The Brief /Instructions
Choose an industry and a specific product.
SBK is a traditional company (you are required to choose a business type with a specific product) with a combined workforce of 350 staff. Due to increased levels of competition, this company is now increasingly finding it difficult to compete – especially as the larger companies seem to be a little more innovative, agile and responsive to customer requirements. The management board has noticed that staff (especially the good ones) are now leaving the company to seek work elsewhere. This has meant employing new staff and undertaking a considerable amount of re-training (to replace those that have left), which has had a negative impact on SBK’s core business operations. Given this position, senior management at SBK has decided to implement a performance management and measurement tool that would allow them to align the strategic,
management and operational requirements of the business. Senior management is therefore considering the adoption of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) to improve on the overall business performance. However, this is completely new to the organisation as it has never done this before.
As the newly appointed business improvement consultant working for SBK, you are required to prepare a report for the board of directors involving the following tasks:
1. Provide a critique of the traditional performance measurement approach used by SBK in its business (provide examples of traditional performance measurement tools) and make a case for the adoption of a non-traditional approach.
2. Critically discuss how SBK could use the BSC to align its strategic, managerial and operational requirements.
Task Criteria Mark
1) A critical analysis of the merits and demerits of traditional organisational performance measurement
List and discussion of some traditional performance measurement tools
A strong case for the adoption of the non-traditional organisational performance measurement approach
2) Detailed discussion of how SBK could use the BSC tool to align its strategic, managerial and operational requirements 20
3) Critical discussion of BSC perspectives with suitable examples of performance goals, performance objectives, performance measures, performance targets and initiatives. Providing a business-specific strategy map for SBK 15 Report presentation, quality of communication, research, and Harvard style referencing
Learning Outcomes Assessed (from the Module Descriptor, available on Blackboard):
– LO1 Demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of core business drivers and strategic decision-making processes with respect to project problems in complex and unpredictable situations (and their potential impact on the core business), including the application of robust, viable, and defendable solutions.
– LO2 Critically appraise Organisational and project environments, and be able to demonstrate advanced project management competence using innovative applied techniques to assess, manage and control project variables (micro and macro) throughout the project lifecycle.
– LO3 Demonstrate in depth understanding of internal and external information management systems and processes, and be able to apply advanced cognitive skills to provide considered solutions, especially in contextually diverse collaborative environments.
-LO4 Critically evaluate the concepts and theories of project financing and funding, cognisant of: bidding strategies and global business drivers, fiscal drivers and KPI’s, decision-making techniques, procurement routes and production/project planning methodologies.
