BTEC HIGHER NATIONALS CERTIFICATE AND DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS

Unit Code:
Unit Title : Business Decision Making D/601/0578

Lecturer: Samuel Sunmaila

Assignment No: 1

Assignment Title: Ground for Education College

Learning Outcomes Assessed

1. Be able to use a variety of sources for the collection of data, both primary and secondary
2. Understand a range of techniques to analyse data effectively for business purposes
3. Be able to produce information in appropriate formats for decision making in an
organisational context
4. Be able to use software-generated information to make decisions in an organisation.

Date Set: October 1st 2015. Date Due: January 3rd 2016

Aim
The aim of this unit is to give learners the opportunity to develop techniques for data gathering
and storage, an understanding of the tools available to create and present useful information,
in order to make business decisions.

Introduction

In business, good decision making requires the effective use of information. This unit gives
learners the opportunity to examine a variety of sources and develop techniques in relation to
four aspects of information: data gathering, data storage, and the tools available to create and
present useful information.
ICT is used in business to carry out much of this work and an appreciation and use of
appropriate ICT software is central to completion of this unit. Specifically, learners will use
spreadsheets and other software for data analysis and the preparation of information. The use
of Spreadsheets to manipulate of numbers, and understanding how to apply the results, are
seen as more important than the mathematical derivation of formulae used.
Learners will gain an appreciation of information systems currently used at all levels in an
organisation as aids to decision making.

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SCENARIO
Ground for Education College opened in 2001 in North London. The main source of students
for this college was international students from all over the world requiring a visa to study in the
United Kingdom.
Having started with 30 students the owners intensified publicity through leaflet, publications in
the news and trips in several countries including Brazil, India and countries around the western
coast sub-Saharan Africa. Shortly at the end of 2002, there has been a great pay off on the
publicity. The number of students increased sharply. Please see table 1.

The colleges mission was to provide mainly English course to non-English speakers. The
levels were from absolute beginners to Advanced and proficiency levels.
This fast success led the owner s to deciding to expand the business in the following:

1. Add an Information Technology course to the existing courses

2. Open two new campuses one in south London and the other in west London. These
campuses were meant to run the same courses as on the main campus in North
London. According to the owners most students live in south east London and will have
the opportunity to stay in the south while new bunch of students could be enrolled on the
northern campus.
3. Invest the colleges funds in acquiring a mortgage of 350,000 with an initial deposit of
85,000
4. The owners were also interested in opening other campuses in central and West Africa.

Task ONE
The owners of the college are very interested in expanding this college but feel that in order to
make the correct strategic decision, they need some updating to market research to better
inform them of the opinions of their current and prospective students of the resort.

Be able to use a variety of sources for the collection of data, both Primary and
Secondary. (L01)
Create a plan for the collection of primary and secondary data for a given business
problem (1.1)

Produce a presentation clearly linking the case study requirements with the following:-
A plan of how you will carry out your research using primary and secondary sources.
Present the survey methodology and sampling frame used (1.2). Using the
questionnaire you have designed, give an explanation why you have carried out this
type of research and why you have chosen this type of sample. The evaluation should
also include whether or not the questionnaire was fit for purpose (1.2)
Design a questionnaire as part of your primary research in order to find out peoples
opinions about the proposal (1.3)

The evaluation should also include whether or not the questionnaire was fit for purpose.

Deadline: 3 weeks from commencement

Task TWO
The owners of the college are pleased with the initial research you have presented to them.
They now wish to employ you as a Consultant to their decision making team. Your task now is
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to build upon your research by collecting further market research, either secondary or primary
based and present your findings at the next Board of Directors meeting.
Prepare for the next Board of Directors meeting by creating a professional booklet that
demonstrates a range of techniques to analyse the data collected through your initial and
additional research for the college.

Understand the range of techniques to analyse data effectively for business purposes.(L02)

Prepare for the next Board of Directors meeting by creating a professional booklet that
demonstrates a range of techniques to analyse the data collected through your initial and
additional research for the college. The booklet should include:

1. Calculation of the mean, median, mode and frequency distributions of the collected data
(2.1).
Using these results, you must make valid conclusions within the context of the college (2.2)

2. Analyse the collected data using the measures of dispersion method: (2.3)
3. Explain how quartiles, percentiles and the correlation coefficient can be used to draw
conclusions from the data and information you have analysed. (2.4)

Task THREE
Be able to produce information in appropriate formats for decision making in an organisational
context (L03)
To help in this matter a set of data is provided by the college. Please see appendices
You should produce graphs (using Spreadsheets) to illustrate the collected data and
draw valid conclusions from each question and linked questions (3.1)
Using the collected data create trend lines in Spreadsheets graphs to make future
forecasts for specified business information at the college (3.2)

An explanation why you have carried out this type of research and why you have
chosen this type of sample

Produce presentation using appropriate software and techniques to disseminate the

information effectively (3.3). You must clearly link the case study requirements with
the following
Produce a formal business report (3.4)

You must now amalgamate the information from the presentation into report format so that the
Board of Directors can refer to a hard copy of your market research and analysis. The report
format should include the following headings:

a) Title

b) Contents page

c) Report summary (purpose of the report, methodology)

d) Introduction (reasons for undertaking the research)

e) Main findings (including graphs)

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 f) Conclusion (summary of the main points)

g) Recommendations (what you think should happen)

h) Appendices (any additional information added which is referenced throughout the

report)

Task FOUR
Be able to use software generated information to make decisions in an organisation. (L04)
Despite your warnings and findings in your research the owners have decided to open their
second campus in South East London
Sooner after opening the second campus in south London the number of students in the main
campus started decreasing.
To make matter complicated the government introduced a new legislation about private
colleges and the procedure of visa delivery. Most private colleges including Ground for
Education College struggled from then. The financial difficulties of this college increased to the
point that the campus opened in south London was closed just after one year of trading. This
has not solved the problem. The third campus due to open in West London never did.
Moreover the main campus from north London was relocated in central London after the
arrears on rent rose sharply. A further analysis of data of college shows that the rate of
retention of this college was for the three first years 85%, then 75% in the 4 th and 5th years
before falling to 50% for the remaining years.

Using information processing tools create a table showing the number of students in
each year. (4.1)

Because of misunderstanding among the owners, decision was made to sell the college.
You have been introduced to buyer as business consultant. For that reason, you have
been given the data below. (Table 4)
Using the table 4 in appendix, draw a project plan schedule using Microsoft Project to
determine the critical path(4.2)

The table below gives you additional information of the college about its financial health.
Use financial tools for decision making (4.3) Using the table below, draw the break-even
graph of the college in MS Excel.

Annotate your graph and provide the following information:

1. How many students does the college have to enrol to break even?
2. What are the fixed and variable costs at the break-even point?
3. What loss does the college make when output is zero?

Deadline 3 Months from commencement.

Tutor Signature:

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Student Name Date

Assessor Signature Date

Appendix

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Months Years
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
January 0 15 20 30 20 0 0 0 2
February 0 10 12 25 15 5 0 0 3
March 0 5 10 45 20 3 0 0 5
April 0 8 15 30 12 5 10 0 2
May 0 3 2 65 25 2 2 0 1
June 0 2 5 38 10 2 0 0 0
July 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
August 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Septembe 0 50 65 80 50 15 25 10 8
r
October 5 40 50 70 42 10 15 5 5
November 15 45 42 53 29 8 10 3 5
December 10 15 51 26 18 5 12 2 1
30 193 272 462 239 55 74 20 32
Table1: Number of enrolment per month per year
Country years
2001 2002 2003 200 2005 200 2007 200 200
4 6 8 9
Democratic 15 20 13 8 12 2 0 0 0
Republic of Congo
Gabon 5 2 0 0 1 0 0 0
Ivory Coast 35 38 20 20 15 5 30 5 10
Mali 2 5 7 2 5 7 0 0 0
Senegal 1 3 1 0 2 4 0 0 0
Brazil 10 12 15 35 40 20 35 3 0
Philippines 2 3 10 15 10 20 10 0 4
India 5 2 10 10 5 15 5 2 0
Poland 2 3 6 1 3 3 0 0 0
Russia 10 2 5 2 0 10 5 0 0
Guinea 8 10 4 3 7 9 0 0 5
Greece 5 3 4 2 0 3 0 0 3
Burkina Faso 0 0 5 7 0 2 5 0 3
Spain 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 30 5
Turkey 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 70
Table 2: Students enrolment per country (Percentages)
years
Boroughs 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Hackney 3 3 15 4 20 25 15 10 5
Haringey 4 2 5 30 10 15 10 4 4
Islington 5 7 10 20 17 20 30 10 5
Lewisham 3 1 5 2 3 5 3 0 1
Southwark 70 65 45 35 20 15 10 10 8

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Lambeth 15 20 5 3 5 7 5 6 2
Wandsworth 0 2 5 2 5 3 7 0 0
Waltham Forest 0 0 10 4 20 0 20 20 5
Other areas 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 40 70
Table 3: Students residence in London (percentage per borough)
Activity ID Activity Duration (days)

1 Initial meeting and 1

discussion
Project proposal
Writing proposal 2

Proposal meeting and 1

acceptance

2 Strategy and planning 2

New market
research Design of resources 7

Execution of plan 10

3 Questionnaire design 3

survey Publication 1

Results analysis 4

4 Planning 3
report
Write up 5

5 Feedback to board of directors 1

Table 4: Activities (Partial) for the new project

Number of Fixed Variable costs Total cost Income Profit/(loss)

Students costs

30 80000 50000
100 80000 55000
150 80000 65000
200 80000 75000
280 80000 102000
350 80000 105000
420 80000 110000
510 80000 135000

Table 5: colleges financial information/Course fee: 650 per year

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 North

North West London

North East
London

West East

South West
London South East London

London boroughs
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South
Assessment Criteria
To obtain a Pass you will need to have met all the assessment criteria as outlined
below.
Learning outcomes and assessment criteria
Learning Outcomes Assessment Criteria Evidence
LO1 1.1 create a plan for the collection of primary
Be able to use a variety and secondary data for a given business
of sources for the problem
collection of data, both Presentation
primary and secondary 1.2 present the survey methodology and (with
sampling frame used supporting
evidence)
1.3 design a questionnaire for a given
business problem
L02 2.1 create information for decision making
Understand a range of by summarising data using representative
techniques values
to analyse data
effectively for business 2.2 analyse the data to draw valid
purposes conclusions in a business context Booklet (with
graphs and
2.3 analyse data using measures of analysis)
dispersion to inform a given business
scenario

2.4 explain how quartiles, percentiles and

the correlation coefficient are used to draw
useful conclusions in a business context
LO3 3.1 produce graphs using spreadsheets and
Be able to produce draw valid conclusions based on the
information in appropriate information derived
formats for decision
making in an 3.2 create trend lines in Spreadsheet graphs
organisational context to assist in forecasting for specified
business information Presentation
(with
3.3 Prepare a business presentation using supporting
suitable software and techniques to formal report)
disseminate information effectively

3.4 Prepare a formal business report

LO4 4.1 use appropriate information processing Supporting
Be able to use software tools evidence (MS
generated information to EXCEL and
4.2 Prepare a project plan for an activity
make decisions in an MS
4.3 Use financial tools for decision making
organisation PROJECT
files)

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To obtain a Merit you will need to achieve a pass for all the assessment criteria
plus the following:
Merit descriptor The learners evidence will demonstrate
Identify and apply strategies to Results of market research have been analysed well
find appropriate solutions and strategies have been identified
Appropriate solutions have been analysed
Students have analysed their results looking at more
than one question at a time
Select/design and apply A range of relevant theories and techniques have
appropriate techniques been applied to the scenario
Questionnaire and secondary market research has
been justified
Relevant data has been analysed

Present and communicate Student has presented data in a professional manner

appropriate findings
using various methods
Technical language and a good level of English has
been used throughout the assessment
Communication, including body language between
peers and tutors has been appropriate
Logical and coherent development of ideas for the
intended audience

To obtain a Distinction you will also need to meet the following criteria:
Distinction descriptors The learners evidence will demonstrate
Use critical reflection to Conclusions have been justified and results have
evaluate own work and justify been validated
valid conclusions. Self-evaluation including any realistic
improvements
Take responsibility for the Student has taken responsibility for managing,
management and organisation organising, planning and has demonstrated a
of activities mature attitude at all time
Deadlines have been met
Student has dealt with any unforeseen difficulties
Student has worked independently
Demonstrate Student has solved problems
convergent/lateral/creative Shows innovation and is receptive to new ideas
thinking Self-evaluation
Logical and effective thinking has taken place

References

Sources of research must be Harvard Referenced and sources within the text as
appropriate. Consult Student handbook for guidance on Harvard referencing.

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