Coursework-CQU Australia Assessment 2 – Student guide

Hi all,

I will be adding further assessment 2 advice here based on your questions. Consider the assessment 2 task and create an online post if you have questions or want to discuss something. The more discussion, the better the advice. As we get closer to the submission due date I will be updating the advice on this page.

What is the key difference between assessment 1 and assessment 2?

Question

What is the key difference between assessment 1 and assessment 2?

Answer

The problems to be solved for assessment 1 and assessment 2 are very different. When you compare assessment 1 marking criterion 1 with assessment 2 marking criterion 1 you will notice significant differences. However, assessment 2 builds on the work you have done for assessment 1.

Assessment 1 is at its core focused on the problems:

  • What novel value proposition (new product or service) do you suggest for your chosen organisation?
  • Who are the targeted customers (target segment) for your novel value proposition?
  • The recommended canvas to complete for assessment 1 is the Value Proposition Canvas by Osterwalder, Pigneur, Bernarda, and Smith (2014, pp. 8-9). Notice that completing the Value Proposition Canvas also corresponds to completing elements 1 and 2 in the Business Model Canvas by Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010, pp. 16-41).

Assessment 2 is a continuation of assessment 1. Thus, assessment 1 and 2 share the same parent organisation, the same technology and/or sustainability trend, the same novel value proposition and the same targeted customers for the novel value proposition you described in assessment 1.

Assessment 2 is at its core focused on the problem:

  • How are you going to actually going to develop and deliver the novel value proposition (new product or service) suggested in assessment 1 to your customers?
  • This problem focuses on a range of operational and supply chain issues that are part of expanding your organisations capabilities to fully transform your paper version of the value proposition (product or service) into a physical product or actual service, manufactured in full volume and to market and distribute your actual product to your chosen customers around the world. It also focuses on the profitability of doing so. What is it going to cost and what is the revenue you can generate?
  • The recommended canvas to complete for assessment 2 is the Business Model Canvas by Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010, pp. 16-41). You can address the above problem by expanding on the elements 3 to 9 as specified in assessment 2 criterion 1.
  • To help you with the assessment 2 task a complete list of an assessment 2 table of contents is suggested as part of the student guide for assessment 2.

What is a novel value proposition?

Question

What is a novel value proposition?

Answer

A novel value proposition is a product or service that is new or original. 100 percent new to the world products or services are rare, but you can apply a new idea or twist to an existing product or service to improve it. For example, one student identified how to improve a traditional broom by selecting new sustainable materials for its manufacture. That is a novel idea for a new product. You are meant to be creative. Thus, what do you suggest that is new? How can you improve your product or service for assessment 2?

For example, imagine the number of different novel value proposition ideas you can create based on the Hyperloop concept. Elon Musk’s Hyperloop technology has the potential to revolutionise the way we travel. In a contest held in Los Angeles, some of the world’s brightest engineers gathered to find the best way to make this billionaire’s pipe dream a reality.

SpaceX Hyperloop technology (5 min video) viewed on https://youtu.be/lWo6LscqSGg

This Hyperloop case example illustrates how an existing company SpaceX is exploring novel value propositions and new business unit opportunities. It is particularly useful as a good example of how new technologies might evolve into a novel value proposition as several technologies become feasible and mature. There are many unknowns to be tested and verified before a Hyperloop solution is technologically feasible, desirable to customers and financially viable. You may also add uncertainty in regard to if it will be environmentally sustainable when compared to today’s transport solutions too.

Virgin Hyperloop technology (11 min video) viewed on https://youtu.be/zcikLQZI5wQ

Marking criteria 1 – What do the business proposal terms mean?

Question:

What do the assessment 2 business proposal terms mean?

Answer:

  • Business model description– a succinct description of what the 9 business model elements are for your particular novel value proposition. It may be similar to the current business model of the parent firm or different in one way or another. You are to focus on how they fit together to support the innovation/development and subsequent delivery of your particular novel value proposition from assessment 1. It is great if you can list what business model pattern it is but not essential – see Osterwalder & Pigneur (2010) for ideas. You are required to succinctly describe your particular business model elements for your novel value proposition (product or service) and expand on this overall description on the following sections. You are NOT to explain the business model canvas in general terms as described in the textbooks. The following allows you to expand on this simplified overview.
  • Value proposition development– What resources and capabilities do you need to innovate/develop the product or service?
  • Business operations development– What resources and capabilities do you need to deliver the product and service when you scale the business?
  • Supply chain development– What business partners do you need?
  • Financial value capture– How are you going to make money?
  • Competitive advantage– what core capabilities are you better at when compared to competitors? What are the unique benefits your proposal will deliver to your customers?
  • Strategic fit– is the proposal compatible with the parent organisation?
  • Uncertainty related to customer desirability, technical feasibility and financial viability–  what are the assumptions and the uncertainty to be dealt with? How are you going to deal with it in your plan?

Marking criteria 1 – Questions about the use of the a) value proposition canvas, b) business model canvas and the c) disciplined entrepreneurship canvas.

Question

In the detailed assessment description for assessment 2, criterion 1, some students are not sure they had to complete the business model canvas and the disciplined entrepreneurship canvas.

Answer

The marking task and marking criteria 1 both refer to the elements in the a) value proposition canvas, b) business model canvas and the c) disciplined entrepreneurship canvas. They are used to 1) clarify the difference in scope between the two assessments and to 2) suggest innovation tools and techniques that are useful.

There are no set requirements for students to use these three canvases for assessment 1 and 2. However, they are very useful to help structure students work and illustrate student’s recommendations. Thus, they are included in the list of tools and techniques provided on the unit website for students to use (the link is here).

It is recommended that students use the a) value proposition canvas and the b) business model canvas to illustrate their findings and recommendations as these are explicit and fits well together like a ‘hand in glove’. They are frequently used by businesses in innovation-driven industries.

The c) disciplined entrepreneurship canvas provides a guide as to what disciplined entrepreneurship tools and techniques students might consider for the different assessments. Thus, it is useful to illustrate students disciplined entrepreneurship innovation tool and technique usage.

Marking criteria 2 – How do I create a phased development plan for how to address business uncertainties?

You are required to create a report that contains logical and persuasive argumentation in regard to how assumptions and uncertainties related to: customer desirability; technical feasibility; and financial viability have been addressed to date and how they will be addressed in the future as described in a phased development plan.

How to master business uncertainty when developing a business proposal was the focus of the week 7 classes. The importance of dealing with assumptions and uncertainty was addressed in the textbook chapters by Tidd and Bessant (2018) and supplemented with practical tools the workshop textbook by Aulet (2017) and the very useful paper by Rice, O’Connor and Pierantozzi (2008).

Rice, M. P., O’Connor, G. C., & Pierantozzi, R. (2008). Implementing a learning plan to counter project uncertainty. Sloan Management Review, 25, 1-13.

Marking criteria 3 – What tools and techniques can I use?

You are welcome to use all the tools and techniques illustrated in the unit lectures and workshops – except the ones you used for assessment 1.

Here are some suggestions: Innovation tools and techniques for assessment 1 and 2.

Of course, this includes all tools and techniques in the Disciplined Entrepreneurship (DE) Workbook by Aulet (2017). You find the DE toolbox (link) here. But you can also use other tools and techniques if you have good arguments to do so.

You are welcome to use all the tools and techniques illustrated in the unit lectures and workshops.

It is important that you ask yourself the question: What tools and techniques should I be using? The answer is that you should use to the tools and techniques that add the most value to your arguments and provides the best support for your value proposition proposal.

You are expected to use the value proposition canvas for assessment 1 and the business model canvas for assessment 2. These are considered central frameworks you need for this assessment. They are not optional.

Marking criteria 4 – How do I document usage of minimum eight (8) innovation tools and techniques?

Question

I have been asked about how to document the assessment usage of innovation tools and techniques. In the body of your report you can include sections addressing each of the assessment criteria 3 and 4 using appropriate headings.

  1. Logical and persuasive argumentation for the selection of the innovation tools and techniques used to support the report findings and recommendations. Minimum eight (8) tools and techniques must be selected from the unit textbooks and online materials.
  2. Logical and persuasive application of the selected innovation tools and techniques used to support the report findings and recommendations. Minimum eight (8) tools and techniques must be applied from the unit textbooks and materials.

Answer

Important findings should be illustrated in the body of the report. However, I strongly recommend that you include your application of the innovation tools and techniques in the report appendices using appropriate subheadings.

Marking criteria 5 – What is candid and critical self-analysis?

Question

What is candid and critical self-analysis?

Answer

The assessment criterion 5 lists that you report must demonstrate:

  1. Candid and critical self-analysis about assessment 2 tasks including: a reflection on the development of personal innovation capabilities and practices; identification of own personal strengths and weaknesses; supported with examples of own behaviour. 10%

This means that you are expected to reflect on a) your learning practices when studying this unit, b) the quality of your assessment work and c) judge the degree to which it explicitly reflects the stated assessment marking criteria. This means that markers expect to find headings in the body of the report that responds to this assessment criteria such as:

  1. Reflection on development of personal innovation capabilities and practices.
  2. Identification of own strengths and weaknesses in relation to innovation capabilities and practices.

For the first (1) item, you need to reflect on how you approached the assessment to develop the required personal innovation capabilities and practices. Some examples:

  • How did you go when applying secondary research for the assessment? For example, are you good at online primary research to understand new technologies and sustainability issues?
  • How did you go when applying the practical tools for the assessment? For example, are you good at practical market research as described in the unit workbook by Aulet (2017)?
  • How was the research and report writing process? For example, should you have used different headings in your report? Did you assess all the assessment criteria for the assessment?
  • Where did you learn a lot? Did you learn by reading online, from lectures and workshops or talking to other students?

For the second item (2), you need to consider the items above and most importantly let the reader know where you can improve and how you may be able to do better in the future.

  • What did you enjoy? What was fun and you found it easy? What are good at
  • What did you find difficult? Is this an area for you to improve and if so how?

Marking criteria 6 – What is the report format I should use?

Question

What is the report format I should use?

Answer

You should use the report format specified in the following links.

Short report format (link)

Report writing guide from the academic learning centre at CQUniversity (link)

Marking criteria 6 – What headings should I use in the body of my report?

Question

What headings should I use in the body of my report?

Answer

You should use headings that respond to the assessment criteria.

Check out the following video which explains how this works and the below recommended headings for the body of the report.

Assessment 2 headings (10 min video)

  1. Introduction
  2. Business model description
  3. Value proposition development
  4. Business operations development
  5. Supply chain development
  6. Financial value capture
  7. Competitive advantage
  8. Strategic fit
  9. Identification and assessment of assumptions and uncertainties
  10. Phased development plan to address uncertainties
  11. Selection of innovation tools and techniques
  12. Candid and critical self-analysis
  13. Conclusion and recommendation
  14. References
  15. Appendices

Marking criteria 6 – What should I do about the executive summary and other sections?

Question

What do an executive summary and other important sections look like?

Answer

Check out the following presentation and video about the executive summary, introduction, conclusion, recommendations, reference list and appendices.

Assessment 2 Executive summary etc (PPT)
Assessment 2 Executive summary etc. (18 min video)

Marking criteria 9 – What is included/excluded in the report word count?

Question

I am unsure about what report sections should be included in the report word count.

Answer

All report sections are included EXCEPT the executive summary, the reference list and the appendices.

I hope this helps and look forward to your questions and online posts.

Question about the business model example illustration for Danfoss.

Question

Can students follow the Danfoss business model illustration (provided on the unit website in this link) as it denotes that business model, value propositions and customer segments all fit together.

Answer

I like the Danfoss business model illustration provided on the unit website because of its simplicity and its clear links between the business model, business units, value propositions and customer segments.

It makes it very clear to all its 24.000 employees and all its customers worldwide what Danfoss’ business model and business units are about. The Danfoss material illustrates the direct link they see between 1) sustainable growth opportunities, 2) how they have organised themselves applying one overarching company-wide business model across four business units that 3) each address their particular customer segment. 4) While at the centre they describe what they regard as their core competitive advantages.

However, students also need to be aware that this is a very simplified view, resources and capabilities required by the four different business units have similarities as illustrated, but they do also have differences. These differences are not illustrated in this simplified view as the resent strategy for Danfoss was to get rid of business units that did not fit this pattern. They sold off businesses that did not match their view of core capabilities/advantages and did not represent significant growth opportunities. This resulted in the sale of their new venture division and business units with limited growth opportunities.

For example, traditionally, Danfoss is a company that develops, manufacture and sell industrial products. However, it is yet to be seen what the impact of Danfoss’ strategy on artificial intelligence/smart-connected-products/big data management opportunities manifest themselves. What new business model variations will they need to support the new offerings (value propositions) in these areas of opportunity? Maybe, maybe not, the new value propositions and business models for these products will fit this simplified image. However, if it doesn’t fit, the illustration can be used to tell where there are items to address in such business proposals.

Best regards

Team Assignmentshelp4u.

https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/pluginfile.php/3298994/mod_resource/content/2/Assessment%202%20exec%20summary%2C%20introduction.mp4