BUS703 Managing Research: Draft of Background and Problem Definition

This assignment is a draft of a research proposal for BUS703 Managing Research, focusing on the background and problem definition of a lunchbox delivery business. It addresses the increasing demand for convenient and hygienic lunch options in metropolitan cities due to busy lifestyles. The proposal outlines the business's key departments (pantry and distribution), management structure, and objectives, emphasizing the importance of timely delivery, affordability, and quality. The central research question revolves around identifying the major attractions that will capture customer attention and differentiate the business from existing competitors. The proposal also highlights the need for technological assistance in marketing and cost management to ensure profitability and growth. References to relevant literature support the arguments and provide a foundation for further research.

BUS703 Managing Research
Assessment Task 1
Draft of Background and Problem Definition of Research Proposal
Provide a draft of your Background and Problem Definition using the four headings below. Please
refer to the detailed guidelines for Assessment Task 2 to assist you with this task.
Background to the problem
As metropolitan cities grow larger, staff and working professionals need to travel further and spend
more time travelling. This hardly leaves any time to cook and many as simply too exhausted to
cook food. The expenses of living in a metropolitan city are also increasing day by day resulting in
less time to rest. As more women grow independent and also take up job opportunities, there is
hardly time to cook and prepare a solid meal (Wallis, 2013). This has resulted in seeing many
couples today depending on catering services or needing to visit the cafeteria on a daily basis for
their lunch. Cafeteria food is not as flavourful and healthy so many people who depend on buying
their lunch are ever on the lookout for a Meal services offering homemade high-quality food. This
also opens ups an important opportunity for young entrepreneurs to setups a small and lucrative
business which is in high demand and requires low capital to start. Many customers prefer that the
services provider be regular and constant making it important for the business to ensure each of its
dedicated customers receives their lunch on daily and on time (Wanjek, 2005 ). Office hours are
mainly fixed and colleagues want to assemble and have their lunch together making timely delivery
as an important aspect of the proposed business ideas.
The business lunch box delivery proposed business is made up of two main departments namely
the pantry and delivery/ distribution systems. Both departments will play a pivotal role towards the
businesses success making it important for both to coordinate and work alongside each other so
as to meet business objectives.
The Pantry will be responsible for preparing meal timetables and ensures lunch boxes are
nutritionally balanced. The quality of the food being delivered will also play an important role as the
food will be created on large scale basis but must retain its homely flavour so as to ensure
customer satisfaction and retain customers. Hygiene is other critical factors which need to be
addressed as the proposed business will depend on distributing lunch boxes in business owned
lunch boxes thus they need to be properly washed after use and sterilized before packing the next
meal (Apandas et al., 2008).
Marketing and distribution
The marketing and distribution team would be in charge of ensuring the business has access to the
customers needed to maintain the businesses performance. It would also be responsible for
organizing the distribution channels so as to minimize time spent transporting and distributing the
lunch boxes as well as picking the emptied tiffins. Beings start-up business it is essential to
minimize the businesses expenses and efforts needed to reach the customers thus the initial
project should target being established in the central business district. The main processing
operations can be located on the out skips, commercial or industrial areas so as to help keep fixed
expenses low (Michman & Mazze, 1996). The finished product (lunch boxes) can then be
transported in bulk to the identified central business district and distributed to clients via
motorcycles. The reason for selecting motorcycles as the distribution means of transport s to ease
the pressure of traveling during the mod day data traffic which could result in serious delays and
inconveniencing the consumer

Management decision
The project would follow a hierarchy business management model which will ensure each staff
member’s reports to their higher officer. The entire business operation shall be headed by the
senior manager and gradually responsibilities broken down to assistant managers and team leads
for individual monitoring and reporting (Taylor, 2011). Each team member will be assigned asset of
responsibilities thus helping distribute the management of operations and ensuring smooth flow.
Each team member would be expected to report to their assigned management official but
communication channels will remain open thus allowing each staff member to directly consult the
highest ranked official if needed. Final Business and operation decisions shall be made by the
senior management but each stack holders will be involved and their contributions publicly
acknowledged.
Research question
With the demand for hygienic, tasty and reliable lunchbox services rising across most cities the
main concern related to the proposal are being able to coordinate the operations and distribution of
the lunchboxes. With lunchbox vendors and stalls already established in most of the business
districts, the main research question related to the proposed business (White, 2017). Major
attractions the business would offer its customers so as to capture their attention and attract them
to purchase the businesses products. Factors to be considered will include:
• Convenient and timely lunch box delivery
• Affordability
• Hygiene, balanced diet and flavour
• Consistency and reliability of the service
Business Objectives
The proposed business profitability and growth would be directly linked to the number of sales
making it important for the business to focus its attention towards marketing and cost
management. This will require the businesses management to adopt technological assistance
manage develop effective marketing and cost management approaches thus ensuring the
business maintains control over its operations and distribution networks. It is essential to
incorporate and use modern technologies as this will help the business reach out to most office
workers who have access to computers and smartphones which can be used as a powerful
marketing order placement tool (Lockwood & Walton, 2010). The technology not only helps
improve marketing and sales but also helps streamline and organize operations thus improving the
ability to register success.

References:
Apandas, R., Chopra, S., Deshmukh, S. & Zemen, E., 2008. Managing Business Process
Flows: Principles Of Operations Management, 2/E. 2nd ed. New Delhi: Pearson Education
India.
Lockwood, T. & Walton, T., 2010. Building Design Strategy: Using Design to Achieve Key
Business Objectives. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
Michman, R.D. & Mazze, E.M., 1996. The Food Industry Wars: Marketing Triumphs and
Blunders. Greenwood Publishing Group.
Taylor, J., 2011. Decision Management Systems: A Practical Guide to Using Business
Rules and Predictive Analytics. Pearson Education.
Wallis, I., 2013. 50 Best Business Ideas That Changed the World. Mumbai: Jaico
Publishing House.
Wanjek, C., 2005. Food at Work: Workplace Solutions for Malnutrition, Obesity and
Chronic Diseases. Geneva: International Labour Organization.
White, P., 2017. Developing Research Questions. 2nd ed. London: Macmillan International
Higher Education.