Reference no: EM133091222

BSBSTR601 Manage innovation and continuous improvement

Assessment Task

You are a Business Consultant (BC) hired to help with continuous improvement (CI) and innovation management in the organisation

It has been designed to evaluate your ability to/competency in:

• Identify relevant team members and communicate ways of working objectives, expectations and desired outcomes
• Identify and establish strategies to monitor and evaluate the performance and sustainability of key systems and processes
• Consult and seek advice from stakeholders to identify opportunities for improvement
• Communicate with, and mentor team members on ways of working that contribute to continuous improvement
• Communicate with and coach team members how they can be innovative
• Analyse performance reports and variance from organisational plans within the workplace
• Identify and analyse changing trends and opportunities relevant to the workplace
• Collect data and analyse areas for improvement in supply chains and operational and service systems
• Conduct a gap analysis of supply chains and operational and service systems and identify improvement needs and opportunities
• Communicate with and agree on team members identified improvement needs and opportunities
• Identify learning opportunities for team members
• Confirm objectives, timeframes, measures and communication plans are in place to manage the implementation
• Address the impact of change and consequences for people and implement transition plans
• Implement contingency plans in the event of non-performance
• Follow up failure by investigation and analysis of causes and manage emerging challenges and opportunities
• Confirm that learnings from activities are captured and managed using the relevant knowledge management system
• Evaluate continuous improvement systems and processes and innovation on a regular basis
• Identify and communicate with stakeholders costs and benefits of innovations and improvements
• Establish rewards for continuous improvement, innovation and learning
• Seek and respond to feedback from relevant stakeholders' systems and processes for continuous improvement, innovation and learning
• Plan and implement strategies to review and improve own performance

You are required to address the following:
• Task 2.1 Learning Diary
o Complete a learning diary progressively.
• Task 2.2 Identify improvements
o Complete a CI review report
o Consult with stakeholders
• Task 2.3 Implement and evaluate innovative processes
o Determine solution for CI using innovation processes and techniques
o Collaborate with stakeholders
o Develop a CI intervention plan
o Communicate the CI intervention plan
o Implement the plan addressing given scenarios
o Evaluate implementation

Complete the following activities:
Read the Case Study Scenario provided in the appendices.

Assume that the company employed you as a Business Consultant (BC) to help with continuous improvement (CI) and innovation management.
You will work in simulated work conditions. The trainer and assessor will play the role of the CEO in the company.
Consult and engage with the CEO as needed.The trainer and assessor will confirm that you have consulted with them and provide feedback on the marking sheet.
The CEO asked you to lead a cross-functional team to help you identify, implement and evaluate opportunities for improvement and innovation. The cross-functional team comprises the HR Manager, the Marketing Manager and the Client Services Manager.
Form a 3-4 student team to work in simulated work conditions. You will play the role of the BC in turns and collaborate/consult as required in the assessment instructions. Please be reminded that although the assessment requires group collaboration to simulate a work environment, the assessment completion and submission is individual, and it will be marked as such.

This task requires you to:
• Identify improvements
• Implement innovative processes
• Establish ways of working within the team
• Develop a workplace culture and tools for continuous improvement, innovation and learning
When working on the above tasks, you will have to complete a learning diary about your work as BC in CI and innovation management.

Task 2.1 Learning Diary

Complete the learning diary (Template 1) progressively.

Identifying improvements in the workplace
• Reflect on your performance in Task 2.2, focusing on the following:
o Analysis of the internal and external business environment
o Independent research
o Completing the CI report (report writing)
o Gap analysis
o Identification and prioritisation of improvement needs

What did you do well, what could you improve?

Consulting with stakeholders

Reflect on the following:
• Presenting reports, information and data
• Facilitating discussion
• Negotiating agreed on outcomes

Provide an example of each.
What did you do well, what could you improve?

Mentoring team members on ways of working that contribute to CI.

Address the following:
• Did you choose the right topics? Why?
• What other topics would be useful to support team members in working with CI collaboratively?
• Were you confident when mentoring the team members? Would you improve your knowledge of the topics?

Using innovation methods and techniques.

Address the following:
• How did you facilitate the meeting with the team when brainstorming solutions for the CI need?
• Did you choose the right brainstorming method? Would you use it again in the future? Why?
• How did you support the team members to be more innovative? Provide an example.
• Was the coaching session well received?
• What did you do well? What could you improve?

Implementing and evaluating the CI initiative.

Address the following:
• Provide an example of how you applied problem-solving when addressing the scenarios in the assessment.
• What did you find most difficult when implementing the CI initiative?
• What would you add to the lessons learned report thinking about your reflection in this learning diary?

Improvements

Develop a brief four-step action plan to address the opportunities for improvement identified in this learning diary.

Task 2.2 Identify improvements

This task requires you to identify opportunities for improvement:
• Read Appendix 1 and 2 at the end of this document.
• Consider organisational policies and procedures (provided in a separate folder).
• Consult with the cross-functional team to gather inputs and feedback when completing the CI review report (Task 2.2.1).
• Consult with the CEO and gather inputs and feedback when completing the CI review report (Task 2.2.1).
• Analyse performance reports and variances from organisational plans and quality standards (Task 2.2.1).
• Identify and analyse changing trends and opportunities relevant to the workplace (Task 2.2.1).
• Perform independent research, review data and information provided in the scenario for assessment and analyse areas for improvement in the supply chain and operational and service systems (Task 2.2.1).
• Conduct a gap analysis and identify improvement needs and opportunities (Task 2.2.1).
• Share your analysis with the team members and agree on the improvement needs and opportunities(Task 2.2.2)
• During the meeting with the team members, provide mentoring on ways of working that contribute to CI. (Task 2.2.2)
Complete the following:
• Develop a CI review report (Task 2.2.1)
• Present the CI review report to the cross-functional team and mentor them on two topics of choice relevant to ways of working that contribute to CI (Task 2.2.2)
• Finalise the report based on feedback received by the cross-functional team before you submit your assessment for marking.

2.2.1 Develop a CI review report

Purpose of the Report
Scope
STEEPLED Analysis - Overview
Perform a STEEPLED analysis focusing on trends, innovation, constraints, and competitive landscape. Include at least two points of analysis for each STEEPLED category. Be specific (for example, do not just mention tax policy under economic, specify what tax policy you refer to).
SWOT Analysis
Perform a SWOT analysis focusing on factors and issues related to innovation and continuous improvement (for example, obsolete processes or technology in use in the company). The SWOT builds on the analysis undertaken for this document's internal and external business environment. Identify at least 4 factors/section.
Changing trends and opportunities
Identify and analyse changing trends and opportunities relevant to the workplace. As an example, this may include industry trends and standards, sustainability practices, intellectual capabilities and operations.
Supply Chain
A brief description and analysis of the organisation's or operational area's supply chain (downstream and upstream, a visual representation of the supply chain is recommended). Highlight areas for improvement in your analysis.
Operations
An analysis of the operations and systems of the organisation or operational area. Include an analysis of the organisational structure, professional development and leadership as key factors impacting operations in the company or operational area.
Perform a quality gap analysis using the service gap model, and identify significant gaps.
Highlight areas for improvement in your analysis.
Monitoring and Evaluation practices
Summarise the strategies, tools, performance measures, and processes currentlyused to monitor and evaluate organisational performance and sustainability of critical systems and processes in the organisation. (Note: remember to consider different types of sustainability in your analysis).
Gap Analysis
Conduct a gap analysis for four (4) focus areas, and identify improvement needs and opportunities.
Focus areas may include technology, supply chain, operations, systems, leadership and management, HR related improvements, or performance standards.
Recommendations
Once you have gathered a clear understanding of the business operations, you are ready to identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement in the company or operational area.
Based on your analysis, provide recommendations on how the focus areas should be prioritised and recommend one key improvement/focus area.
Include one additional recommendation on more effective strategies that could be established to monitor and evaluate the performance and sustainability of operational systems and processes.

Task 2.3 Implement and evaluate innovative processes for continuous improvement

This task requires you to implement innovative processes for continuous improvements:
• Review the CI review report.
• Meet with the team to brainstorm possible solutions to improve the prioritised focus area
• Select one solution
• Coach the team on how they can be more innovative
• Develop a plan for the CI intervention
• Communicate the CI intervention plan to relevant stakeholders
• Implement the plan based on given scenarios
• Evaluate the CI implementation
Complete the following:
• Determine solutions using appropriate innovation methods and in consultation with the team. (Task 2.3.1)
• Communicate and coach team members on how they can be innovative. (Task 2.3.1)
• Select one solution using evaluation criteria and cost-benefit analysis. (Task 2.3.1)
• Develop a CI intervention plan (Task 2.3.2)
• Communicate the CI intervention plan to stakeholders (Task 2.3.3)
• Address the scenarios to simulate the implementation of CI activities (Task 2.3.4)
• Evaluate the CI implementation and develop a lessons learned report (Task 2.3.4)
• Share learning with relevant stakeholders (Task 2.3.4)

2.3.1 Determine solutions

Schedule a suitable time to meet with the other cross-functional team members. This is a Role-Play in simulated work conditions.
• Review the CI review report and brainstorm ideas to address the prioritised improvement need.
• Communicate and coach team members on how they can be innovative. You could consider, for example, coaching them on the brainstorming technique used during the meeting, ways to improve creativity, or how to evaluate ideas. Consider delivering a 5 minutes coaching session.
• Shortlist two solutions in consultation with the team.
• Select a CI process to implement the solution in consultation with the team.
• Perform a cost-benefit analysis.
• Select on solution based on analysis.

Attachment:- Manage innovation and continuous improvement-_Assessment_Task_2.rar