Unit 5.22 Information for Strategic Decision Making
Level 5 10 Credits
Sample Assignment
Related Qualifications
ATHE Level 5 Diploma in Business and Administrative Management (RQF)
ATHE Level 6 Extended Diploma in Business and Administrative Management (RQF)
Scenario
You have been successful in gaining an internship with a firm of management consultants. As part of the internship programme you will shadow a senior consultant who is working with a medium sized company experiencing financial difficulty. This consultant wishes to involve you in client work but under his guidance.
It is immediately apparent that the client company lacks effective systems to make appropriate strategic decisions. You have been asked to write a draft report for the senior consultant showing the importance of information systems for strategic decision making.
Your report must cover the following key information
Task 1 – The role of information systems
You first task is to report on the role information systems (IS) play in strategic decision making and how they support businesses. The senior consultant has stressed the importance of using organisations and systems with which you are familiar to exemplify the contents of the report.
You should explain
the role of IS for strategic decision making (AC 1.1)
the need to align IS with business plans (AC1.3)
the need for corporate systems strategy (AC1.4)
assess the need for integrated knowledge to support decision making (AC 1.2)
evaluate the informations systems used in strategic planning (AC 2.1)
analyse how information based systems services contribute to business functions (AC 2.2)
Task 2 – Quantitative approaches and techniques
The senior consultant is pleased with your progress to date. At a recent meeting to discuss this client it was clear that the organisation will need to focus on quantitative techniques to improve performance. In the second section of the report you must:
evaluate quantitative approaches to decision making (AC 3.1)
explain the need for monitoring external factors for example competitor performance, the impact of the Budget (AC 3.2).
explain the contribution of quantitative techniques to business functions (AC 3.3)
evaluate the reliability of quantitative techniques in strategic decisions making (3.4)
Task 3 – Systems approach
To provide a balanced approach your senior colleague wants the client to understand how the systems approach could also be used to solve problems and make decisions
Compare and contrast decision making theories (AC 4.1)
Evaluate decision making models (AC 4.2)
Assess strategic models that organisations may follow (AC 4.3)
Guidelines for assessors
The assignments submitted by learners must achieve the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by the assessment criteria for the unit. The suggested evidence listed below is how learners can demonstrate that they have met the required standard.
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Task number |
Assessment criteria |
Suggested evidence |
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ALL |
The learner must produce a well-structured formal report in a style appropriate for people working at the highest level of an organisation. The report will address the requirements of all of the command verbs. The learner must exemplify relevant theory with actual practice by using examples. All work must be comprehensive and meet the requirements of level 5 descriptors |
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1 |
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 2.1, 2.2, |
The explanations of the role of strategic systems should draw on examples; ideally from the learners’ own experiences but research into other organisations is also important. This will help to clarify the explanation provided. The need for both alignment with business plans and corporate system strategy should also be illustrated with examples. These may be drawn from case study material. This could link to the evaluation of IS for strategic planning and the analysis of its contribution to business functions. The assessor should note that the command verbs in the second section of the report require the learner to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the use of information systems and assess the need for integrated knowledge. This will need to be a balanced response leading to judgements. |
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2 |
3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 |
The rational for quantitative approaches will provide comprehensive explanations and evaluations of how the approaches and techniques are used throughout organisations. The evaluations must identify strengths and weaknesses leading to valid conclusions. |
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3 |
4.1, 4.2, 4.3, |
Learners will demonstrate their understanding of the systems approach through their comparison of a range of theories. The evaluation of decision making models must lead to judgements and reasoned conclusions. In the assessment of the strategic models for specified organisations, learner work will also be characterised by judgements. |