Technology and business Innovation

ContinuousAssessmentAssignmentTBIRepeat20162017.docx

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Course:	PG Dip/MSc/MBA IBM/AFM and Streams
Module:	Technology and Business Innovation
Study Mode:	Full time	X	Part-time	X
Assignment No.:	1 of 1
Date of Issue:	June, 2017
Assignment Deadline	A printed copy of your written report and script from your presentation to be submitted via TurnItIn by 11:30 pm on 26 July, 2017. A paper copy of each and a copy of the PowerPoint slides to be given to the GBS Office during normal office hours on the same date. Please note that it is the paper copy which is marked.
Word Count:	Part A – Presentation –500-word script and 10 PowerPoint slides. Part B – Written Report – 1,500 words.
Assignment Title/Brief:	TBI Repeat Assignment
Pretend you are a consultant to your chosen organisation (see list on page 5). Appoint a small, imaginary innovation team whose members represent the typical innovation roles described in the first three lectures. Pick a suitable product/service/process or other area of the business which you suggest the organisation should innovate. Select an appropriate innovation theme from or the Deloitte University Press Tech Trends 2017 report (available at https://dupress.deloitte.com/ dup-us-en/focus/tech-trends.html) that is appropriate to the organisation’s current and future business. As the consultant reporting to the board of your chosen company use these as inputs to: A. Develop a speech/script and a PowerPoint presentation on the organisation, the innovation team, its current approach to innovation, an innovation theme which is relevant to the organisation and the innovation strategy you would suggest for the organisation in the future i.e. approach, framework, and model. B. Prepare and submit a written report which summarises the presentation and describes the practical steps the organisation should make to develop and implement the innovation strategy outlined in A.

*Assessment Criteria:* (Please note there is some overlap between Parts A and B)	*% of Marks Allocated*
Part A (Innovation Presentation)
List of innovation team members with names and roles, your name and role, and the name of your organisation (guide 1 slide).	0
Outline of the presentation (guide 1 slide).	0
Brief description of the business and the nature of the organisation i.e. what it is called and what it does (guide 1 slide). Overview of your innovation audit (see appendices to notes) (1 slide). Outline of the innovation goals (critical success factors or KPI’s) which you feel are appropriate to the organisation (1 slide). Description of the innovation theme/trend you believe is most relevant to the organisation e.g. the Internet of Things and the area of innovation e.g. you may suggest the organisation examines the implications of the Everything-as-a-service on its existing product portfolio (1 slide). Illustration(s) and diagram(s) of a specific product/service/process you feel the organisation should innovate (1 slide).	10
A speech/script for your presentation which includes an explanation of an appropriate innovation strategy for the organisation to include a description of the overall approach, framework and/or model that could be used to manage innovation (1 slide/500 words). Please note, you will not have to make a presentation, but should prepare the slides and speech as if you were planning to make such a presentation to the board of directors. You do not have to upload a copy of the slides to TurnItIn but should include your script as Part A of the written report.	20
For Part B (Innovation Written Report):
Title page to include your name, your innovation team role, and the name of your organisation. Table of contents. An introduction which summarises the information in your presentation (guide 200 words and diagram of your innovation model).	0
A written description and justification for three techniques and tools you would suggest using to support the approach, framework/model suggested (500 words). An appropriate technology road map (one diagram plus explanation) for the product/service/process you believe the organisation should innovate. An explanation of the role technologies would or could play in the changed new product/service or process (300 words).	30
Personal, individual reflections on the approach taken and the general processes you used during the assignment process (500 words). References. Overall presentation and cohesiveness of written report. Up to 20% of marks will be allocated on the basis of the overall quality.	40

Supporting Notes

· This note supports the TBI Module Assignment.

· Before preparing your answer, read all of the assignment tasks and background notes below.

· Take note of where questions/sections are linked.

· Use TBI terminology and theories throughout your answers.

· Module material need only be referenced; copying large sections is unnecessary.

· Provide suitable citations and references, in the agreed GBS format.

· Tailor your efforts and word count according to the allocation of marks.

· Where the use of diagrams is appropriate use of drawing packages such as Microsoft Visio® and PowerPoint is preferred. Such diagrams should be inserted into the document. Alternatively, diagrams may draw freehand, scan the drawing into a suitable format and insert it in the document.

· All diagrams must be clearly readable when included in the report and presentation i.e. it is acceptable to submit scanned images of freehand drawings.

· Read your work through before submitting it. It is suggested that you also ask other students in your group to peer review the individual part of your assignment before you submit it.

· Ensure that you submit the report and the presentation with a signed cover sheet/disclaimer. You should submit two hard copies (one hard copy with cover sheet for your administrator, and a second photocopy or a printout of your assignment answers and a cover sheet which the administrator will sign and which you can take as a receipt if you wish).

· Your student name and student identity number must be included on the cover sheet and you must sign the assignment submission sheet. In addition, individual reflections sections of the report should include your name and student number.

· Hard copies of Sections A (slides and script) and B (written report) should be submitted to the faculty office (a late penalty applies).

· A soft copy of Sections A and B should be uploaded to Moodle for TurnitIn by the submission date. If you cannot submit to Moodle for any reason you must email a soft copy to the administrator.

Plagiarism

If you take material from the module materials or elsewhere and incorporate it in your answer word for word, you must indicate where you have taken it from. Not to do so is termed ‘plagiarism’ and is regarded as an infringement of copyright. To attempt to pass off such work as your own is cheating. You must therefore acknowledge all your sources of information. All assignments submitted will be checked using collusion- and plagiarism-checking software. If the result of this check indicates that you have included third-party material without proper indication and acknowledgement then this material will not be marked and your work may be referred to Course Director and Head of Department.

Submission deadline

You must ensure that your assignment is submitted both in paper copy and via TurnItIn no later the cut-off time and date. If there are good reasons why you cannot meet a cut-off date and you need an extension, you must apply (via the GBS Administrator) to the Head of the Graduate Business School, Programme Director and Year Head for the extension. Lecturers have no discretion in granting extensions for assignments and the Course Team will do so only in exceptional circumstances. Please submit your completed assignment to arrive no later than 12 midnight (local time).

Learning Outcomes and Lectures

For this TMA you may need to refer in particular to Learning Outcomes 1 – 8 and Lectures 1 - 7.

Word Count

· Each assignment part is given an indicative word count, which your written answer should not exceed (as defined below). A limit is applied to motivate you to demonstrate the skills of focusing on a question and of answering it concisely. Both skills are expected of students at this level of study. If your answer exceeds the overall word limit by more than 10%, your lecturer will not award more than 70% of the marks available however good the answer. In such cases your tutor may only skim read the excess content and mark it by impression.

· The guide length for part A of the assignment is 500 words and 5-10 PowerPoint slides or equivalent. The advisory number of words permitted for part B is 1,500 words.

· Included within the word count are: all text; lists and bullet-pointed sentences; and tables where the body of the table is text. This includes an executive summary/abstract; introduction; and conclusion.

· Excluded from the word count are: writing out the question as set, or parts of it; this is highly recommended as a means of maintaining focus; a title page; a table of contents or contents list and corresponding headings; equations; diagrams, words within them and words in titles; tables, where the body of the table is mainly numbers or symbols; appendices of case details, such as a firm’s literature or report (though these should not amount to more than 20% of the entire word count); any extracts or cuttings required to be in the answer; references and bibliography. In case of doubt, please liaise with your lecturer.

Organisations

Choose one organisation from the following:

Irish based manufacturing company, Steeltech Sheds Ltd., recently announced a major investment of €5million over the next three years and the creation of 43 new jobs in the next 12 months. The expansion is due to the major growth of the company domestically in the last year, and the decision to further expand and export into the UK Market. Headquartered in Tuam, County Galway, Steeltech’s business involves the design, manufacture, delivery and installation of garden sheds, workshops, home offices, garages, garden rooms, garden studios and chalets. All products are made from steel and custom made on request. The €investment over the next three years by the company will see funding in capital, people, IT, innovation, R&D and sales and marketing allowing Steeltech Sheds to scale significantly over the next five to ten years.

Tickets.ie, Ireland’s largest independent ticketing company, is to create 20 new high-tech roles in developing a new ticketing product. The product will streamline the sale of tickets for music and sporting events, ensuring that fans get fair access to tickets in the primary market which will help combat ticket touting. Operations for this dynamic business are based in the company’s new software development centre in Dublin city centre as part of a €1.5 million project to run over the 2017/2018. The project is supported by grant funding from the Enterprise Ireland Research and Development Fund. The job creation announced consists of highly skilled positions in software development and related management along with positions in sales, marketing and operations.

Netwatch, one of the World’s leading high tech security specialists, have announced plans to create 85 jobs within the business in 2017. This is part of a €20 million investment by the company and will see talent recruited in areas such as software and hardware engineering, marketing and digital marketing and sales engineering solutions. Sixty of these new positions will be based in their Irish headquarters, while the remaining 25 will be in Netwatch’s offices in the US and UK. This will see Netwatch grow to over 250 employees.

Summary of Deloitte University Press Tech Trends 2017

Choose one theme from the following:

Any organisation developing a medium or long term strategy is likely to use tools such as an Innovation Audit, PEST, SWOT, Scenario Planning, Future Options, etc. in order to identify the internal external forces that will shape its future business. For many companies these days the ‘T’ element of PEST analysis is the most important – technology analysis examines the powerful digital forces, disruptive changes and rapid technological innovations that impact on strategy. As a previous Deloitte University Press Tech Trends report (2016) put it: “Every company is now a technology company. Whereas technology was traditionally confined … to operations and execution, its digital expression now informs all aspects of business, from ideation to delivery. We witness daily how it drives product design, upends venerable business models, and rewires competition”. Deloitte’s Technology Trends 2017 report is an in-depth and up-to-date examination of trends – or themes - that are likely to disrupt businesses in the next 18–24 months. These themes/trends include:

· IT unbounded - The business potential of IT transformation.

· Dark analytics - Illuminating opportunities hidden within unstructured data.

· Machine intelligence - Technology mimics human cognition to create value.

· Mixed reality- Experiences get more intuitive, immersive, and empowering.

· Inevitable architecture - Complexity gives way to simplicity and flexibility.

· Everything-as-a-service - Modernizing the core through a services lens.

· Blockchain: Trust economy - Taking control of digital identity.

· Exponentials watch list - Science and technology innovations on the horizon.

Each of these tech themes/trends is briefly described in the Deloitte University Press report which you can find online. There are also useful videos and other resources at the website.

You should use these themes, trends and discussions as inspiration for your assignment. It is important to think creatively – to go beyond the “what” of digital innovation - the artefacts, applications, and capabilities - to the “so what” - how you will organisations harness emerging trends, innovation, and disruption to create real business value.

For example, how might the Everything-as-a-service impact on Steeltech’s business? What new products, services, etc. will need to be developed (or adapted) over the next 18–24 months? Taking Jang’s suggestion, can these products now be produced using 3D Printing or ‘Additive Manufacturing’? How can managers in the company think beyond incremental adoption patterns? How can the organisation do familiar things differently, but also fundamentally different things? How (and when) can it launch new processes, products, and services? Can you find new ways for it to compete, or broaden its impact to wider society?

Marking scheme

	Description	Framework and Model	Approach. Techniques, Tools and Role of Technology	Personal Reflections and Presentation of Report (including engagement)
	10%	20%	30%	40%
				20%	20%
A (80-100)	Excellent identification and description of the innovation team and an appropriate organisation, theme/trend/area of innovation. Comprehensive analysis to support selection. Detailed description and illustration of chosen product, service or process. Synthesis and creative use of module concepts.	Well designed and executed diagram that draws on module innovation frameworks and models. Full review of the operational or other characteristics. Strong use of theory throughout to support design. Evidence of strong attendance, participation and engagement throughout the team process.	Clear and unequivocal recommendation supported by excellent outline description. Excellent description of the role of technology. Excellent Technology Road Map drawn in line with module guidelines. Synthesization of course concepts and practical knowledge and ideas from outside course material. Elements of critical thinking.	A highly developed capacity for original, creative and reflective thinking. Detailed use of an appropriate reflective framework and diagram.	Excellent clear structure and presentation that is a pleasure to look at and listen to. Makes the subject matter easily comprehensible. Very well organised materials with full citations and referencing in the correct GCD GBS standard. Wide use of a range of supporting resources.
B+ (70-79)	Clear identification and well described innovation team and an appropriate organisation, theme/trend/area of innovation. Very good analysis to support selection. Significant description of chosen product, service or process. Wide and creative use of module concepts.	Well executed diagram that draws on module innovation frameworks and models. Review of the practical and other characteristics. High level of use of theory throughout. Evidence of good attendance, participation and engagement.	Very good recommendation and outline description. Comprehensive description of the role of technology. Good Technology Road Map based on guidelines. Wide use of course concepts and practical knowledge and ideas from outside course materials.	A good level of reflective thinking with evidence of insight. Good use of an appropriate reflective framework and diagram.	Clear structure and presentation that is easy to look at and listen to. Makes the subject matter clearly understood. Well organised materials with appropriate citations and referencing in the correct GCD GBS standard. Use of a range of supporting resources.

(60-69)

Organisation, team and theme//trend/ area of innovation identified and described in detail. Analysis to support selection.

Understandable description of chosen product, service or process.

Significant use of module concepts.

Clear diagram that draws on module innovation frameworks and models.

Recommendation supported by full description.

Use of appropriate theory throughout.

Good attendance, participation and engagement.

Good recommendation and outline description of techniques and tools.

Well designed and executed Technology Road Map.

Significant use of course concepts and practical knowledge and ideas from experience.

Original insights and capacity for independent thinking.

Competent use of an appropriate reflective framework and diagram.

Structure and presentation that is of a good standard. Makes the subject matter clear.

Organised materials with appropriate citations and referencing in general. Use of a range of supporting resources.

C+

(55-59)

Organisation, team, theme/trend/area of innovation identified and described appropriately.

Competent analysis and description of chosen product, service or process.

Use made of module concepts.

Diagram that draws on module innovation frameworks and models as a base.

Recommendation supported by description.

Use of module theory.

Full or near-full attendance, participation and engagement.

Recommendation and description of techniques and tools

Acceptable Technology Road Map.

Use of some course concepts and practical knowledge and ideas from experience.

Evidence of reflective and use of an appropriate reflective framework and diagram.

Structure and presentation that is of an acceptable standard. Makes the subject matter clear.

Organised materials with most citations and referencing in place. Use of supporting resources.

(50-54)

Organisation, team, theme/innovation named and described.

Acceptable description of chosen product, service or process.

Reference to module concepts.

Diagram that follows conventions.

Recommendation supported by basic description.

Inclusion of module theory.

Acceptable attendance, participation and engagement.

Acceptable description.

Appropriate format and content in Technology Road Map.

Use of applied concepts and practical knowledge and ideas from experience.

Evidence of reflective thinking and inclusion/ basic use of an appropriate reflective framework and diagram.

Structure and presentation that is of an acceptable standard. Content is clear.

Some use of materials with most citations and referencing in place. Use of supporting resources.

(45-49)

Organisation, team, theme/trend/innovation stated.

Partial description of product, etc.

Some but limited use made of module concepts.

Diagram that partially follows conventions.

Basic description.

Incomplete attendance, participation and/or engagement.

Little or no description and/or incomplete or no Technology Road Map.

Limited use of concepts and practical knowledge and ideas.

Some evidence of reflective thinking and inclusion of an appropriate reflective framework and/or diagram.

Structure and presentation that is of an acceptable standard. Content is clear.

Limited use of materials with most citations and referencing in place. Use of resources.

( 0-44)

Unclear selection and/or description.

Little or no application of concepts.

No application of module theory evident.

Poor or absent diagram.

Unclear or poorly described.

Poor or very poor attendance, participation or engagement.

Little or no description and incomplete, poor or no technology road map.

No theory or activities used.

Limited or no demonstrated evidence of reflective thinking.

Little or no use of a reflective framework and diagram.

Lacking any clear structure and poor quality of presentation with minimal or no referencing and/or little or no use of appropriate module resources.

Technology and business Innovation

Full time

Part-time