Activity 1

The owner of Haustier Unlimited intends to invest substantial funds in upgrading and expanding the company’s use of IT.

Task:

Produce a report detailing how IT can support the business needs of the company and how it provides value to a business.

Your report should:

• Explore the business needs of Haustier Unlimited (and other retailers), which may include but are not limited to:
  • Engaging and communicating with current and potential customers.
  • Improving sales and increasing profits.
  • Providing internal and external stakeholders with relevant information about the company and its products.
  • Enhancing staff productivity.
  • Meeting the needs of both staff and customers.
• Examine how data and computer systems support the business functions of Haustier Unlimited and other retail businesses.
• Provide a well-supported assessment of the value of computer systems and their potential impact on Haustier Unlimited.

Note:
When completing your report, draw upon your knowledge of IT and data within organizations and conduct research into the use of IT by commercial businesses in the retail sector.

Activity 2

Prepare an information campaign and communicate it to internal and external stakeholders.

Your campaign may include but is not limited to:

• Updates on sales for senior managers, such as:
  • Sales trends.
  • Popular and less popular products.
• Communications to enhance customer engagement.
• Advertisements aimed at attracting potential customers.

Tasks:

• Use the provided sales data to inform your campaign.
• Identify additional data and information you might gather to support your campaign.

Produce a communications plan for your campaign.

Your plan should include:

1. Details of Data:
   • The data you have gathered, interpreted, and prepared for inclusion in the campaign.
2. Target Stakeholders:
   • Identification of the internal and external stakeholders targeted by the campaign.
3. Mediums/Platforms:
   • The communication platforms and mediums to be used for engaging with stakeholders.
4. Keyword Strategies:
   • The strategies you will employ to optimize the campaign content.
5. Content Plan:
   • A series of related communications outlining the key messages and objectives.
6. Publishing Schedule:
   • A timeline for publishing content.

Include a rationale in your plan:

Explain and justify the planning choices made, supporting them with appropriate evidence.

Activity 3

Implement the information campaign developed in Activity 2.

You should ensure:

• Effective use of a range of information, platforms, and mediums.
• Communication with both internal and external stakeholders in a manner appropriate to:
  • The chosen platform/medium.
  • The target audience.
  • Key messages.
  • The company’s brand and image.

Evidence your implementation using any suitable methods, which may include but are not limited to:

• Annotated screenshots.
• Printouts or PDFs generated from productivity software.
• Presentations or slideshows.
• Copies of original work (e.g., word-processed documents, image files, video files).

Learning Aims

Learning Aim A: Explore How IT Meets the Needs of Organizations

• A.D1 Evaluate the value of data and computer systems and their potential impact on an identified organization concerning its business needs.
• A.P1 Outline the business needs of an identified organization.
• A.P2 Outline how data and computer systems support the business functions of an identified organization.
• A.M1 Describe how data and computer systems provide measurable value for an identified organization.

Learning Aim B: Plan an Information Campaign for an Identified Organization

• B.D2 Produce a comprehensive communications plan for an information campaign that utilizes a range of information, platforms, and mediums.
• B.P3 Produce a basic communications plan for an information campaign.
• B.P4 Prepare information for internal and external stakeholders for inclusion in a campaign.
• B.M2 Produce a detailed and effective communications plan for an information campaign that uses a range of information, platforms, and mediums.

Learning Aim C: Produce an Information Campaign for an Identified Organization

• C.D3 Implement a comprehensive and effective information campaign to communicate with internal and external stakeholders using a range of information, platforms, and mediums.
• C.P5 Communicate information to internal stakeholders using an appropriate method as part of the campaign.
• C.P6 Communicate information to external stakeholders using an appropriate method as part of the campaign.
• C.M3 Implement a detailed information campaign to communicate with internal and external stakeholders using a range of information, platforms, and mediums.