Description

Scenario

The BBQfun Board of Directors and the CEO have decided to implement an e-commerce strategy to maintain or increase market share and revenue and satisfy customer needs in line with company strategic directions.

You have been hired as an external consultant to manage resource planning activities for BBQfun’s e-commerce strategy.

Under the strategy, BBQfun would offer all products in an online store. Stock could be stored at no extra cost at existing stores. Customers would cover delivery costs. 

Currently, BBQfun has a website, but this website lacks e-commerce functionality. The website would need to be redeveloped to incorporate this functionality in line with relevant technical specifications. Existing infrastructure, such as office and store configurations, would need to be adapted to the new strategy. Additionally, assets, such as delivery vehicles would need to be acquired. New staff would need to be recruited and existing staff retrained or informed of the e-commerce strategy and associated operational and performance targets.

All resourcing must be acquired in accordance with relevant internal and external standards – legislation and codes of practice; intellectual property (IP) rights and responsibilities; and organisational policies and procedures.

Preliminary approval has been given to amend existing budget to incorporate this strategy.

It is now 30 June 2013 and e-commerce operations are expected to be underway in one year and three months, by 1 October 2014.

Scenario task

As the external consultant, you will need to determine physical and human resourcing requirements. Review organisational documentation (Appendix 1 and BBQ Fun Simulated Business) and undertake preliminary research on e-commerce. Consult with the following personnel to determine resourcing needs:

⦁ Sales and Marketing Manager

⦁ technology consultant.

You will then need to plan physical and human resourcing and establish associated performance measures and targets. You may consider the Management Team of BBQfun, including team leaders in warehouses, to be resources for the implementation. Use description of their roles in operational planning when assigning responsibilities.

Finally, you will need to propose resourcing and associated operational changes to the Operations General Manager, who will, in consultation with the CEO and Board of Directors, provide approval.

Assessment

Part A

1.Resources Consultation Meeting Role Play

The members of the class are acting as if in a meeting of BBQfun. The Trainer, acting as the Sales and Marketing Manager of BBQfun,  presents the scenario of the assessment to the students who are acting as independent consultants. Each will have the responsibility to develop Resource plans and manage resources for BBQfun. All members of the class have the data from the scenario, and can ask questions for further clarification.

During the meeting, the name of the project, objectives and scope of the project can be agreed upon.

Instruction Files