Impact of Digital Technology on Business Activity: SSE Case Study

This research project investigates the impact of digital technology on business activities, focusing on a case study of SSE. The project includes a detailed introduction outlining the significance of digital technology in modern business operations, followed by a research proposal that defines the research question and hypothesis, supported by a literature review. The research employs both primary and secondary research methods to gather data and analyze findings using appropriate analytical tools. The project addresses key objectives, such as analyzing changes in the production department with the use of digital technology, determining factors with negative implications on the operation department, evaluating the use of digital technology for attaining goals and objectives, and determining the relationship between digital tools and profitability. The project also explores alternative research methodologies and concludes with a discussion on the effectiveness of the applied research methods. The project is a comprehensive analysis of how digital technology influences various aspects of business operations and performance, using SSE as a practical example.

RESEARCH PROJECT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Research proposal that clearly defines a research question or hypothesis, supported by
literature review.........................................................................................................................1
P2 Research methods and conduct primary and secondary research..........................................7
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................8
P3 Primary and secondary research using appropriate methods for a business research project
.....................................................................................................................................................8
P4 Analytical tools to analyze research findings and data........................................................11
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................22
P5 Research outcomes in an appropriate manner.....................................................................22
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................23
P6 Effectiveness of research methods applied for meeting objectives.....................................23
P7 Alternative research methodologies.....................................................................................23
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................23
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................24

Title: “The impact of Digital technology on business activity”. A Case study on SSE.
INTRODUCTION
In this present scenario, digital technology plays a crucial role in business as it assist firm
in performing their activities in a better manner. Digital technology includes various electronic
equipments which uses information in the form of numeric code i.e. in binary code which is 0
and 1. Digital technology is mainly used in computers, calculators, auto-mobiles, communication
satellites, high-defination televisions etc., In relation with businesses company mostly uses
digital technology for promoting their activities for example: social networking sites. Therefore,
it is one of the useful tools for letting their customers know about the products which are being
introduced by companies. Thus, most of the companies use digital technology for connecting and
communicating with large number of people. The biggest benefits of these technologies is that it
is time saving and cost saving as a result, outcomes which are gained best and appropriate. Firms
who adopt digital technology gets many opportunities in order to expand its business to different
locations. Henceforth, digital technology to most of the business provides benefits and assist
them in gaining a better position at market area.
TASK 1
P1 Research proposal that clearly defines a research question or hypothesis, supported by
literature review
Background of the research
Many industry are there who do bring effective strategies and decision by conducting
research of market and make themselves to attain the goals and objectives in better way. There is
a huge competition in market even cut-throat rivalry is there in between companies. To attain a
competitive advantage in market firms are producing an quality products and services which can
help to satisfy the customer needs and wants in better manner. For such, variety of industry is
using an digital technology to have an effective working in organization and can lead to
minimise the wastage of resources in great way (Westerman, Bonnet and McAfee, 2014).
Although various things are there in digital technology which has bought many changes in
activity of business. SSE is a company who is dealing with generating and supplying of
electricity and gas, therefore they need technology to produce it more and in better way which
could result for them to become on top of list in producing gas. Basically, main motto behind
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having research is to collect information related to the impact of digital technology on business
activity. Even though with use of modern equipment firm can handle there operation department
and production of gas can become easy for them. Research is that which converted organization
to have an effective solution to those problems and issues which was hindering the success of
firm. Business activity does include various aspect which needs to be revamped in an effective
manner and proper working can be seen at its best. SSE is a company, who wants to satisfy there
clients to whom they sell there generated gas.
Aims: Every company is having an aim for which they are established in market. Basic
motto of this research is - “The impact of Digital technology on business activity”. A Case study
on SSE.
Objectives:
 To analyse the changes in production department with use of digital technology.
 To determine factors having negative implication on operation department.
 To analyse the use of digital technology for attaining goals and objectives. To determine the relationship in between digital tools and profitability.
Research Questions
It is considered as the centre of research which do help in collecting information which is
somewhere related with problems and needs to gather data for same (Berman, 2012). Moreover,
there are few things which is required for research questions as concise, clear, focused and
complex too. Basically some of the research questions are as:
 What type of changes are there in production department with use of digital technology?
 What factor has negative implication on operation department?
 What is the use of digital technology for attaining an goals and objectives?
 What is the requirement of digital tools and profitability?
These questions is undertaken by research department of company so that effective
research can be conducted. As this help in collecting the needed information in better way.
Literature review refers to be said as critical review which is done with the help of evaluation of
level of research in better way. Normally, it has encapsulate and abstract for having an perfect
specific research. Which do allow the collection of having an information as why to interpret for
a particular research.
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Literature review refers to be said as critical review which is done with the help of
evaluation of level of research in better way. Normally, it has encapsulate and abstract for having
an perfect specific research. Which do allow the collection of having an information as why to
interpret for a particular research.
a.) Type of changes are there in production department with use of digital technology
According to the David Trossell says that, In today's time, it is required by firm to
produce products and services according to customer requirement as because they are considered
as king of market. They are rationale in nature and they use to pay that amount from which they
do get an proper satisfaction from product and services in great way. For company, it is needed
that they should produce an effective and quality product and services in great way. For
manufacturing such it is there that firm should use an modern technique and equipments so that
proper working and thing can be done. Technology do help company to reduce the wastage of
resources and lead to analyse different aspect which is affecting an production department by
having an digital technology in perfect way. Basically, there are lot changes is being noticed in
operation department of SSE and it of kind as it also deals in with risk of change, which examine
and speaks as a lot risk is there in great manner and if changes is bought in organization then it is
required to boost the morale of employees so that they can adapt the changes in proper way. A
another change which is undertaken is maximising the infrastructure of company, even though
SSE is company which is having an great infrastructure but digital technology is such which is
leading them to revamp all its parts. Basically, a resources should be managed with the help of
modern equipment so that minimisation of wastages can be done in better way and thus it can
lead to use the resource in effective way.
In contrary to this a article, 2017 says that Digital transformation doesn't mean for having
an implementation of different enterprise equipments in firm which needs to do better, faster and
cheaper as well, basically it do refer to have an transformation in business with technology.
Although, they need to look as what changes are there in operation department so that effective
production needs to be done in SSE and can provide better services to there client in effective
way. Even though the changing competitive picture is having an swing with the intense pressure
on with manufacturing with having an business model which needs to be designed for having an
traditional sales, whose executives required to control and influence with consumer and making
an retail expectations for having an features, plan and valuation of pricing an product in better
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way. There are many elements of this as Shorter product development cycles in better manner
and also having an strong demand for the customization as well.
b.) What factor has negative implication on operation department?
According to Bustinza and et. al., 2013 says that, Every organizations faces some crisis
during the crucial time and that has many reasons because of these causes the organizations fails
to perform at it utmost desire. The reason could be anything for any industry which maximizes
the profit of a firm and country as well. Petroleum companies has a wide range of operations that
puts a firm into difficult situations. Petroleum industry is the one of the fundamental needs in
every country that has a deep impact on the civilization and when it goes through the crises the
government takes some steps to resolve the issues. The operations department has some negative
implications on such factors like cost containment, oilfield service, exploration and production.
Cost containment is process to manage expanses that help to sustain a business for a long time
and in the current – conscious environment. Oil and gas operational excellence is a composition
of several critical factors that must be managed in the integrated way to prolong in the high level
performance. The main factors which needs cost expanses are safety, reliability, well
productivity, operational efficiency and cost optimization. All combine to determine the
economic viability of a well or a drilling program under market conditions. When the market
condition changes such as downshift on crude oil prices the challenges for operators and
services company is to rely on their price structure. The success can be achieve through the new
resource development that can continue the the operations or it should be deferred. Oil and gas
companies should be actively continue to build the structure of cost management in order to lock
the competitive advantage. They can opt for the smart well design, real – time, reservoir
management, data analytics, lean operations, a supply chain strategy. The recent oil price
downturn put oilfield service companies on the front-line cutbacks, service price renegotiations
and vanishing commitments to future services. Systems and structures, suppliers, contracting
models and staffing levels are the major elements of the resolving challenges faced by the sector.
These key elements can use the digitalization to manage their records and maintain there internal
operations that can also help in the external operations too. Exploration and production operators
can scramble their small number of development where they can see a way to reduce the costs to
a lower break even point in the present time environment. Besides that there are some
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environmental and natural factors also make an impact on the petroleum companies but all these
impact can controlled with the use of artificial intelligence.
c.) What is the use of digital technology for attaining goals and objectives?
There are various use of digital technology in order to attain goals and objectives cause a
cause a company needs to be carry out several activities to run a business effectively.
Digitalization is a vast field which shaping the every industry no matter that is a fabric
manufacturing, agriculture industry or oil and gas industry. Modern technology is a combination
of knowledge and artificial intelligence which is offering a various kind of techniques that can
aid to attain the goals and objectives with maximum speed and minimum time.
As SSE or Scottish and Southern Energy Plc is one kind of energy fuel company which
deals in oil and gas field so its goals and objectives are need to be put some efforts. There are
several ventures which do not adopted digitalization they are still buried in paperwork, trapped
with legal systems and slow by the search of data that are needed to get work done. But SSE is
one of that companies which opt for the technologies and get high capital investment for the
projects which shows them a dramatic change in the values. There are some forms of digital
technologies which made an effective impact on SSE includes: Wearable technology: Leaving
behind the hard copy documentation laptops,tablets, smart hard-hats and smart glasses make it
possible to access a document in real time that can improve the communication among staff.
Drones : The inspections and land seismic operations can be done through drones in the oil and
gas companies that will give a overall view of the entire premises and it also supports in health
and safety assessment before entering the working crew.
Blockchain : Blockchain is a shared ledger which records the transactions that cannot be
modified and which made an intensive affect on capital projects. This makes able to see what
others are doing and quickly reconciling transactions are among benefits. Blockchain can enable
validation on the financial side as well as change orders, transmission or design drawings that
can be put by anyone on the same page quickly and efficiently. Live fabrication : Live
fabrication is a process that may provide more visibility to operations, allowing for tracking of
process, products and raw materials. Potential benefits include increased visibility into the
fabrication process while reducing rework, warranty costs, component inventory and prime
product inventory. RFID/ Tracing and traceability : Live fabrication is a complement of radio
frequency identification technology. The typical traditional system was to identify material
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manually and then entering the information into warehouse inventory system. However, RFID
technology read tags faster and feeds information and that reduces the number of tock -outs and
repurchases. Digital asset management : Managing assets is also not an easy task with a
traditional approach but digitalization refers to the emerging concept of assets. It involves
breaking down the silos and connecting them in a process. The assets refers to the labour who are
responsible for geological and seismic work to those work overs or building assets or
equipments.
d.) Relationship tools and profitability
In many company like SSE there should be a better relationship in between the tools and
profitability in great manner. The digital technology does help firm to attain its goals and
objectives in better manner as well. It is required by company to provide an effective training to
employees so that they can adapt the changes in technology and even thus with changes they will
be able to produce an quality products and services for there clients and customer and with this
the attainment of goals and objectives can be there in proper way. Modern technique and tools
are those which do help in earning profitability too. Moreover, having an better relation in
between these can lead to have an proper research of market which has lead to produce an
effective strategy and decision in great way. Even though, requirement of tools thus help
company to improve there operation department in perfect way and this is such which can lead to
make firm to attain its goals and objectives in proper manner too.
According to Sako, 2012 says that, if company wants to have an success of there
company then it is required by them to bring an effective tools and techniques which can help in
improving the operational department in various ways and such thing can help them to earn
higher profitability in better way as well. Basically, it has seen that there should be an better
relation in between the tool and profitability of organization. Moreover, it has to be done in right
format and needs to look forward to have an attainment of goals and objectives. SSE is a firm
who generate gas for and sell it to there clients and use to for scientific researches and it has to be
done with care and needs to utilise the technology in effective way so that effectively the work
can be done over. Hence, a better relation in between tools and techniques with profitability
should be there as because it is such which increase the morale of company to work in right
direction and even in better way too.
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P2 Research methods and conduct primary and secondary research
Research is very important phase for any development process cause it is a systematic
approach to solve the problems and it also has a scientific study of the patterns that how can a
project can be carried out to give a valuable outcomes. Research methodology goes with a work
of describing, explaining, and predicting a phenomena. Before conducting a research it is also
gains a knowledge that needed to prepare a research plan (Chen, Chiang and Storey, 2012). The
research project is about impact of digital technology on the Scottish and Southern Energy Plc
as it as energy fuel supplier company so what would be the effect on the company when it will
be put a step forward in the digitalization. But before adopting a technology it needed to
investigate all kind of methods that are required to know the possibilities of success and to
reduce the problematic issues. There are several methods are suggested by the scholars to
conduct an effective investigation with a impressive way.
There are various kinds of research methodologies but the basic and applied type of
research can be refer as quantitative and qualitative or event both. The firm can put both the
researches to evaluate the effective results.
Qualitative research method: Qualitative research is concern with the quality of the
information that should has some specific characteristics like non – numeric, descriptive, logical
and words. The main of qualitative investigation is to get meaningful, feeling and situational
responses in the form of words that cannot represent in graphical form. It investigates on why
and how the decision making can take place in the process of research.
Quantitative research: It is based on the measurement of the quantity or amount that
refers to the numeric data, non -descriptive and statistical information to evaluate the iterative
process on the basis of the evidences. It results are often presented in the tables and graph that
offers the conclusion of the study (Hill, Betts and Gardner, 2015). The major part of the
investigation is focused on the questions what, where and when of decision making process. The
research often begins with collection of data which are based on the theory or hypothesis which
is followed by the statistical methods.
Sampling: Data sampling is statistical analysis techniques that are used to select,
manipulate and analyse subset from a pool of data elements that used to recognize the patterns
and trends in the larger set of data set. It is such kind of probability that how many respondents
agreed to get in change and how many not, there is chances for get the feedback in both
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circumstances to make a decision (Chaffey, 2015). The data sampling is generally draws some
elements from the population and that is called population sampling techniques that includes
random sampling and stratified random sampling. Random sampling is process of data sampling
in which there is a fair opportunity for each elements to be get selected from a huge set of
population. In stratified random sampling the population is broken into different strata and the
elements of both the segments have equal chance for being selected.
Primary method of data collection: This kind of data collection is determine as an
original data sources as it is collected for the first time by the researcher. It can be gathered using
different tools and technologies and the most common method are interview, field observation,
surveys and experiments. Primary method of data collection are quite expensive and consumes
ample time as compared with secondary method of data collection.
Secondary method of data collection: In this, data that are collected are by someone else
and these are published in books, journals, magazines etc., therefore, it is taken into
consideration for making literature review effective so that valid conclusion and
recommendation can be given with the help of this.
TASK 2
P3 Primary and secondary research using appropriate methods for a business research project
Research is done in order with the purpose of getting better results for a specific topic.
Therefore, in order to conduct a research a researcher must have adequate skills and knowledge
which will assist them in achieving objectives in a better manner. There are certain criteria
which are to be taken into consideration and these are given below:
Cost: This is an essential component which investigator must determine. While
conducting this research, investigator had to arrange appropriate funds in order to have a smooth
conduct. Along with this, time was also a big concern as there was lack of time.
Ethical considerations: Researches has an objectives and goal that is need to be
completed within a specific time of period with some ethics. The researcher has a team of
investigators who are appointed on several tasks that must be finished within time and must
maintain the high level of security in order to prevent the information from being accessed by
others without any authorization (Beetham and Sharpe, 2013).
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Even though for collecting an proper information and data does help organization to
attain it goals and objectives. Moreover, a survey was done by SSE in market for collecting an
various and important information that could help them to produce an effective strategy and
decision. Therefore 50 respondent was chose to have an better collection of news and questions
were asked in form of questionnaire which somewhere in collection of accurate data.
Questionnaire
Name:
Gender:
Email ID:
Contact No:
Address:
1.) Do Digital technology helping SSE to earn higher profits?
 Yes
 NO
2.) Do modern equipment is helping to reduce the wastage in operation department?
 Yes
 No
 May be
3.) Does digital technology bringing an effective investment aspect in company?
 Agree
 Disagree
4.) Does SSE is using digital technology in better or effective manner?
 They are
 They Don't
 May be
5.) Did company has introduced innovation and creativity in there product and services?
 Yes
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 No
6.) With the help of digital technology does company is proving better services to there
clients?
 Yes
 No
 May be
7.) Do SSE is spending a good amount on digital technology to get succeed?
 Agree
 Disagree
8.) Does any changes seen in operation department of SSE after implementing technology?
 Moderate changes
 Huge changes
 Nothing seen
9.) Do SSE is utilising available resources in better way?
 Yes
 No
10.) Did SSE has used approaches with digital technology to revamp working of
company?
 Yes, they used
 No, they don't
11.) Does SSE succeed in using an digital technology in effective way?
 Yes
 No
12.) Any Recommendation?
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