). Questions plays an
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effective role in conducting literature review with viewpoints of various writers and authors.
Some essential questions of research are evaluated as below:
 What is the necessity of digital technology for business development?
 What are the importance of digital technology in order to maximise efficiency in
operations of 4Com Plc?
 How to articulate the relationship between digital technology and growth of 4Com Plc? What are the essential ways by which firms will sustain their performance at market
places and attain competitive advantage?
Literature Review
It is the most important part of research work as it helps in performing research by
incorporating viewpoints of different authors and writers. This section helps in demonstrate the
understanding and ability of researcher as to critically evaluate different field of research project.
This section relies on view point of different authors, writers who do have special skills and
knowledge about the topic of the effectiveness of digital tools and technologies to maximise the
performance and productivity of firm (Laudon and Laudon, 2015). Past research is also plays an
effective part in conducting literature review in systematic manner.
The necessity of digital technology for business development.
As per the view point of Sabella, Poynton, and Isaacs, (2010) digital tools and
technologies are effective in attaining high growth and success at market place. In the
environment of digitalisation organisations are concern on adopting valuable tools and
technologies at work place as to developing organisational performance and productivity at
market area. Technologies can be considered as the most important part of any business
organisation as it helps in making organisational operation more easy in nature. Effective
transformation in digital tools and technologies reshapes every element of business or its various
operations. As a small telecommunication company 4Com Plc is focused on providing variety of
goods and services to their significant customers as to creating more awareness among people.
Successful digital transformation can only be achieved through collaboration, thoughtful
planning, and the inclusion of every department (Casey and et. al., 2011). The necessity of digital
tools and technologies can be describing as below:
It creates business more efficient: Digital Tools and technologies plays a vast role in developing
organisational performance and productivity at market place as to emerging new methods at
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work place. It will allow to be more effective and efficient in the operations of organisation.
Various tools like word processing program, Electronic bookkeeping system etc. are making life
easier for business. Businesses can plan calls of sales and appointments, track time of employee
and work out necessary tasks very quickly (Chaudhuri, Dayal and Narasayya, 2011). 4Com Plc
is a small business enterprise, who deals in variety of digital tools and technologies in the
country of United Kingdom. Company is widely concern on adopting new tools as to
maintaining proper records of firm in effective manner, which may lead towards high growth and
success.
Digital technologies allow the firm to make better decision: Decision making can be described
as the most important part of business organisation as the growth and success of firm are based
on effective decision making. Digital tools and technologies helps in properly implementation of
all resources in order to create appropriate decision which is beneficial for firm or its growth. As
a small firm company is focused on creating an effective decision as to developing their
performance and productivity at market place (Laudon and Laudon, 2016).
Computational accuracy: This is very important especially in the case of numbers. Modern
spreadsheets like excel with its hundreds of computational formulas helps ensure accuracy.
Accounting programs like Quick-books allow businesses to accurately keep inventory, make and
record sales, manage and pay bills and handle payroll. Now books can be regularly maintained in
a software program and financial statements can be generated in moments.
Communicate more efficiently: Whether it’s about instant messaging the co-worker across the
hall or Skype with clients across the ocean, technology has made connecting in real time very
easy. use of social media like Facebook, Instagram and twitter for promotional activities has
helped businesses to grow exponentially in their respective sector (Vodanovich, Sundaram and
Myers, 2010).
The importance of digital technology in order to maximise efficiency in operations of 4Com
Plc.
As per the views expressed by Charles C. Snow, Orenstein Devik Fjedstad and Arthur M.
Langer, 2017, Digital tools and technologies plays an effective role in maximising organisational
operations and performance at large level. The basic objective of each small as well as large
business enterprises it to attaining high growth and success at market place through offering
variety of goods and services to their significant customers who are willing to taking advantage
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of offered products and services of firm. 4Com Plc works in as a small telecommunication
company in United Kingdom and widely concern on providing various products and services to
the local people and business organisations as to sustaining growth and success at market
environment (Wheelwright, 2010). Proper implementation of resources leads the firm towards
high profitability. Digital tools and technologies has huge importance in maximising sales and
revenue of firm through increasing the quality of products and services which are offered to their
potential customers. Importance of digital tools and technologies are described as below:
Increasing productivity: Organisations are focused on adopting new tools and technologies as to
developing organisational productivity. High productivity leads the firm towards high growth
and success as it helps in attracting large number of buyers towards firm and its offered products
and services. Emergence of new methods are effective in enhancing productivity of firm. 4Com
Plc works in a variety of telecommunication products and services, company is concern on
adopting new tools and technologies as to creating advancement in their products and services
(Costa and et. al., 2013.).
Enhance profitability: In the world full of digitalisation mostly people spend a huge time on
digital products as these are helps in making humans life more easy and comfortable. Large
number of people are based on digital tools and technologies and use them at continuous basis so
company such as 4Com Plc are concern on developing new and innovative products at market
place as to enhancing profitability of firm through gaining attention of people.
Automate Tasks to save time: Tasks which are performed within the organization needs to
automate at frequent basis as to save time and bring efficiency and raise productivity of the firm.
Manual workings are constantly being replaced by technological changes. Organisations are
concern on adopting new tools that are helps in saving time and cost of firm, digital equipments
are helps in saving extra time and cost of firm (Ozdamli and Cavus, 2011).
The relationship between digital technology and growth of 4Com Plc.
As per the opinion of Sam-Edmunds, 2018, digital tools and technologies has an effective
relationship with organisational growth and success. Innovative tools and technologies are
essential in developing organisational performance and productivity. Each small as well as large
business organisations are concern on applying most effective strategies as to enhancing growth
of firm. The relation between increment in gross income and gross revenues are the same merely
have different cognitive content and objectives. For increasing sales and revenues each need
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different strategy. Besides this, the tactics which is used for the increment in sales and revenues
are different but they are complimentary to each other (Yoo and et. a., 2012). Understanding the
relationship between digital technologies and growth of 4Com Plc are effective in attaining high
profit at market place. The word sales and revenues have different meanings, Sales refer to the
number of units of product sold by the 4Com Plc. Whereas revenue is concerned with the total
amount of money the company has generated through its sales . Where as the income means
profit derived from those sales. An effective relationship among digital tools and growth has a
huge influence on higher profitability of firm. As a small telecommunication company 4Com Plc
is focused on increasing its marketing as to creating awareness among people about the offered
products and services of firm. This is the most relevant strategy which is used by company to
increase its sales in order to boost their performance at marketplace. It means company should
boost the quality of those product and service which are uniformly used by the consumers of
4Com Plc (Evangelista, 2017).
Ways to sustain performance at market place and attain competing advantage.
When a firm sustains profits that exceed the mean for its industry, the firm is said to
posses a agonistic advantage over its contender. There are two basic types of competitive
advantage cost advantage and differentiation advantage. A competing advantage exist when the
firm is able to deliver the same benefits as competitors but at lower cost (cost advantage), or
deliver performance that exceed those of competing products (operational advantage).The
various ways through which a company can sustain performance at market place and attain
competitive advantage are as follows :-
Resources and Capabilities- According to the resource supported view,in order to develop a
competitive advantage the firm must have resources and capabilities that are superior to its
competitors. Without this superiority,the competitors simply could replicate what the firm was
doing and any advantage quickly would disappear. Resources are the firm specific assets useful
for creating a cost or differentiation advantage and that few competitors can acquire easily
(Arnone and et.al., 2011). The following are some example of such resources:
 Apparent and trademarks
 Brand know-how
 Installed customer basic
 Honor of the organisation
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 Brand Equity
Firm have capability to utilized its resource effectively. An illustration of such incapability is an
ability of the firm to bring a merchandise in the market faster than contender. The firm's
Resources and incapability together form its distinctive competencies. These competence enable
innovation,efficiency,attribute and customer responsiveness,all of which can be advantage to
create a cost advantage or differentiation advantage.
Value Creation- The enterprises creates measures by performing a series of act called value
chain. The firm operates in a value system of vertical act including those of upstream suppliers
and downstream channel associate. To achieve a competitive advantage,the firm must perform
one or more value creating activities in a way that creates more overall value than rival.
P2) Research methods and approaches to primary and secondary research.
Research method is a systematic plan for conducting research. It is regarded as the most
important part of research project. It is helpful for the researcher to perform such research work
in the most efficient way possible . This part of research requires use of different tools and
techniques which are essential for research work. This part of research is divided into different
parts that are impactful for researcher to arrive at conclusion (Zhou, Whyte and Sacks, 2012).
Type of Investigation
There are different types of research. Responsibility for selection of the type of research
to be conducted rests with the researcher. Research nature can be divided into two types
qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative research is a research which is based on the quality of
the data. This Research is based on qualitative method because in this different facts and figures
are being considered to arrive at conclusion.
Qualitative Research: This is a important element among the most essential strategies which are
used by the authority with a particular ultimate objective to m choose the distinctive data and
information of research in convincing way. This approach is used by the analyst to grasp the
quantitative bit of the investigation methodology this prompts accomplish unmistakable sorts of
steps incorporate into the examination which are related to the numerical bit of research in
effective way.
Quantitative Research: This methodology is used to find the result fit as a fiddle. This
investigation relies upon the amassing of data and information which are concerned on to pass on
it as theory. Operator set up the report of research as composing, they are as various research
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which are being created by the relationship with a particular ultimate objective to find the
unmistakable sorts of research in genuine way.
Data sampling: Under data sampling Samples are selected from the population and public. This
sample is a representative of the whole population and research is based on the information
obtained from such sample (Markham, 2011). The size of the sample taken is 40 respondents
who are taking services of the firm on regular basis. Sampling technique is used by the
researcher which are probabilistic or non-probabilistic techniques which are used as per
requirement of the projects. For this research Non-probabilistic(goal-directed) method has been
taken.
Data Analysis: Data analysis is the essential process of inspecting, analysing, transforming and
modelling of data to accumulate results. It has multiple facets and approaches which are used by
researcher as to communicating appropriate result and findings. Data analysis comprises two
type of sources like primary source and secondary source. Primary source deals with the
qualitative analysis of data and secondary source of data are used for compose explanatory
reviews of data.
Research Design: The research design refers to the overall strategy that is chosen to include the
different components of the study in a coherent and logical way it ensures addressing the
research problem effectively (Laudon and Laudon, 2016). There are three type of research design
like descriptive research design, Exploratory research design and Casual or experimental
research design. We consider exploratory research design because this research is based on the
qualitative research. Descriptive research design is basically concern with explaining problem
and arriving to its solution. It is a more purposive study. In present era descriptive research
design method is used because it helps in analysing in efficient manner.
Research Philosophy: Research philosophy basically is belief about the ways in which data
about a Topic should be collected, used and analysed. In other words, it can be defined as the
way in which record and analysis of the data about a phenomenon. Research philosophy is
divided in to two section that is interpretivism and positivism. In present era researcher use
interpretivism research approach because this approach of research gives qualitative report which
help the researcher to analyses the data at different stages of the certain phenomenon. It is based
on the nature and its role as social factors. It tries to understand social role of different individual
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according to the researcher's meaning. Researcher tries to put his best effort in understanding
human emotions and their social role.
Research approach: Research approach is an effective tools of research which provide support
in carrying out the activities of research in perfect manner so the result can be obtained. The
approaches of research are categories into two basic research approaches like inductive and
deductive research approach. In present research project Inductive approach is considered by the
researcher because this is based on the qualitative data data. It reckoned on availability of facts
and figures which are collected by the researcher (Vodanovich, Sundaram and Myers, 2010). The
ultimate aim of this approach is to bring out meanings from the data which is being collected so
that patterns and relationships between them can be identified properly.
TASK 2
P3 Conduct primary and secondary research by using appropriate methods and techniques
An investigation is conducted for some specific purpose and in a research work data
collection is considered as the most essential aspect of research, thus the overall activities of the
research is based on the data accumulated by the researcher. There are basically two methods
used in an investigation to gather valid and reliable data i.e. primary and secondary are the major
source of data collection, the proper description in regards to the data collection tools are
associated as below:
Primary sources of Data collection: This technique is one of the imperative source in which
researcher gather data frame direct keeping in mind the end goal to make a legitimate outcome
and results. It straightforwardly contribute in achieving positive results. This section is basically
emphasise on accumulation of data through conducting interview, survey, observation etc.
However this section of the investigation is effective in accumulation of data for the very first
time. By utilizing this, researcher comprehend the best approach to gather the data in viable
manner.
Secondary sources of Data collection: It refers to the data which already has been collected by
various investigator thus, through this investigator would easily implement as well as execute
research activities in an effective as well as efficient manner. The sources of collection of these
data are internet, magazines writings of people etc. It depends on the researcher what kind of
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