Impact of Digital Technology on Small Business Innovation

This report examines the impact of digital technology on small business growth and innovation, focusing on Continental Consulting Limited, a business consultancy. The project begins by defining aims and objectives, including leveraging social media. A project management plan is developed, covering scope, cost, time, quality, communication, risk, and resources. The report then presents a work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart to illustrate time framing and project phases. Finally, it outlines small-scale research using qualitative and quantitative methods, discussing primary and secondary data collection. The report highlights the use of digital tools and social media strategies to enhance business operations, improve management quality, and explore service offerings.

MANAGING SUCCESSFUL
BUSINESS PROJECTS
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INTRODUCTION
For growth and successful management company depends upon effective planning and
controlling of business operation performed within an organization. Digital technology has been
considering one of the most effective tool in increasing efficiency and effectiveness of business
operation at next level (Adzic, 2011).
So different techniques are being adopted by companies for prominent utilization of
digital technology that attain in effective execution of business activity for betterment in
operational performance and management. This project report pertain the brief description
regarding aim, objective, information and time frame depends on digitalization of world.
Importance of management plan is covered that covers the aspect to communicate the risk and
useful sources held with the organisation. Continental Consulting Limited is adapted to execute
digital technology to support small business projects. A research program required to conduct in
the form of questionnaire to gather information for assisting projects.
TASK 1
P1. Project aim and objective.
Continental Consulting Limited is an average scale business firm that provides research
and business consultancy services in the different part of London. Company provide different
services such as business re-engineering and potential customers for small and medium
manufacturing companies located in UK. Crucial point of this association is to designate fitting
workers for their customer organizations. Continental Consulting Limited was set up eight years
ago with a predefined specific goal to expand their effectiveness and efficiency, company needs
to rise their innovation and for that they have chosen to execute advanced innovation in their
exercises. This stage will assist the association with competing with new competitors of the
market and fulfil their customers’ needs and requirements. Advanced device as, Tweepi,
Oktopost, Crowd booster, Socedo and Tag board can be used at different stages that can extend
and develop their business operation and task performed in company. Computerized instrument
will enable this consultancy firm to advance their business utilizing social media.
The main topic of this project report is:
“The impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation”
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In the current scenario, one of the most crucial parts for growth of any company is innovation
that develops critical posture in business activity. Computerized modernism encourages an
association to learn different mechanism that could impact their tasks such as contenders,
demand, advertise powers etc (Duffield and Whitty, 2015). Deciding potential demand for
consumer they utilize these instruments that form structure of systems which can complete the
customers' requirements by fulfilling every demand.
The primary Aim of report is: “The impact of social media as digital technology supporting
small business growth and innovation”
The necessary goal of this assessment report is to decide how social media can help a
small and medium scale organization like Continental Consulting Limited to achieve its
dependable objectives
Important Research Objectives:
 To execute social media techniques in business activity of continental consulting limited.
 To assist that help in improving administrate quality by utilizing social media
instruments.
 To discover various services associated to company through social media tools and
techniques.
Crucial Research questions:
 How digital modernization brunt on development of medium scale enterprises?
 What possible changes business firm would face in management quality after functioning
of digital instruments?
 How social media tools can explore diverse services related to consultancy?
P2 Produce a project management plan that covers aspects of cost, scope, time, quality,
communication, risk, and resources
Project management is application of implementing skills, tools, technique and
knowledge to carry out project to satisfy stakeholder’s needs and demand. Project management
planning is crucial to complete project on time within the budget offered without comprising the
quality. Project management planning helps to plan and assess needs that is important to
complete the project. Project can be completed within time frame with good quality only if there
is proper planning by the managers. Project management plan includes many elements such as
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scope, cost, risk, communication, quality and time. These elements can be understood well
through brief description:
Scope: In order to implement social media technology in the organization operations, it is
crucial to find out their scope both for present and future. Social media implementation has wider
scope as it allows employees of Continental Consulting Ltd to get in touch with the targeted
clients and customers with less efforts and time. Employees are able to express valuable
information about new techniques and tools to their clients in less time. It reduces the labor of
manpower and helps to achieve business goals and objections within limited time frame.
Cost: Cost is related to handling of money which plays an important role in executing
project activities. Continental Consulting Ltd deals in re-engineering business system of both
small and medium sized organization that is located at London. It requires large amount of
finance to invest to introduce new updated technological system. To introduce social media in
business it requires lots of cost and need a proper budgeting to allocate the resources at right
place and make correct decision. It is important to maintain a total forecast budget to investigate
where money is invested and in what amount (Pekuri and et. al., 2014). A finance statement
showing cost implementation in different project activities is mentioned below:
Total forecasted budget
Particular 2017-18(£)
Implementing technology cost 17000
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Promotional expense 7000
Advertisement expense 5500
Catalogues 1800
Training charges 7500
Total cost 38800
Time: Completing project beyond the time structure is of no use. Completion of desired
project activities within time frame brings maximum satisfaction and profitable outcome. It helps
to focus on completing the project activities on time. The management of Continental Consulting
Ltd should encourage and guide their employees to perform and act according to time limits
allotted to them to complete the tasks on time. Setting deadlines encourages workers to hub
more and bring commercial and innovative way to compete particular project in a pre-planned
time period.
Quality: Quality work is accepted and praised by every client so it is crucial to focus on
quality of project activities. The management of Continental Consulting Ltd should guide their
employees to work effectively to complete their project task on time with good quality. The
company should focus on quality of work to gain competitive advantage in the market. For
example, attractive communication skills of employees through education and knowledge
programs this makes effortless for them to contract with different customers of different
personality and backgrounds. Communicating with the help of social media in most prominent
manner that can assist clutch an inattention of customers and draw their interest of getting
company's services as well.
Risk: There is always a chance of risks associated with project which directly affects the
outcomes. To tackle this risk Continental Consulting should try to identify those areas where risk
can occurs. The risk regarding to project activities includes lacks of finance, lack of supporting
employees or lack of proper planning to implement project plans. Training and learning lectures
should be delivered to employees to learn and adopt uses of social media technique and tools to
meet productive projects activities to make profit (Drucker, 2012). For instance, lack of workers
support due to deficiency of skills and awareness, therefore manager are essential to form
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strategy concerning approval of guidance programs for worker that will improve capability and
involvement towards project activities.
Communication: Without communication it is impossible to complete project activities
on time. Lack of communication among the higher level management or lower level
management may lead to failure of project. Moreover, it may indirectly effect the quality of
project activities. Due to this reason, it is necessary to form a good channel of communication
between all levels of management to overcome risk and failure regarding to projects. All the
new project plans and process should be communicated is effective manner to complete the
project without faults and on time.
P3 Work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart that depicts the time framing and phases.
The WBS chart or work breakdown structure is a type of table in which the significant
work related task and activity of a business operation are illustrated to represent relationship
among each employee and to the project as a whole. The main purpose of these charts is to
provide necessary information that aid project manager to predicts result based on different
scenarios so that important decision are made about whether or not to adopt suggested
procedures and if required change that system. The mission group of Continental Consulting
Limited has made with split divergence of projects with a specific goal to distinguish practical
intend and objectives. This formation debate about various project arrangements of the exercises
that are being done and measures ought to be considered while playing out company task. This
practice will improve the basic management capacity of users and will give clear image about the
projects and targets that has to be achieved. This WBS system helps an organization by giving an
option to differentiate customers’ inclinations and demands. This strategy will also help the
organization and assist the management to take decisions and make strategies for accomplish
their essential objective and that is business expansion and development. These work breakdown
charts are prepared on the basis of aim and objective of business that is explained as follows:
 Main aim and objective of the research.
 Narrative re-evaluate
 Conflicts featured by the company
 Intend of research
 Selection of target
 Formation of appropriate plans
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 Estimation and pass judgement on the collected data.
Continental Consulting Limited is a small scale enterprise that wants to set up an
agreement to implement computerized innovation instruments like incorporating the
information’s and data in electronic form so that they can compete in the market. As taking into
account the point organisation is set to build up a compelling arrangement research has been
performed by using key source of research. Member of technology department within this
consultancy company has organised an examination that have few inquiries question with respect
to result of sophisticated innovation on their business. For the purpose 35 respondents are
selected to detail the situation and concerning the goals of the project. Teenagers, young
generations, college students are the groups selected for survey.
Assessment provides critical data to the company and to the enterprise supervisors with the goal
so that effective systems are designed (Nicholas and Steyn, 2017). All task and act of research
requires a definite time period so that task list can be finished. Through a definite finish goal to
list these happenings consultancy has chosen necessary source of research and that is polling
method.
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The above Gantt chart shows that a specific task in completed in how much of days. For
example, research methodology is planned to be completed in 12 days which is based on task
number 2 and 3 which is mentioned in proceedings. Gantt chart is defined as the graphical
presentation of any particular project schedule. It display data in bar chart that shows open and
close dates of different elements of a projects such as resources, task and dependency (What is
Gantt Chart, 2018). These are mostly used on project managements that are useful in planning a
projects and defining the sequences of task that requires conclusion. As per above information
and data, a Gantt chart is prepared for Continental Consultancy Limited that help in scheduling,
managing and monitoring different task and resources of a project that is shown below:
Essential defines the path to accomplish the information and defines the series in which
tasks are passed out and performed further. Most important part remains connected with
ascertaining the path and establish the greatest time limit for performing the tasks. The critical
path for the above business plan is carried our as follows;
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TASK2
P4. Small scale research by implementation qualitative and quantitative research.
There are basically two type of main sources that are used in terms of gathering
information and collecting data form market. These are described below:
Primary data: This source of collecting data helps managers to acquire information
honestly from respondents without any false result. Interview, survey, questionnaire are the
methods used for primary collection of data.
Secondary data: Whereas, through these sources various data are used as a supporting
material to implement the research. Articles, magazines, applied research are considered as
secondary sources of collecting information (Morris and Geraldi, 2011).
Questionnaire
Name
Gender
Age
Q1. Can social media supports to elaborate and achieve the expansion of Continental
Consulting Ltd.?
a) Yes
b) No
Q2. What types of social media tools were helpful for the Continental Consulting Ltd. to
maximise the profits?
a) Facebook
b) Twitter
c) Instagram
d) Other tools
Q3. What are the essential benefits that can be accepted by Continental Consulting Ltd. after
selecting the digital technology?
a) Enhancing overall performance
b) Minimising defects
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b) Optimise uses of resources
Q4. Are there any necessities to spend the funds in induction and development programs for
employees to work on exploiting the digital technology?
a) Yes
b) No
Q5. Does digitalisation bring down the workload of the employees worked in the Continental
Consulting Ltd.?
a) Yes
b) No
Q6. What are the important obstacles for the company to select digitalization in its business
operations more effectively?
a) Cost
b) Time
c) Conflict
Q7.Did social media cut down the communication gap between Continental Consulting Ltd.?
a) Yes
b) No
Q8. Is digitalisation play a crucial role to achieve the high profitability and sustainability of
Continental Consulting Ltd.?
a) Yes
b) No
Q9. Is there any necessities to increase the salary of an employees hired to exploit the digital
technology in Continental Consulting Ltd.?
a) Yes
b) No
Q10. Provide own advice to handle the challenges after using the social media tool?
P5. Analyse of research and data through appropriate tools and techniques.
Q1 Do you think that Continental Consulting Ltd is flexible to adopt social media tools in its
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business operation?
Yes 25
No 10
Yes No
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
25
10
Column C
Interpretation: From the above graph, it can be said that 25 personal are in support, which
means Consultancy Company is monetarily proficient to execute digital technology to
enlarge business. It can also be said that 10 personals believe that company is not talented to
implement this tools.
Q2. Which type of social media tools contribute highest in the growth and development of
Continental Consulting Ltd?
a) Facebook 10
b) Oktopost 10
c) Tagboard 12
d) Twitter E-commerce 3
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