Software Solutions for Business

Learning Outcome 1: Knowledge and skills to use software packages and applications to support day-to-day business operations.
Learning Outcome 2: Ability to create, present and communicate information in a structured and managed way at their workplace.

Assessment Component 1

The aim of this assignment is for you to demonstrate your ability to use a variety of software applications/tools that are/can be used to enhance the technology-based solution for the workplace/business. You can make suggestions with examples as to how those software solutions can improve the workplace e.g. in terms of enhancing productivity / workflow / communication / decision-making etc. It is not necessary or essential, but you can apply the tools to your own sphere of employment/future-employment-area (live/private/sensitive information or data should not be used or included).

As indicated in the task descriptions below, each software area mentioned should first be explored, before selecting and testing some features of a relevant application to provide evidence of practical use for each area (this should not include actual live information, or any information that may be private or of a sensitive nature) but should be a simulation in order to demonstrate some practical application of the knowledge presented in the written element.

Task 1. e-Commerce Website builders/software solutions (Approx. 500 words)
Give a description of several contemporary e-Commerce website builders/software solutions (approx. 2/3 sources).

Task 2. Mind-map of contemporary software applications (Approx. 500 words).
Describe mind mapping and explain the benefits of using mind mapping in business operations (approx. 2/3 sources).
Create a mind map of contemporary software applications that are used to support day-to- day business/Organisation operations.

Task 3. Office Applications for creating, storing, presenting, and analysing information/data (Approx. 2000 words).
Explain four office software solutions for business operations (MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel, and MS Access), highlighting their major features, benefits, and limitations (if there are any). You can use some images in addition to text (approx. 4/5 sources).

Test some business-related features of Office Applications (e.g., Mail merge, IF Function, VLOOKUP, Pivot Table, Goal Seek, Database concept using MS Access) and document several screenshots with accompanying description to provide evidence of practical use.

Task 4. Communication and Collaboration applications (Approx. 1000 words).
Analyse several contemporary Communication (Email and others) and Online Collaboration (SharePoint, MS Teams etc.) applications/tools used frequently in modern business world and document a summary of their key features using written text with some images and relevant citations. (approx. 2/3 sources)

Test some features of a freely available Communication (1) and Collaboration (1) application and document several screenshots with brief accompanying description to provide evidence of practical use.