vision2learn
Learner Handbook
Principles of Business and Administration
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Contents
Learner support
Welcome Who to go to for help Course time-frame Guided learning hours
Pages 3 – 5
Learner advice and support Tips for using the platform
How to login How to contact your tutor How to access your units How to access your assessments How to submit work How to view your deadline dates
Pages 6 – 9
Study skills 10 successful study tips
Weekly study planner
Pages 10 –12 Pages 13 –39
Assessment hints and tips
Useful assessment tips Key words to help you Avoid copying directly from course materials Referencing other material Unit one: Principles of personal responsibilities and working in a business environment Unit two: Principles of providing administrative services Unit three: Principles of managing information and producing documents Unit four: Principles of supporting change in a business environment Unit five: Principles of supporting business events Unit six: Principles of budgets in a business environment
Guidelines for acceptable conduct
Academic misconduct Appeals procedure Personal extenuating circumstances
Page 40
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Welcome
Dear Learner, Welcome to your vision2learn Principles of Business and Administration course. This course is being delivered through a partnership agreement with your centre, vision2learn and the Lifetime awarding body. The course covers all the essential principles of business and administration in a clean and colourful format. You will gain essential knowledge in carrying out a range of administrative tasks and reallife scenarios will help you to apply basic business techniques. Each interactive Session will help you to develop your understanding and put into practice everything you learn throughout the course. We’re sure you’re raring to go but please take some time to read through this learner handbook as it’s full of essential information to help you progress as successfully as possible. We hope your vision2learn course will help you to: • Update your skills and enhance your employability • Train for work or return to work • Improve your CV and progress your career • Study on your own terms. Please feel free to contact our in-house team of advisors throughout your course study time as we are here to support you along with your online tutor. More details of who to contact and how can be found in the ‘Who to go to for help’ section on the next page. We hope you enjoy your learning experience!
The Business plan on An appropriate generic strategy to position your printing business unit in its competitive environment
• Planning for a brighter future starts with analyzing inner strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Internal evaluation coupled with an environmental scan of the competitive landscape. • Differentiate your firm - It’s all about creating a unique value proposition. Start with your SWOT analysis. Everything is fair game (e.g. technology, experience, certifications, commendations, price, ...
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Who to go to for help
Online tutor: You will be allocated an online tutor after you have gone through your eligibility check. They are available online via v-mail to provide you with guidance and robust feedback throughout your course. v-mail is an internal messaging system which allows you to communicate with your tutor quickly and easily. The customer care team: This team is dedicated to helping you successfully complete your course. If you have any personal issues which are preventing you from submitting your assessments please give us a call to discuss this and update your action plan in agreement with your specific centre. Course-specific support: There is specialist support available on each course. Advisors are available to help in cases where you are unable to resolve issues with your online tutor and would like to discuss course content with someone. In certain cases there is also an in-house course leader who can advise further. The technical team: These are the people to talk to if you need advice on any difficulties you may have submitting work or any other technical issues that are not covered in this handbook. To receive any of the above support please call vision2learn on 0191 215 4100.
The Essay on Create an Internet and E-mail Acceptable Use Policy
Learning Objectives and Outcomes Research and compare Internet and e-mail use policies enforced by other organizations. Create an Internet OR e-mail use policy for an organization. Assignment Requirements You are a networking intern at Richman Investments. An employee of the company used employer-owned equipment to access the Internet and check his personal Web-based e-mail account. He followed a ...
Course time-frame
Principles of Business and Administration is a 16 week course.
Guided learning hours
You need to dedicate 10 hours a week as a minimum to successfully complete your vision2learn course. It’s important to make this time available in order to complete the course in the given time-frame and to avoid being withdrawn.
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Learner advice and support
Your main point of contact is your online tutor. They will support you throughout your studies and provide you with feedback to help you complete your course. You must contact your tutor via v-mail. If you have queries that your tutor cannot answer, the vision2learn office is open from 9am–5pm, Monday to Friday. Turnaround times: Your tutor must respond to you within 48 hours of receiving your v-mail. If you find that your tutor is not giving you the support you require please contact us so we can help. Assessment feedback: Your tutor has 5 working days to mark and return your assessment as either a pass or resubmission. Resubmissions must be carried out within 5 days of receiving feedback to ensure that you do not fall behind. If you are unsure of what you need to do to pass, contact your tutor via v-mail for more support. Moderation: Your work will be internally moderated midway through your course after you have passed a number of units. It will also be moderated when you have passed all units. This may result in additional actions for you. You will receive a v-mail to inform you of your completion (subject to internal and external moderation).
However, it is important to keep logging in for full completion after the final moderation has been carried out, in case there are any outstanding actions resulting from moderation. These must be completed in order for your portfolio to be passed on the system. Centers carry out an external verification (EV) visit where your work may be chosen to be sampled. Please ensure that you keep your work up to date and complete any actions promptly so the EV process is as efficient as possible.
The Term Paper on Formative and Summative Assessment
Assessment is a term that includes all of the various methods used to determine the extent of an individual’s achievement. In teaching and learning situation, assessment refers to the methods used to determine achievement of learning outcomes. Similarly in professional contexts, assessment is concerned with the achievement of professional standards or competence.(Aranda & Yates,2009). ...
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Tips for using the platform
How to login
Go to www.vision2learn.com. Click Login and enter your username and password. This information will be sent to you in an email when you have been assigned to your tutor.
How to contact your tutor
Your tutor can be contacted via v-mail. The v-mail option can be found on your toolbar at the top of the web page.
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How to access your units
Once logged in, you will see your course units. Click on your course, and then click on your chosen unit and session.
How to access your assessments
The assessment for your course can be accessed from the course menu when you first log in. Simply click on the blue unit title to expand it. At the bottom of that submenu you will find the assessment link. Click it to access the page containing your assessment. If the assessment link is not there, you will be directed to your assessment at the end of each session.
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How to submit work
When you complete an assessment, you will need to send it to your tutor for marking. You can do this by following the steps below. 1. Log in to your vision2learn account and visit the My study area. 2. Each time you start a new assessment it will appear under Your assessments. You will find the title of your completed assessment under the black “assessment” banner. 3. When you have found the name of the assessment you wish to submit, click it. A Send assessment page will open on screen. Notice that the name of your tutor and the name of the assessment you are submitting have been added automatically. 4. To attach your assessment document click the top Browse button. Use the file window to locate the file within your computer. 5. Left-click the file so it becomes highlighted and the name of the file appears in the ‘file name’ box. Click Open to add your file to your v-mail message. 6. If you have other documents or files to attach, select the Add additional attachment button and repeat the previous steps. 7. If you would like to add a message to your tutor you can type this in the Message box. 8. Finally, click on the Send assessment button. Your v-mail message and attachment(s) will be sent to your tutor. Once you have submitted an Assessment it will be removed from Your assessments on the My study area. You can now track its progress on your My progress page. This page will allow you to see when your assessment is marked or needs resubmitting. You can find a video demonstrating how to submit your assessment at the following link: http://www.vision2learn.com/video/submitting-assessments/ multiscreen.html
The Essay on PTLLS Unit 012 Principles of Assessment in Lifelong Learning
Produce 1 Written Rationale of 1000 words for all areas of research in 1 to 3. 1.1 Analyse how types of assessment are used in lifelong learning: “Assessments should be a regular process; it might not always be formalised, but you should be observing what your learners are doing, asking questions and reviewing their progress throughout their time with you”. Gravells A. Page 113. Assessments are ...
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How to view your deadline dates
Deadline dates can be found in your Action plan. On your My study area, please click on the course you are studying and then click on Action plan.
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Study skills
This section of the handbook is designed to help you study successfully. It will help you to: • • • • • Organise your study Make the most of your learning experience Define learning strategies Manage your time effectively Stay motivated!
10 successful study tips
1. Planning your time is the first step towards successfully achieving your qualification. In your life there will be many other things to balance alongside your studies, so it’s important that you decide when you are able to study successfully. Try creating a weekly plan which includes all commitments, as well as time to concentrate on your studies. Please see the weekly planner on page 12 of this handbook. 2. Planning your study will help to identify when you will study, how long you will study for and what you will study in each section. This clear plan will help to keep you focused on succeeding on your course. 3. Organise your course materials by working through each section thoroughly, making easy-to-read notes as you go. If you like to make handwritten notes or have access to a printer, you could colour code paper based notes about different topics and sessions as you work through, which can help when you’re completing your assessment. 4. Take regular study breaks. It’s important to remember that studying whilst tired can stop you from reaching your full potential. When working at a computer you must consider your posture and take regular breaks to refresh tired eyes.
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5. Make a note of your planned submission dates. Although you can study whenever it suits you with vision2learn, it’s important to keep track of your planned end date. By clicking on the icon in your My study page you will find a quick link to your Action plan deadline dates. If you need any extra time due to holidays or other commitments you can v-mail your online tutor. 6. Consider where you study. Try to find a quiet area to allow you to study without distractions. Turning off radios, telephones and televisions will allow you to fully concentrate on your work. 7. Make sense of what you are reading. It is easy to lose concentration as you read through each session but being unfocused means you will not fully understand the concepts and these will need to be revisited for the assessment. There are two ways of maintaining focus; the first is to complete the interactive activities throughout the sessions and the second is to record notes in your journal. 8. Preparing your assessment. Make sure to download your assessment and to read it through fully before you begin to answer questions. Once you have made sense of what you are being asked to do, please ensure you answer ALL questions, including relevant examples where required. 9. Identify how you learn best. As a learner, you receive and process information by seeing, listening, feeling and doing. Using real life examples will allow you to learn from experience through reflection and observation, so be aware of your surroundings and experiences to strengthen your answers. Do not rely completely on the course materials. 10. Do not plagiarise! The Oxford Dictionary (2012) defines plagiarism as taking the work or an idea of someone and passing it off as your own, including copying and pasting the course materials. Tutors will not accept work that is identified as plagiarised, so please ensure that all ideas are your own. Further information on this can be found in the Academic misconduct section.
The Research paper on Walmart case study answers
1. What is the ethical dilemma facing Wal-Mart in this case ? Do Wal-Mart’s associates also face an ethical dilemma? If so, what is it ? Wal-Mart is facing an ethical problem by implementing computerized scheduling system. Indeed, before the store managers had to arranged manually the schedule for the employees but Wal-mart begun to use Kronos system to create work schedule. Obviously, this ...
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Weekly study planner
In order to meet the guided learning hours – 10 hours a week – please use the planner below to help you organise your study time. Remember to arrange your weekly activities to make time to study.
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Pre 9 am 9.00 – 10.00 10.00 – 11.00 11.00 – 12.00 12.00 – 13.00 13.00 – 14.00 14.00 – 15.00 15.00 – 16.00 16.00 – 17.00 17.00– 18.00 18.00 – 19.00 19.00 – 20.00 20.00 – 21.00 21.00 – 22.00 22.00 – 23.00 23.00 – 24.00 After midnight Total study hours
The Business plan on Work Order Business Insurance Cleaning
Today's workers and families are overworked and stressed. After working through a 9-to-5 job, feeding and putting the children to bed, the last thing anyone wants to worry about is cleaning the house. Weekends are spent running errands and spending quality time with friends and family members. Therefore, many families are looking for outside assistance with housekeeping. In the past, housekeepers ...
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Assessment hints and tips
Useful assessment tips
Now you’ve started your vision2learn course, you will soon be completing your first assessment. We’ve compiled some handy tips to help you meet the assessment criteria and learning outcomes for your course, and ensure your assessmentas are submitted smoothly.
Key words to help you
In the assessment questions there are some key words that you should look out for to help you compose your responses. These words can be interpreted like this: List or identify – If the question asks you to list or identify, then you must write a list, like a shopping list usually with numbers or bullet points. Describe – If you are asked to describe, then you must give a description by writing a detailed account like a story but not a list. Explain – If you are asked to explain, then you must give your answer and also your reasons. Outline – If the question asks you to give an outline, this means that you need to provide a few sentences along with some key points.
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Avoid copying directly from course materials
It is important that you answer assessment questions in your own words in order to successfully pass your course. So, while you may need to refer to the course materials to help you answer a question, you should not copy passages or phrases word-for-word. This is known as plagiarism. If you are suspected of plagiarism you may be asked to resubmit your assessment or, in serious circumstances, be removed from your course.
Referencing other material
Sometimes you may wish to use other material in your assessment, such as a news article or a quote. It is good practice to provide the name and source of the material and when it was accessed by you. For example, if you used a news article to help you demonstrate an answer in your assessment, you could cut and paste the hyperlink to the article into your assessment, and type in the date that you accessed the article. Important points to remember: • Make sure it is additional to the Equality and Diversity course material. • Make sure it supports/is relevant to your answer. • Quote the source. The main thing to remember when constructing each answer is to be as robust as you can. Try to include as much relevant detail from the learning materials as you can. It is very important to use your own words. The following information should be helpful to you. If you have any queries get in touch with your tutor using v-mail.
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Unit one – Principles of personal responsibilities and working in a business environment
Section 1 – Know the employment rights and responsibilities of the employee and employer
Q1. Identify four main points that would be included in a contract of employment. If possible, use an example contract to support your answer (feel free to obscure any confidential information).
Here, you must list four main points that would be included in a contract of employment. Q2a. List three key points of legislation that affect employers in a business environment. Q2b. List three key points of legislation that affect employees in a business environment. This question is in two parts and you must include three key areas of legislation that affect both the employer and the employee. The key areas of legislation can be the same for both the employer and employee. Q3. Identify a range of places where a person can find information on employment rights and responsibilities. You should identify at least two internal and two external sources of information. Here, you must list two internal and two external sources of information on employment rights and responsibilities. Q4. Describe how representative bodies can support employees. In this question, you need to describe how representative bodies can support employees. A good source of information regarding trade unions can be found at www.tuc.org.uk.
MEMO
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Q5. Identify employer and employee responsibilities for equality and diversity in a business environment. You should give at least two employer responsibilities and two employee responsibilities. This question is in two parts – employer and employee responsibilities – and you must answer both parts to pass the question successfully. In addition to the learning materials, ‘EHRC: Advice and Guidance’ has some excellent information that can help you answer this question. Q6. Explain the benefits of making sure equality and diversity procedures are followed in a business environment. Your answer should include one benefit for the employer, one benefit for the employee and one benefit for the overall organisation. This is a three-part question in which you need to include a benefit for the employer, the employee and the organisation as a whole.
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Section 2 – All about health, safety and security
Q1a. Identify employer and employee responsibilities for health and safety. Q1b. Identify employer and employee responsibilities for security. This question is in two parts. You need to include both employer and employee responsibilities for health, safety and security. In addition to the course materials, www.hse.gov. uk provides useful information on employer and employee responsibilities for health and safety. Q2. Explain the purpose of following health, safety and security procedures in a business environment. Why does managing health and safety properly make good business sense? In addition to the learning materials, a good article about this can be found at http://www. healthandsafetyworksni.gov.uk/whymanagehealthandsafety. Q3. Describe three different ways of maintaining a safe and secure business environment. Identify three different ways of maintaining a safe and secure business environment.
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Section 3 – Communicating effectively with others
Q1. Describe three different methods of communication. You should include two verbal, two non-verbal and two written methods of communication. You need to complete all parts of the table, including two examples for verbal, non-verbal and written communication. In the description column you need to include a description of the communication methods you are using in your answer. It is not sufficient just to list the communication methods as your answer. Q2. Using two specific examples, explain how to choose the most appropriate method of communication to meet your needs and the needs of others. If you needed to speak with your Manager regarding a confidential issue, how would you approach them i.e. face-toface, telephone, email? Would you approach them in private or in a public place where people can hear you? Q3. Describe at least two ways of actively listening. As well as using the course materials, a good article about active listening can be found at http://www.mindtools.com/ CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm.
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Section 4 – Working with others
Q1. Explain the purpose of agreeing standards for your own work. Give at least two reasons. You need to explain why having standards of work is important, rather than listing different standards, such as ‘must answer 10 telephone calls in an hour’. If you didn’t have standards of work, how would you know if you are doing a good job or not? How will colleagues who depend on you know what to expect if you don’t have standards? Q2. Explain the purpose of taking on new challenges and being able to adapt to change at work. If you’re willing to take on new challenges, will this make you more valuable to the organisation or not? Will you learn new skills? If you resist new challenges and changes, how will your colleagues feel about you? Q3. Explain the purpose of treating others with honesty and consideration. If you are honest and respectful to your colleagues, how do you think this will affect the work environment? Will it help to build better working relationships or not? Also how would you expect colleagues to behave towards you if you are unfriendly and unhelpful to them?
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Section 5 – Planning your own work
Q1. Explain the purpose of meeting work standards and deadlines when completing tasks in a business environment. Why is it important you meet the work standards required of you? What would the consequences of not meeting your work standards be? Q2. Identify two different methods that you can use to plan your own work in a business environment. What tools and techniques can you use to plan your work? You need to describe two methods you can use to plan your work. A good source of time management tools and techniques can be found at http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_ HTE.htm. Q3. Describe ways of keeping other people informed about progress and compare their effectiveness. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each approach? You need to select two communication methods you could use to keep people informed of your work progress, i.e. faceto-face, telephone, email, meetings and give a benefit and drawback for each of them.
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Section 6 – Improving your performance
Q1. Explain the purpose of continuously improving your performance in a business environment. You need to select two communication methods you could use to keep people informed of your work progress, i.e. faceto-face, telephone, email, meetings and give a benefit and drawback for each of them. Q2. Describe at least two ways of improving your performance at work. Where relevant, illustrate your answer with specific examples from your own experience. You need to give specific examples of how you can improve your performance at work. Could you do extra training, work shadowing, have a coach/mentor at work or use a learning plan? You need to describe how these steps could improve your performance at work. Q3. Identify at least two different types of career pathways or options that may be available to you. What types of career could you do? Be specific with your answer.
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Section 7 – Problems at work
Q1. Identify at least two different types of problems that can occur in a business environment. You need to give specific examples of how you can improve your performance at work. Could you do extra training, work shadowing, have a coach/mentor at work or use a learning plan? You need to describe how these steps could improve your performance at work. Q2. Describe at least two specific problems that can occur at work and explain how they can be dealt with. You need to give specific examples of how you can improve your performance at work. Could you do extra training, work shadowing, have a coach/mentor at work or use a learning plan? You need to describe how these steps could improve your performance at work. Q3. List at least two problems you are able to deal with yourself and two problems you would need to refer to others to deal with. Explain how and when you would refer these problems to others. Complete all sections of the table. How are problems that you can’t resolve yourself transferred to other people? Is this done verbally or do you have to complete a form, for example?
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Unit two: Principles of providing administrative services
Section 1 – Understand how to make and receive telephone calls
Q1. Complete the table below with descriptions of at least two different features of a telephone system and how / when they would be used Please make sure you complete every section of the table. Q2. Prepare a brief report advising people on: • How to follow organisational procedures when making and receiving telephone calls • The purpose of giving a positive image of yourself and your organisation when making and receiving telephone calls. When answering the phone, should it be answered within a certain number of rings? How should you greet people when you answer the phone? Before making a call, is there any preparation that you need to do? An example procedure for answering the telephone can be found at http://sbinfocanada. about.com/cs/management/qt/telephonetips.htm.
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Section 2 – Understand how to handle mail
Q1. Explain the purpose of correctly receiving, checking and sorting mail and packages (both incoming and outgoing).
Why is it important that people receive mail on time? What could the consequences be if mail was lost or late (both incoming and outgoing mail)? Q2. Complete the table below with the following information: • At least two examples of internal mail services that are available to organisations • At least two examples of external mail services that are available to organisations. You must provide two examples of internal mail services and two examples of external mail services. Please make sure you complete every section of the table. Q3. Describe two methods that you can use to calculate postage charges for mail and / or packages. Give a description of two different methods which you can use to calculate postage charges.
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Section 3 – Using different types of office equipment
Q1. Describe the main types of equipment found in offices and how they are used. Include examples of at least three different types of office equipment. Give a description of at least three different types of office equipment. How are they used in the office? Q2. Explain the purpose of following manufacturer’s instructions when using equipment. You need to consider the four areas that are mentioned in the course materials when answering this question and refer to them in your answer. Q3. Explain the purpose of keeping equipment clean, hygienic and ready for the next user. Give reasons why it is important to keep equipment clean, hygienic and ready for the next user.
Section 4 – Minimising waste at work
Q1. Explain why waste should be kept to a minimum in a business environment. The DEFRA website www.defra.gov.uk contains some useful information on the advantages of good waste management for businesses. Q2. Identify at least two main causes of waste in a business environment. List two causes of waste. Q3. How can you keep waste to a minimum in a business environment? Describe at least two ways of doing this. For this question you need to give a full description of how waste can be minimised within a business. Again the DEFRA website gives useful information that supports the learning materials.
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Section 5 – Making arrangements for meetings
Q1. Complete the table below listing at least two different types of meetings and describing the main features of each type of meeting. Identify two different types of meeting and then provide a description of the main features of each type of meeting. Q2. When arranging a meeting: • What sources and types of information are typically needed? • How should meetings be arranged? This question is in two parts. Break your answer down into the two sections of the question. What information, equipment and facilities are required to hold a meeting? If you were asked to arrange a meeting for a group of people, how would you arrange the meeting?
Section 6 – Organising travel and accommodation
Q1. Explain the purpose of confirming instructions and requirements for business travel and accommodation. What could go wrong if you didn’t have the right information when arranging travel and accommodation? Q2. Complete the table below with an outline of the main types of business travel and accommodation arrangements that may need to be made and the procedures that should be followed when doing this. You need to consider the different modes of transport people can use when travelling for work and also where would they stay overnight when away on business? When making these arrangements, think about what needs to be considered for each one? Q3. Explain the purpose of keeping records of travel / accommodation arrangements in a business environment. Why are accurate records of travel costs useful to a business? Consider the four areas mentioned in the course materials.
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Section 7 – Diary management procedures
Q1. Briefly explain the purpose of using a diary system to plan activities at work. Give at least two reasons. Why is it useful to keep a diary of what you are planning to do? If you didn’t keep a diary what could the possible consequences be? Q2. Identify the information needed to maintain a diary system in the workplace. What information would you include in a diary in order to get the most use from it? Think of the ‘5 Ws’.
Section 8 – Delivering effective customer service
Q1. What are the differences between internal and external customers in a business environment? You need to give a clear answer on what an internal customer is and what an external customer is. Q2. Explain why customer service should meet or exceed customer expectations. Include at least three reasons in your answer. Why is it important that organisations have happy customers? You need to give three reasons. As well as the course materials, the Institute of Customer Service – http://www. instituteofcustomerservice.com/ – has some useful information about customer service. Q3. Explain the importance of building positive relationships with customers. Outline two ways in which this can be achieved. You need to explain how you can make customers happy. Would meeting their expectations make them happy? As well as the course materials, the Institute of Customer Service has useful information on this subject. Q4. How do customers demonstrate their own needs and expectations? How do customers give feedback on a company’s level of service? Is it verbally? Is it by completing surveys?
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Section 9 – Reception services and procedures
Q1. What is the purpose of the receptionist role as the first point of contact in a business environment? You need to include what the purpose of the receptionist is within a company. Include the different duties a receptionist will carry out in your answer. Q2. Describe how a receptionist can present a positive image of themselves and the organisation and explain why this is important. It is important that the receptionist gives a positive impression of themselves as they are often the first point of contact people will have with an organisation. How does a receptionist create a positive impression? Is it by appearance, communication (both verbal and non verbal), their behaviour and professionalism? Q3. In relation to your own organisation (or one that you are familiar with), explain what must be done when carrying out entry, departure, security and confidentiality procedures in a reception area. Provide an account of what must be done when carrying out each of the procedures listed.
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Unit three: Principles of managing information and producing documents
Section 1 – IT at work
Q1. In relation to your current business environment (or one that you are familiar with), identify at least two different types of information technology that may be used when completing work tasks. List two different types of IT that may be used in a business environment. Q2. What are the benefits to businesses (and others) of using information technology for doing work tasks? As well as the learning materials, the website http:// smallbusiness.chron.com/information-technology-businesssuccess-4019.html contains some useful information regarding the benefits IT can bring to a business.
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Section 2 – Managing information
Q1. Explain the purpose of agreeing objectives and deadlines when researching information Why is it important that you know what you are required to research and the date it needs to be completed by? If you didn’t have the topic or date, what could the possible outcome be? Q2. Identify the different ways of researching, organising and reporting information. This question is in three parts and each needs to be answered fully. Break your answer down into the areas of research, organising and reporting information. How would you conduct your research? How would you organise the information you collected? How would you present your findings? Q3a. For your own organisation (or one you know well), describe the procedures that need to be followed when archiving, retrieving and deleting information. Your answer should cover procedures for both electronic and paper-based information. This question also needs to be answered in three parts. How is information archived? How would you retrieve the information you have archived? If the information is no longer required how is it disposed of? Q3b. When following the procedures outlined in Question 3a above, are there any legal requirements to consider? Are there any legal requirements that relate to the storing of information? Is there any specific legislation relating to the industry you currently work in/have worked in? Q4. Why is confidentiality critical when managing information? Give reasons why confidentiality is critical when managing information. What would be the consequences if confidentiality was ignored?
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Section 3 – Getting your documents right
Q1. Identify at least two reasons for producing documents that are fit for purpose Why is it important that documents are fit for purpose? Think about the structure, the content of the document and the impression it will make on the person reading it. Q2. Use the table below to describe some of the different types and styles of documents that are produced in a business environment, and then explain when these different options may be used. Complete all sections of the table. Consider whether a business letter should be used? When are formal reports used? When would sending an email be appropriate?
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Section 4 – Key procedures for producing documents
Q1. In most organisations, time is taken to agree the purpose, content, layout, quality standards and deadlines for the production of documents. What are the reasons for doing this level of planning? It is worth considering the ‘5 Ps’ for this question – ‘proper planning prevents poor performance’. Without proper planning how would the document appear? Q2. Businesses will spend time checking finished documents for accuracy and correctness. a) How is this done? Are you the only person who checks that a document is correct? Are there tools you can use on a computer to check the spelling and grammar of documents? b) Why is this done? Why do you do this? What does it achieve and what does it prevent? Q3. Explain the purpose of following confidentiality and data protection procedures when preparing documents. Why is it important that personal information does not fall into the hands of the wrong people? What could happen to the company if this occurs?
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Q4. In business environments, there is often a requirement to use notes as the basis for text and documents. a) Compare the different types of documents that can be produced from notes and include a description of the format of each document. You need to include the different types of documents that can be produced from notes and describe how these documents would look. What information would you expect to find on a letter for example? b) Explain the procedures to be followed when preparing text from notes. When taking notes to produce a document, what things need to be considered? Why are you taking notes? What type of document will be produced from the notes, e.g. business letter or formal report? Is it important that the notes are clear and contain sufficient detail?
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Unit four – Principles of supporting change in a business environment
Section 1 – Why change happens
Q1. Explain why change happens in a business environment. You should include at least three reasons in your answer. You need to explain why change happens within a business. As well as the course materials, a useful resource to help answer this question can be found at http://www.businessballs.com/pestanalysisfreetemplate.htm.
Section 2 – Supporting change
Q1. Identify the main reasons for reviewing working methods, products and / or services in a business environment. Areas that need to be considered for this question include looking at the impact that reviewing work methods could have on how you operate in your job. Could this result in the business offering different products or services? Q2. When a business is going through change: a) Describe the different types of support that people may need. b) Explain the benefits of working with others. When a business is going through change, what sort of support might employees need? For part B you need to consider the advantages that working in a team may bring and the possible consequences of not working as part of a team.
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Section 3 – Getting your documents right
Q1. In relation to your current business environment (or one that you are familiar with): a) Explain why you should respond positively to changes in working methods. If you are asked to work in a different way, why it is important you work in the new way? If you refuse to work in the new way what would the consequences be? How do you feel your colleagues would feel if they had to do extra work as a result of you not using the new work methods? it. b) Explain why you should respond positively to changes in products or services. If your company introduces new products and services how would customers react if you were not positive about them? If your company doesn’t introduce new products or services and your competitors produce new products and services that customers like, what could the possible consequences be? c) Identify ways of responding positively to change. What types of behaviours would show that you are responding positively to change? Would it be refusing additional training or attending the training, for example?
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Unit five – Principles of supporting business events
Section 1 – Supporting business events
Q1. When organising a business event, describe the range of support activities that may be required You need to describe the range of support activities that may be required when organising an event. Simply listing the range of support activities is not sufficient. Q2. Complete the table below by identifying two ways of providing support before, during and after a business event. Please make sure you complete all sections of the table.
Section 2 – Being professional
Q1. Explain the purpose of displaying professional and helpful behaviour when supporting a business event. Why is it important that you behave in a professional manner? By displaying professional behaviour how will this benefit the event? Also, if you displayed unprofessional behaviour what could the possible consequences be? Q2. Describe ways of exhibiting professional and helpful behaviour whilst supporting a business event. Think carefully about what constitutes professional and helpful behaviour. Does this include how you look and appear to people? What about how you talk to people and the non-verbal communication you demonstrate? How should you deal with attendees / speakers’ queries and requests?
NOTES
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Section 3 – Dealing with problems
Q1. What are the main types of problems that may occur when supporting a business event? You should include at least three different types of problems in your answer. Three types of problems can occur whilst holding a business event. You need to include one example of each problem in your answer. Q2. Identify possible solutions for each of the problems you have listed in Question 1 above. For the three examples you have given in Question 1, you need to outline specific solutions of how you would overcome each problem.
Unit six – Principles of budgets in a business environment
Section 1 – The purpose of budgets
Q1. Why are budgets used to manage financial resources? You must provide reasons why budgets are used to manage financial resources. Think of what a budget is and the different benefits it can bring to an organisation.
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Section 2 – How to develop budgets
Q1. Why is it important to agree the format in which a budget will be presented? You must provide reasons why a format in which a budget will be presented is agreed. Think about the benefits to the organisation of agreeing on a standardised format. Q2. Why do you use estimations when developing a budget? Provide reasons why estimations are used when developing a budget. What are the benefits of estimating? Q3. Explain two methods that can be used in order to identify realistic estimations when developing a budget. Firstly, provide two examples of methods that can be used to identify realistic estimations. Then, explain how these methods work. Q4. Explain why it is important to identify the following when preparing a budget. For each of the points, give reasons why it is important to identify them when preparing a budget. Q5. How would you identify timescales, priorities and financial resources when preparing a budget? Provide ways in which you would identify timescales, priorities and financial resources. Q6. Why is it important to negotiate and agree a budget? Write a detailed account of why it is important to negotiate and agree a budget. What are the benefits of agreeing a budget? What would happen if a budget couldn’t be agreed? What do budgets allow an organisation to achieve?
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Section 3 – Managing budgets
Q1. Why is it important to monitor, control and record income and expenditure? Provide reasons why it is important to monitor, control and record income and expenditure. What can an organisation achieve by doing this? What are the potential consequences if an organisation fails to do so? Q2. Complete the table below. First of all, describe two situations where you could be required to make revisions to budgets and / or budget plans and then explain why these revisions may be needed. Firstly, give an account of two different situations where an organisation could be required to make revisions to budgets and/or budget plans. Then, give reasons why these revisions may be needed. Please make sure you complete all sections of the table.
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Guidelines for acceptable conduct
Academic misconduct
As previously highlighted in the Assesment hints and tips section, plagiarism will not be tolerated. • Reading other people’s ideas about a topic is perfectly legitimate research and forming your own ideas from that research is absolutely fine, but the other person’s work must not be copied word for word. • Quoting other people’s work word for word is only acceptable provided credit is given to the author of that work (e.g. in a reference footnote spelling out the source).
In this case you should explain in your own words why the quote is important or relevant to your own ideas. • Course materials cannot be copied and pasted into your submissions; this is a form of plagiarism and will not be accepted. Learners who are rude to members of staff including in-house staff and online tutors will not be tolerated. Please remember that we are all here to support you and to work together to help you complete your course successfully.
Appeals procedure
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the course, your tutor or the level of support that you receive, we first recommend discussing this with your tutor. Please v-mail your tutor with any concerns to make them aware of the situation. The next step, if your tutor cannot resolve your issues, is to speak to the vision2learn customer care team. The customer care advisors will be able to further advise you and forward your appeal to the correct person.
Personal extenuating circumstances
If you cannot submit your work for any reason please v-mail your tutor. Tutors can provide learners with extensions of up to 2 weeks. If any extra time is required please get in touch with our in-house team as they can then contact the centre to request further extensions.
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