Research Project: Digital Technology's Impact on Business Activities

This research project investigates the impact of digital technology on business activities, focusing on the Flex Company. The project begins with an introduction outlining the background, purpose, and objectives, including an analysis of operations, marketing, accounting, and HR. It details a project management plan, including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure phases, along with work breakdown structure, Gantt chart, and cost analysis. A literature review explores the effects of digital technology on business operations, communication, and social impact. The research employs both qualitative and quantitative methods, including data collection, analysis, and sampling techniques. The project aims to assess digital technology's influence, suggesting ways for successful implementation, and concluding with recommendations and reflections on the findings. The project also examines how digital technology impacts Flex’s business activities, including operations, marketing, accounting, and HR. The project provides a framework for understanding and implementing digital technology in the workplace effectively.

The Impact of Digital Technology on Business Activity:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
1. Background and Purpose of the research...........................................................................1
2. Project management plan...................................................................................................2
3. Work break down structure and Gantt chart.......................................................................5
4. Qualitative and Quantitative research methods................................................................10
5. Analysing research and data using appropriate techniques and tools..............................10
6. Recommendations and conclusion...................................................................................15
7. Reflection.........................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................17
APPENDIX ...................................................................................................................................18

INTRODUCTION
The advancement of digital technology has not only impacted the lifestyle and way of
living for the people, but it has also hugely influenced the activities and operations related to a
business. The conventional method for working business has changed and individuals draw in
through computerized innovation when directing business movement. Portable innovation and
the web have rolls out business to improvement every day. The advances in software engineering
and correspondence have changed the face and the pace of business exercises whereby
associations have altered the business forms and thus, made business to work effectively. Things
like distributed computing, network, client division, downtime, and portable arrangements have
enabled business to be led in various ways and numerous organizations both little and extensive
proceed to adjust and direct exercises in advanced way. Innovation influences business exercises
both decidedly and contrarily making it critical for organizations to apply the exercises in ways
that put them at preference. Flex can be considered as the USA's one of the biggest organizations
related to the industry which fabricates electronic gadgets and supplies or provides technological
arrangements. The organization has given advanced innovation another importance whereby it
has planned, constructed, scaled, and conveyed development to the associated universe. The
company utilizes cloud innovation which has helped the association to manufacture a consistent
production network that has associated numerous providers on the planet. Subsequently, the
organization has possessed the capacity to expand the efficiency.
MAIN BODY
1. Background and Purpose of the research
Background of the research: The current paper will outline a project regarding the effect of
digital technology or computerized innovation on the business exercises of the Flex organization.
The research will be conducted independently and it will help in understanding how the digital
technology is increasingly impacting the various business activities with a specific focus on a
particular organization.
Aim:
To analyse the impact of digital technology on business activities, e.g. operations,
marketing, accounting and HR.
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Objectives:
 To evaluate requirement of digitalisation within operational activities of Flex.
 To analyse and determine impact of digital technology within growth and innovation of
Flex. To suggest ways in which company is able to successfully implement digital technology
at workplace
Research question:
 How digital technology is impacting the Flex organization's business activities?
 Has the influence been positive or negative?
 What are the potential measures that can be implemented by the company?
 Is the scenario same in other companies or industries?
 What are the general suggestions to improve the scenario?
2. Project management plan
It is a formal approved document that helps to define how a project is executed,
controlled and monitored. It is a summary of detailed document including baseline, cost of
project, subsidiary, management strategies, resources, quality and communication.
Project initiation: The goal of this stage is to describe research at a very broad level that it starts
with a case related to investigation when it is undertaken and feasible. However, the stage ends,
when testing of feasibility is done.
Project planning: Planning a key of successful management of developing map for firm to
follow procedure. Planning phase starts with setting goals using SMART and CLEAR method.
Determination of cost, quality, resources and realistic time-frame which are produced using
scope, schedule and cost of project.
Project execution: This is a phase, where deliverables are completed and reports, updates,
performances and meeting reports happens. Assigning resources, developing team, tracking
system, management plan, meeting status, project schedule and modified plans are involved in
this stage.
Project performance and monitoring: This is the stage, where project performance and
progression is determined. Key performance indicator is used to identify whether project is on
right track or not.
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Project closure: This is the last stage, represent complete project. In this, valuable members,
contractors and work events are identified for people participating in study.
Table 1: Scope and time duration
Table 2: Resource and cost budget
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Table 3: Quality control plan
Table 4: Communication plan
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Table 5: Risk management plan
In this manner, the project will cover a lot of specific aspects and concepts. It will take
help of a literature review to develop a proper understanding of the topic according to the
existing evidence. Thereafter, a comprehensive research will be conducted and the gathered
information will be analyzed to generate viable outcomes.
Project Costs
The costs of this project will be nominal. As the majority of the research will be done in
secondary manner, the costs will be mainly associated with accessing text-books, research
papers, journal articles, and website sources to gather data. However, primary data collection is
also included for making research more effective.
3. Work break down structure and Gantt chart
Work break down structure: WBS is a key deliverable oriented break down of a plan or strategy
into smaller components. It helps to organise team work into manageable sections effectively. In
addition to this, it is important for the simplification of execution of project (Work Breakdown
Structure, 2018).
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Illustration 1: Work Break down structure
(Source: Work Breakdown Structure, 2018)
Table 6: Project management plan
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Gantt chart
Figure 1: Gantt chart
LITERATURE REVIEW
Advanced innovation is reshaping the business world and has changed all parts of
business tasks. Flex utilizes distributed computing that enables the organization to move a
portion of the exercises to servers that have a place with the outsider whereby they can be got to
through the web availability. Therefore, factor information bundles are made accessible in an
extended and a versatile way without the dread of lasting misfortune, downtime, and slamming.
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Distributed computing enables Flex to get to assets that are restrictive in taken a toll while the
playing field is made even as far as rivalry with the organizations that have proficient
subsidizing. Therefore, the organization lessens cost since secure situations are made and kept up
through advanced innovation (Ganguly 2015, p.3). Notwithstanding the lessening of business
costs, distributed computing enhances correspondence and makes a capability of expanding
business. Consequently, advanced innovation enhances business tasks through distributed
computing. With advanced innovation, Flex can expand the simplicity of keeping in contact with
laborers. Network is improved by advanced innovation whereby specialists and workers are
made accessible through writings, video visits, and other computerized stages. The computerized
availability permits focused on messages to be sent to the clients in different ways like making a
hyper-genuine web that gives constant data (Grishikashvili, Dibb, and Meadows 2014, p.147).
Through messaging, messaging, computerized items applications, and sites individuals can
enhance correspondence with both the shoppers and the kindred laborers. Flex can soak the
monetary market with the data that they need their clients to know and thus, enhance business
activities. Notwithstanding conveying to the clients, the organization gets criticism from the
purchasers through the computerized innovation specialized techniques. The organization
contacts its clients through electronic cell phones continuously with the assistance of advanced
innovation. In this manner, advanced innovation enhances correspondence in business exercises.
Computerized innovation has a negative effect as in the aspect diminishes downtime.
Individuals have constrained time to recover in light of the fact that individuals are continually
getting to advanced materials like messages and instant messages. Notwithstanding getting to
computerized materials, individuals keep on working notwithstanding when the entities are a
long way from the working environments through advanced gadgets like workstations and tablets
(Westerman, Bonnet, and McAfee 2014, p.15). In view of the enticements of checking in,
individuals have a tendency to invest the majority of the energy getting to individual materials,
which lessens the time that is implied for work. Henceforth, creation is diminished through
advanced gadgets and locales. Advanced innovation socially affects business whereby Flex
Company works through long range interpersonal communication. The workers and the clients
associate without geological hindrances and societal position confinements and budgetary
foundations. For example, poor administrations influence clients to give organizations poor
appraisals and terrible surveys, which is a burden to an organization. Individuals either destroy or
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improve the notoriety of an organization by posting their remarks on the online networking.
Whatever is posted on the web can never leave which can either be a burden or favorable
position to the organization. Henceforth, advanced innovation has both positive and negative
effects relying upon what the purchasers say with regard to an organization (Fitzgerald, et al.
2014, p.1). The perspective implies that an organization must be worried about computerized
impression and the social character since it assumes an incredible part in the notoriety of the
organization. Accordingly, the company has a group directors and spectators that attention on
ensuring that terrible press isn't made and furthermore guarantees that the organization is
proactive.
The social effect of computerized innovation diminishes geological and money related
obstructions yet in the meantime makes an open door for terrible notoriety through awful press.
Portability can be considered as a critical part of the computerized world whereby all business
exercises are held in any sort of situations including the remote spots. Shrewd gadgets and tablets
are stacked with the right programming to enable the labourers to lead business exercises
notwithstanding when they are far from work. These exercises incorporate client relations, deals
enablement, and substance advertising through procedures like invoicing and dispatching
(Grishikashvili, Dibb, and Meadows 2014, p.146). On the planet today, a large portion of the
purchasers can get to advanced gadgets like cell phones particularly on account of the ascent of
the Generation Y and their impact in computerized innovation. Consequently, the majority of the
purchasers depend on their advanced gadgets to shop, offer, and purchase things and in addition
to discover organizations locally and universally. They additionally depend on advanced
innovation to impart to companions, prospect buyers, and colleagues about their retail encounters
with an organization. Consequently, shoppers market to their prospects through different
purchasers with the assistance of computerized innovation (Peppard, and Ward 2016, p.4).
Accordingly, the capability of expanding business is expanded in light of the fact that innovation
new financial markets are come to through advanced innovation. Rather than simply pitching to
the nearby buyers, the organization can pitch to worldwide purchasers through computerized
stages. The organization utilizes retail sites to offer the items in different monetary markets and
the audits and remarks of the buyers help to make a greater number of clients.
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4. Qualitative and Quantitative research methods
Research philosophy: There are four types of research philosophy available for researcher such
as positivism, interpretivism, realism and pragmatism. For the present case study, positivism
philosophy is used to determine key findings of the research.
Research approach: Inductive, deductive and abductive are three approaches available for
researcher. For the present case study of analysing impact of digital technology on business
activities, researcher used inductive approach as it is used to achieve aim and objectives of
research.
Data collection: Primary and secondary are two methods of collecting data. Primary includes
quantitative and qualitative research in which the information is gathered and based on
mathematical calculation. Secondary data is collected through blogs, articles, newspapers,
journals, books and magazines. Both methods are used for the present case study.
Data analysis: In order to generate key findings, it is important for researcher to analyse data
and information collected through various sources effectively. Qualitative and quantitative are
two methods and both are used by researcher including interpretation of figures and critical
analysis of information to determine rational behind findings.
Sampling: Probability and non-probability are two types of sampling. For the present case study
simple random sampling is used for the primary data collection method. In this, 10 respondents
are selected from Flex for the process of questionnaire.
5. Analysing research and data using appropriate techniques and tools
Primary data analysis:
Theme 1- Yes, flex organisation is using digital technology.
Q1. What do you think, is Flex using digitalisation within all
operations?
Frequency
Yes 6
No 2
Not sure 2
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