BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business ESBM

(RQF)

The submission is in the form of a portfolio, which includes the following components:

1. Project management plan including a work breakdown structure in the form of a Gantt chart
2. A completed project Logbook
3. A performance review
4. A business case presentation.

The business case presentation is a 10-minute individual PowerPoint presentation, and 5 minutes are allocated for questions. The presentation slides and speaker notes should be submitted in the portfolio. You are required to make effective use of PowerPoint headings, bullet points and subsections as appropriate. Your research should be referenced using the Harvard referencing system. Please also provide a bibliography using the Harvard referencing system. The recommended word limit is for presentation is 1,000 to 1,500 words and the report will be 1500 to 2000 words, including speaker notes, although you will not be penalised for exceeding the total word limit.

Top Tip: Be creative with your form of assessment. For example, this could be a portfolio with an attached logbook, a presentation and an online project management plan.

LO1 Explain the key stages of the project lifecycle that should be considered when project managing

LO2 Produce a Project Management Plan (PMP) for a business project using primary and secondary research methods

LO3 Implement the Project Management Plan (PMP) to communicate results from the research and make conclusions from the evidence of findings

LO4 Reflect on value gained from implementing the project and the project management

process.

Vocational scenario

At Amazon, the Human Resources (HR) department has integrated artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline recruitment and enhance employee management. Using AI-powered tools, Amazon now analyses vast amounts of applicant data to identify top candidates with the right skills and cultural fit more efficiently. The AI system reviews resumes, evaluates social media profiles, and even conducts initial virtual interviews using natural language processing to gauge communication skills and professional demeanor.

Moreover, AI-driven analytics provide Amazon's HR team with insights into employee performance and retention trends. The system predicts which employees might be at risk of leaving by analyzing factors such as job satisfaction, workload, and engagement levels. This allows HR to proactively address concerns and improve employee retention.

Additionally, AI automates routine HR tasks such as scheduling interviews, answering common employee queries through chatbots, and managing payroll. This reduces the administrative burden on HR staff, enabling them to focus on strategic initiatives like workforce development and diversity inclusion programs.

Overall, AI significantly enhances Amazon’s HR capabilities, allowing for more data-driven decision-making, improving efficiency, and ultimately contributing to a more dynamic and responsive organizational culture.

Your Role

As a junior Project development manager, your responsibility is to develop a project management plan based on the impact of AI on a functional area (e.g., HR, Marketing, Finance) within Amazon or any other organisation of your choice. You will undertake independent research and investigation to execute a business project plan (PMP) that meets appropriate business aims and objectives.

*Your Project Plan is ‘the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)”

To conduct your project successfully to produce your business case, the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI), you will need to take the following steps:

Step 1 – Project planning

Devise a project management plan to map out how you intend to meet the project objectives:

• Begin with the scope. What activities and tasks, as defined in your project, must be done to make the project a success?
• Note the milestones or significant events or phases in your project.
• Provide details of activities to be carried out in the initiation, planning and execution of the project.
• Create a Work breakdown structure using a Gantt chart to track the activities undertaken

(Complete the Project Logbook Template, appendix 1 is attached).

Step 2 – Conduct primary or secondary research.

• Devise a short questionnaire/ or interview questions about how to run a socially responsible business.
• Research the value and benefits of addressing project activities.
• Focus on areas of good practice to build and support your business case.

Step 3 – Present Findings (presentation)

• Collate your research and analyse your findings.
• Produce and present the business case, including evaluating tools for gathering research and data to justify your recommendations for implementing a sustainable business.

Step 4 – Reflective Practice (Complete the Performance review Template, Appendix 2 is attached).

• Complete a performance review with your line manager to critically reflect upon the project plan, process and outcomes in terms of your own personal and professional development. Think about how well you have performed and achieved your project objectives; what obstacles did you have to overcome? What worked well or not well? What have you learned from completing this project?

Step 5

Evaluate the project life cycle and the different stages undertaken, reflecting upon the research methods applied for completing the business project and how successful they were in achieving the intended outcomes, what were the key factors to consider when compiling your PMP.

LO1 Explain the key stages of the project lifecycle that should be

considered when project managing

D1 Critically evaluate the project-management process, PMP and research methods for gathering information and data collection.

P1 Explain the stages of the project lifecycle (PLC) and their importance to the success of a project.

P2 Examine the factors to be considered when compiling a project management plan (PMP). P3 Examine a range of research methods and strategies and their importance to project management.

M1 Evaluate the stages of the PLC and the factors (deliverables, quality, risk, communication and resources) to be considered in a PMP.

M2 Evaluate a range of research methods and strategies for gathering information   and   data

collection.

LO2 Produce a Project Management Plan (PMP) for a business project

using primary and secondary research methods

D2 Justify the choices made in the design of the PMP for completing the aims and objectives of the project.

P4 Produce a PMP that covers aim, objectives, deliverables, quality, risk, communication resources and research methods.

P5 Produce a work breakdown structure and a schedule to provide timeframes and stages

for completion.

LO3 Implement the Project Management Plan (PMP) to communicate results from the research and make conclusions from the evidence of

findings

LO3 and LO4

D3 Critically reflect on the findings from the research and the project management process in supporting stated

P6 Conduct a business project as stated within the PMP and communicate findings. P7: Present data to draw valid and meaningful conclusions and recommendations from data

analysis.

https://www.gov.uk/governm ent/publications/ai-activity-in-uk-

businesses/ai-activity-in-uk- businesses-executive-summary

Project Management links:

• Start Here
• Scheduling
• Scope Management

A range of project management resources available in the resource library

on HN Global

nals.com/subjects/business

/r esource-library

Update on weekly research/tasks achieved Points to consider:

• What have you completed in this period?
• Did you complete the work that you had planned?
• Are you on track and within deadlines set?
• Did you need to make any changes to your project plan?

Any risks and/or issues identified? Points to consider:

• Did you identify risks/issues related to a lack of knowledge or skill required to undertake the work you had planned?
• Did you identify any additional risks/issues that have an impact on your project plan?

Problems encountered Points to consider:

• What barriers did you face?
• How did you overcome them?

New ideas and change of project direction:

In developing work, addressing risks/issues, has the direction of your work changed?

How does your work justify the change of direction? Is this clear?

Do you feel this change of direction has enhanced your work?

How?

What have you learned about yourself through your work? Points to consider:

What are the most important things that your work has revealed to you? How might this learning apply in the future?

How did you feel when you had to deal with challenges/problems?

How well do you feel you have you performed?

What can you improve?

Tasks planned for next week Points to consider:

• Which tasks are priority?
• Have you set aside sufficient time for completion? Any other comments

Project plan status to date: (on, ahead, behind)

Do you feel you are on track to complete your work on time? If not, how will you address this?

Do you feel your work shows your achievement of the Learning Outcomes? If not, what do you need to do?

Comments by the tutors

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