Unit schedule and activities for semester one, academic year 20-21

Unit title: Business in Practice FTU

Unit code: BSS065-3
Unit coordinator: Brij Naysmith
Unit BREO link:

Online / face to face

(use * to indicate where a
For online activities only
face to face activity will be
Week Activity type and summary
based on online materials How long Additional Additional
available at least 24 hours in should content technology
advance) students spend resources resources
on this?
Week 1
Activity 1 Unit overview and Introduction to  Face to face Ch 7 Tools for
Project Management project Breo discussion
management, area
workshops
and
consulting: a
must-have
compendium
of essential
tools and
techniques –
core text book
found in
“Books and
Tools” area
Activity 2  Managing Projects Quiz  Face to face Unit overview
and
Introduction to
Project
Management

Activity 3  Stakeholder Management Face to face Stakeholder

management
document, Breo discussion
Unit overview area
and
Introduction to
Project
Managemet
Activity 4  Effective Teams Face to face Ch 2 Tools for
project
management,
workshops Breo discussion
and area
consulting: a
must-have
compendium
of essential
tools and
techniques –
core text book
found in
“Books and
Tools” area
Activity 5  Effective team exercise – you will  Face to Face Effective Breo discussion
have been assigned a group on Teams, the area.
breo – look at the “groups” internet,
section. In class you are discussing
assigned into groups. The group with each
you will be in will be there to help other.
 with completing tasks and your
assignment. As a group you are
there to help each other.
Activity 6  Reflective team exercise  Face to Face Experience of Breo discussion
working in area
your
team/group.
Read Effective
Teams
Reflection
Read: Belbin
Team Roles
Activity 7  Dummy Project/The Project 
Activity 8  Natural Sardinia Ltd pp 

Activity 9  Start putting down ideas of key  Project charter Breo discussion
point for Natural Sardinia Ltd. template, area
Work on project charter, identify Natural
key areas to research etc Sardinia Ltd,
experience
gained
working on
deodorant
exercise
Week 2
Activity 1  The Business Environment  Face to Face The Product
Lifecycle

Activity 2  Macro Environment Analysis;  On campus – Pestle Breo discussion

Choose an analysis tool/model to presented/discussed in analysis fact area
look at the external environment the workshop upload your sheet, The
of the dummy project teams findings onto Breo Product
in discussion Week 2. Lifecycle
Activity 3  Strategy Tools for analysis  Face to Face

Activity 4  TOWS analysis  On campus – face to face Breo discussion

potential strategic options area
discussed


Activity 5  Competitive strategy video link  Online 45 minutes

on Breo, Blue Ocean Strategy

Activity 6  Stone Point ltd - video  Watch video and start 30 minutes Breo discussion
thinking about what further area
information is needed. Put
your questions in the
discussion area. There is
 an opportunity to have
these questions answered
by Paul.
Week 3
Activity 1  Marketing and Marketing &  Face to Face 30 minutes Seven stages
Social Media slides of the digital Breo discussion
marketing area
cycle

Activity 2  Stone Point Ltd – what do we  Face to Face 1 hour Stone Point ltd Breo discussion
know now? What can we start video, website area
researching? What questions do link, Guidance
we need to ask? for
Assignment 1.
Activity 3  Competitive forces & Strategies  Face to Face 30 minutes E-business Breo discussion
strategies and area
internet
business
models, How
competitive
forces shape
strategies
Activity 4  Natural Sardinia Ltd – start Face to Face 2 hours Material Breo discussion
putting together a presentation covered in area
on the dummy project. Working in Week 1, 2 & 3
your group/team discuss and
record: what is known about the
company, conduct and external
and internal analysis. Look at
competitors and identify
market/industry sector and
positioning and identify
customer/clients. You will need to
conduct academic level research.
 What has been produced in this
session will be uploaded to Week
3 Dummy project folder for
presentation and discussion.
Week 4
Activity 1  Moving beyond the dummy  Face to face 30 minutes
project /task ppt.

Activity 2  Think about what you need to do  Face to face 30 minutes

to complete Assignment 1. What
is your action plan? Complete
activity online
Activity 2  Review of  Face to face 1 hour 30 mins Weeks 1 - 3 Breo discussion
frameworks/models/tools that can area
be used/applied

30 mins
Activity 3  Mapping activity  Face to face 30 minutes Breo discussion
area

Activity 4  Business Model canvas  Face to face – 30 minutes Breo discussion

area

Week 5
Activity 1  Introduction, writing warm up,  Face to Face 30 minutes
setting goals, planning

Activity 2  Writing  Face to Face 1 hour 15 Resources Breo discussion

minutes from Weeks 1 areas
-4,
Assessment 1
brief
Activity 3  Break and review 30 minutes

Activity 4  Writing  Face to Face 1 hour 15 Resources Breo discussion

minutes from Weeks 1 areas
-4,
Assessment 1
brief
Activity  Wrap up  Face to Face 30 minutes

Week 6 Assignment 1 submit 06/11/20

Activity 1  Online drop in session to provide  Online – Wednesday 4th 4 hours each All study
support guidance for Assignment and Thursday 5th session programme
1 November. Each session resources
will run from 9:00 am to located on the
1:00 pm Breo shell
Week 7
Activity 1  Review Project 1: key lessons learnt  Face to face 30 minutes
from Project 1, including what can be
done better next time?


Activity 2  Introduce outline of Assignment 2  Face to face 30 minutes

Activity 3  Students to:  Face to face 3 hours Business Breo shell,

Case collaborate,
 define what is meant by online library
'business development' and and other online
'growth' sources

 Students to start identifying

areas/issues they may want
to explore and investigate for
Assignment 2

 Students to come up with:

 Problem identification
 Project timeline and
objectives
 Be ready to present their idea
to the group

 Students present their project

idea to the group. They have
ten minutes to do this
 Tutors and whole group to
 participate in Q&A to assess
the feasibility of the ideas.

Week 8

Activity 1  Now that students have identified  Face to face 2 hours Week 1
their project, they need to: resources re
stakeholders
 Identify key stakeholders for analysis
the business

 Apply the stakeholder

analysis model

 Identify stakeholder needs

Activity 2  Students to start completing the  Face to face 2 hours Resources
Business Model canvas in detail from Week 4
using evidence

 During this session, tutors will

spend ten minutes with each
group to discuss progress to date
and future directions

 Students must bring their portfolio

of work to this session

Week 9

Activity 1  Tutors will provide general  Face to Face 1 hour

feedback from Assignment 1 and
discuss with students how to
move forward with Assignment 2
Activity 2  Students will continue to complete  Face to face 1 hour
the Business Model canvas with
further evidence

Activity 3  Students should, by now, have some  Face to face 2 hours Breo shell
ideas about how the business can discussion area
grow. They will need to: week 9.
Feedback will be
 Explain the value proposition
provided in the
considering their growth ideas - e.g.
will they be thinking about New discussion area
Product Development, expanding
their current market, opening up new
offices/stores at new locations, etc.?

 Whatever the students choose to do,

they will need to do more market
research (customers, competitors,
substitute products, etc.). Students
need to be able to demonstrate this

 Students to understand the customer

profile in detail and what changes
any new ideas will entail
Week 10
Activity 1  Whatever the students decide to  Face to face 2 hours Resources
recommend in terms of business from Weeks 1
growth, they must ensure: -9

 They have provided a rationale

as to why they are proposing a
particular idea

 The rationale is based on data -

both from industry (e.g. market
reports) and academia
  Consider the possibility of
expanding the company's market
presence

 It is essential that students use

data to drive decision about
expansion otherwise their ideas
will come across as not carefully
thought-out and based on flimsy
forecasts/thinking

Activity 2  Students need to present their  Face to face 1 hour Resources Week 10 folder
work to date. The presentation  from Weeks 1
should: -9

 Be an outline of the analysis from 1 hour

phase 1

 Provide details on the decisions

made to date

 Explain the research

underpinning these decisions

 Be presented as if briefing the

client

Week 11
Activity 1  Students to continue work on  Face to face 2 hours Resources
portfolio expansion that includes: from Weeks 1
business model, new market -9
research, developing value
 proposition and new market
decisions.

Activity 2  It is sometimes easy to make  Face to face 2 hours

suggestions but often there is 
little consideration of the change
requirements. This includes
consideration of the resources
requirements of any proposed
idea alongside other implications
for the organisations. Students
will need to consider these issues
and must remember that as
consultants, they would need to
think about making
recommendations that are
feasble for the company

Week 12

Activity 1  Online: all students (face

 Meet with your session tutor to
discuss progress to date and
future directions.
 You must bring your up-to-date
portfolio of work to this meeting.
to face and remote) will
meet individually with the
tutor to discuss progress
and direction of
assignment 2. Suitable
timings to be arranged per
workshop timings for the
week.

Week 13  Assignment 2 due 08/01/2021 10 

am UK time
Activity 1  Assignment 2 support/drop-in Online drop in session on 4 hours
session collaborate for both
Wednesday and Thursday
between 9:00 am to 1:00pm.
Friday is submission day so
there will no drop in session.