BIT501 Business Concepts and Communication Assessment 1

Weighting 

30%

Learning outcomes

• Describe business concepts in relation to organisational functions, structures and bi-cultural/multicultural contexts.
• Evaluate the impact and role IT plays within an organisation in relation to supporting end users and meeting security, ethical and legal requirements.

Instructions

Complete and submit your assessment according to the Open Polytechnic’s Assessments webpage. This includes information on academic integrity, formatting, word limits and referencing.

• Include your name, student number and the assessment number.
• Number your pages.

Submission

• Submit your assessment in one file.
• Submit your work through your iQualify course.
• Emailed assessments will not be accepted.
• You will receive an automated notice advising you of your successful submission.

By submitting your assessment, you confirm that it is your own original work.

Assessment overview

For this assessment, you are answering questions to gain an internship with DGTTSC, an Aotearoa New Zealand-based company that provides a number of IT consulting services.

The name DGTTSC is based on the initials of the company’s three founders but is not an abbreviation. The services range from business analysis to technical support. You have been tasked with reading the following case study and addressing the key tasks as if you had been successfully hired to be an intern with DGTTSC.

You are not required to write a formal business report. However, you are expected to use clear headings for each task and use full sentences and paragraphs rather than bullet points.

Case study: Maia’s gym

Maia is the sole owner of a gym that specialises in running small group fitness classes in a range of community centres and local parks. The business does not have a fixed location, so they are able to avoid many of the overheads that come with leasing a physical space. Over the past 3 years, she has gone from running all the classes herself to managing a team of 10 personal trainers who conduct the classes on a contract basis. The business currently has a basic website that allows clients to book their classes online and offers equipment for hire.

Maia wants to streamline and grow her business by creating a scalable model that will allow for many of the day-to-day operations to be automated using the appropriate systems and software. Alongside this, new staff will need to be brought on board to manage the key business functions and allow Maia time to focus on growing the business.

Her idea is to create a website and app where personal trainers can advertise and schedule their services and an online wellness hub that will allow clients access to nutrition advice and online workouts. She plans to reach new customers through social media and is interested in learning more about how she can best leverage this to increase her customer numbers.

She has approached DGTTSC for help, and as the assigned consultant, you are required to consider and advise her.

Task 1

Maia currently operates as a sole trader, but she is aware that this might not be the best way to go forward as the business continues to grow. Describe three relevant advantages of establishing a company over remaining a sole trader. Explain their impacts on Maia’s business.

(Word count guideline: 150–200 words)

(10 marks)

Task 2

Maia has now established a company. She is starting the development of an app to support her business. Discuss how the app and related IT systems may impact the following three areas:

a. Sales and marketing

(10 marks)

b. Finance and accounting

(10 marks)

c. Human resources management and operations management.

(10 marks)

(Total word count guideline: 450–600 words)

Task 3

a. Maia is well aware that in order to deploy an app for her company, she will need support in a number of key areas.

For this task, you are to recommend three main types of support Maia will need and discuss how that support will be provided to the end users of the app.

(Word count guideline: 150–200 words)

(10 marks)

b. As part of the app development, both DGTTSC and Maia have a strong commitment to te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi.

Maia is considering the use of te reo Māori as an option alongside English in the app, as well as appropriate Māori artwork by a local Māori artist.

Discuss which of the three Ps (Partnership, Protection, Participation) these ideas would fall under. Provide clear evidence to support your answer and any important factors Maia needs to consider.

(Word count guideline: 150–200 words)

(10 marks)

Task 4

For this task, Maia now wants guidance on specific IT systems and practices her company can use to meet a number of obligations such as legal, ethical and security obligations. Use the information in the following tasks to address those requirements.

If anything is not clear, please describe any assumptions you may need to make about Maia’s company to explain your answer.

a. Maia now sees that the company will likely be hiring or contracting a range of new kaimahi (staff) as her company expands.

Maia also realises she will either need her own HR system or that she can outsource hiring to a New Zealand-based company.

Provide Maia with an outline of two ethical issues that HR recruiters and HR systems can face as part of the hiring process.

(Word count guideline: 150–200 words)

(10 marks)

b. Maia previously used a spreadsheet to do her accounting.

While this was simple and straightforward for her to use, Maia realises that as her company grows, more people will need access to her accounting information.

Maia wants an outline of two main data security features that an accounting information system can provide to address her growing company.

(Word count guideline: 150–200 words)

(10 marks)

c. Maia is excited that her company is growing, as she is hiring more kaimahi and growing her customer base.

A challenge she may face relates to her potential legal obligations under the Companies Act 1993 regarding financial reporting.

Maia requires an outline of the two types of financial statements she may be required to prepare and the consequences of failing to comply with reporting requirements.

(Word count guideline: 150–200 words)

(10 marks)

d. Maia is aware that her company can use two main organisational structures. You are required to recommend an organisational structure for Maia.

You will need to describe the recommended organisational structure and provide two relevant reasons to support that choice.

(Word count guideline: 150–200 words)

(10 marks)

BIT501 Assessment 1 Marking schedule