Impact of Digital Technology on Business: A Case Study Report

This report examines the impact of digital technology on Continental Consulting Limited, a research and business consultancy firm. It explores the application of digital tools and resources to enhance business operations, including project management plans, work breakdown structures, and Gantt charts. The report details the aim and objectives of implementing digital technology, focusing on research questions related to changes in business operations, employee perceptions, and managerial barriers. It presents a project management plan with details on scope, cost, time, quality, risk, communication, and resources. The research methodology includes both qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze the impact of digital technology on small business growth and innovation. The report aims to provide insights into how digital transformation can support business goals and improve efficiency.

Managing
Successful Business
Projects

INTRODUCTION
Digital technology are identify as an electronic systems, tools, resources and devices that
process, store or generate data. These includes online games, social media and productivity
applications, multimedia, mobile devices, cloud computing and interoperable systems. All these
are highly essential and important for the development and success of the business entity at
global level. Digital technology is one of the significant element for the company because it
support small business in order to increase their growth and develop innovation in the
organisation (Adzic, 2011). In order to manage business project, company follow different
technology which support them to easily complete all work in given time period. This report is
based on Continental Consulting Limited which is a research and business consultancy firm in
London. This assignment includes aims and objectives and plan of project management. Gantt
chart and Work breakdown structure is also cover in this project. Data analysis and its
interpretation also a main part of this study. During implementation of research program
investigator play vital and effective role for identifying needs and wants of the customers in
successful manner which is also included in this project.
TASK 1
P1. Aim and objectives regarding application of digital technology
Digital technology in the business operations and activities play vital and important role
for the success and progress of company within predetermined period of time. It is more essential
part for business to achieve their long term goals and objectives (How digital technology could
benefit your business, 2017). Further it is essential for each and every firm to identify their
objectives and aims which help them to guide their all workforce in order to design their all tasks
and activities which contributes in achievement of wanted outputs. This report determined about
the impact of digital technology on the business functions and operations (Brady and Davies,
2014). Main objective of such report is to implementing the digitalisation for the growth of
organisation. In today's world, large number of the population are spend their time on social
media which benefited to the organisation to maximise their sales and revenues as well as gain
competitive advantages.
Background of the project: Continental Consulting Limited is a research and business
consultancy organisation which is headed by Mario Bindas as a CEO. Main business of such
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enterprise is re-engineering process and potential customers include SMEs manufacturing
companies located in London. In recently, such organisation has felt that the business is state lost
to challengers in the industry where company still not making adequate efforts in order to
upgrade or modify the business process which is happen to be the core weaknesses and many
other innovative entity have arise with lot much new ideas are capturing the market in successful
manner. In order to overcome such weakness and issue CEO of the company develop digital
technology in their business activities and functions which benefited to them to easily
accomplish their long term targets (Drucker, 2012). The various type of variation which they
needed to bring in enterprise is regarding establishment of useful channels of distribution,
application of online system of company to attract different number of customers. It is also
beneficial to grab all the possibility which are accessible after implementation of digitalisation.
Research Aim: “Impact of digital technology supporting small business growth and innovation:
A case study of Continental Consulting Limited”
Research Objectives: It is a main part of the research which is prepared by the researcher with
aim to implementing digital technology in the business activities and operation. There are some
another objectives of research which are shown as below:
 To examine the transformative potential of digital technology.
 To focus on the technology application and usage that has been disruptive or
transformative but also replicable for other enterprise with low barriers to uptake.
 To emphasis on the utilisation and uptake of digitalisation in connection to a number of
specific challenges. To explore the all barriers and enablers to embedding, using and adopting technology
within an enterprise.
Research Questions: This part of the research which is mainly based on the research objectives.
Thus it is important for the investigator to design an effective questions which support the
organisation to maximise their growth and develop innovation in the enterprise. Some questions
of research are explain as below:
Q1) What are the changes taking place in business operation by adopting digital technology?
Q2) Whether there is requirement of any learning program for employee of Continental
Consulting Limited?
Q3) What are the perception of employees due to changes in digital technology?
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Q4) What are the barriers faced by managers due to change in technology?
P2. Project management plan
It is a type of formal document which is used by manager in order to handle project
execution in a proper manner. It document the actions which is necessary to prepare, coordinate,
integrate and define the different activities of planning (Du, Leten and Vanhaverbeke, 2014).
Such plan of project management that defines how the projects is monitored, executed, closed
and controlled. It is also known as communication vehicles for seeing main stakeholders
exchange a knowing of the project. It is the role and responsibility of project manager to prepare
an effective project management plan that help the business to identify cost, time, risk and many
which are rise in completion of project. There are different components which are highly needed
in order to prepare project management plan which are determined as below:
Scope: Project scope is large which is essential and beneficial for the Continental
Consulting Limited in order to accomplish their long term targets and objectives in given time
period. In successfully implement project in business, company use digital technology which
support them to increase their growth and development within predetermined time duration
(Evans and Johnson, 2013). As it deep in scope which assist in enhancement of all aspects which
are related with the organisation such as administration, production, distribution, promotion and
expansion with the apply of digitalisation.
Cost: It is another part of project management plan in which project manager of the
company play vital role for identifying the cost of project. It is highly needed by the business to
implement the digitalisation in an effective and efficient manner which support an enterprise to
maximise their growth and development. In the implementation process of digital technology
some amount of the cost are incurs which is give by company (Gambles, 2017). An initial level
of such process that needs maximum amount of sales in different aspects such as development of
different departments, training and development program for the employees and many other. All
these are essential for the workforce to increase their competency and skills about the
digitalisation. In this project manager prepare a budget which shown total amount in completion
of project, it is explained as below:
Total forecasted budget
Particular 2017-18($)
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Implementing technology cost 17000
Promotional expense 7000
Advertisement expense 5500
Catalogues 1800
Training charges 7500
Total cost 38800
Time: It is another necessary and foremost element of project management plan. This
part of plan provide essential and accurate information regarding completion of project time. It is
needed by the company during implementation of digital technology in the organisation. In this,
Continental Consulting Limited apply Critical path approach which render accurate and relevant
data to the company in order to complete all activities and tasks within given time (Hillson,
2017). Such tool give opportunity or chances to the business management to assign the duties to
various employees of enterprise for wind up of project paths within preset of period. Critical
paths of the project which are shown as below:
Quality: It is another and effective way of project management plan which is extremely
significant for the company to keep their strong position at marketplace. In this role and
responsibility of business manager is to render better quality in their services which benefited to
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them to maximise customer base in the organisation (Jeston, 2014). It is attained through
appointment of knowledgeable team member with an enterprise which lead in optimum
utilisation of advanced technology. In this manger require to conduct an effective market
research with purpose to identifying the preferences of audience, market trends, strategies and
policies of competitors etc. all these are renders the chances is to build their unique strategies and
activities to deal with the trends of market and bring modification in the service quality.
Risk: This part of project management plan assist the company in determination of
actual risks which are happen with the development of digitalisation. It is the role of Continental
Consulting Limited manger to identify such kind of risks. The potentials risk which are mainly
related with the requirement of training, poor knowledge, employees support, lack of fund and
many other (Keil, Lee and Deng, 2013). All these are hinder on the performance and profitability
of company in direct manner. In order to overcome such type of risk business entity arrange
different kind of training and development program, find out various sources of fund and many
other beneficial mode.
Communication: This factor support the enterprise to increase awareness among entire
workforce about the business process, services, structure and so on. It render better chances is to
take the help of workforce and arrange their all operations in achievement of wanted outcomes.
Through application of advanced technology the connection and communication with person to
community is also maximise via utilisation of different tools of digital technology such as social
media, internet and many other (Klinger et. al., 2011). All these are highly essential for the
company to maximise their growth and sales within predetermined period of time.
Resources: It is another useful and valuable way of the project management plan which
is important for the manager to analysis appropriate resources. This part includes various data
regarding the resources which are highly required for the implementation of digital technology in
the business entity effectively. There are some resources which are needed such as human
capitals, funds, knowledgeable workforce and many other.
P3 Work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart
Work break down structure: It is a type of structure which is mainly dividing the work
and task in the hierarchical way so that the team of project that can manage all activities in an
easy manner. Through such structure, the management team of Continental Consulting Limited
is capable in order to recognise all detail of section which can assist the team member to
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accomplish all task in an effective manner (Lambert and Enz, 2012). This is essentially the
outline structure which helps the project management team in order to understand the further
department in the project.
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Gantt Chart: It is identify as an useful and effective technique which shows all tasks or
activities which is perform against time period. It is also called as a visual project presentation
where entire activities and tasks are displayed and broken down on a chart which creates it is not
hard to interpret and understand (Lin and Chen, 2012). It is a more popular and famous technique
in project management which is drills down all activities, it require to be finished by a actual
time duration. It is more essential tool for the Continental Consulting Limited in order to
complete all work in given time period. Thus, it support the organisation to maximise their sales
and revenues within preset time.
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All these are essential tool for the Continental Consulting Limited to increase performance and
productivity of business organisation. It is also useful for the organisation to maximise their
turnover and sales within predetermined period of time. In this all activities are divided by the
manager among entire workforce that help in the achievement of long term growth and success
in a successful manner.
TASK 2
P4 Small scale research by application of qualitative and quantitate methods
Research is one of the important and essential part for the each and every organisation
which support the Continental Consulting Limited to identify basic needs and wants of the
clients. These information are mainly related with the process, products, services and changes in
the digital technology (Morris and Geraldi, 2011). All these are valuable and useful elements for
the achievement of desired objectives. Research is classified into different parts which are
explain as below:
Qualitative Research: It is a primarily exploratory types of research which is applied to
gain a better understanding of underlying motivations, opinions, and reasons (Introducing
Research Methods, 2016). It renders insights into the issue or supports to implement hypotheses
and an effective idea for latent quantitative research. It is also followed to uncover ways in
opinion and through and dive long into the issue. In this sample size which is not large and
respondent are chosen to fulfil a allotted quota.
Quantitative research: It is also used by the researcher with motive to quantify issues by
mode of creating numerical information that can be communicated into useful data point (Nair,
Malhotra and Ahire, 2011). It is followed to quantify behaviour, opinions, attitudes and many
other defined variables as well as generalize outputs from a maximum sample population. Such
type of research method uses measurable information to implement facts and not cover patterns
in investigation. This methods includes consists different ways of surveys such as paper, online,
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