MGT605 Business Capstone Project Report Sample

MGT605 Business Capstone Project

Context:

This subject allows you to synthesise the knowledge and skills gained from all other MBA subjects studied up to this point. The main deliverable in the subject is a major project and, in this assessment, you will negotiate your proposed project idea with your Facilitator.

To explain more about this approach to a negotiated assessment, a JISC report looking at the future of assessment notes that 'Authentic assessment lets the learner express themselves in ways which feel natural to them and prepares them for what they are going to do next...More authentic assessment also encourages the learner to integrate knowledge and skills, and act on knowledge. It develops deeper, more integrative personal learning and knowing'1.

This is one of many reviews on education and assessment that advocate for more personalised approaches to learning and assessment. At Torrens we are taking these ideas forward into our practice through the use of 'negotiated assessments' and this subject is one of our first pilot units adopting this assessment methodology. It'll feel different to other assessments you have done previously in your life as a student, but it is the way for the future, so embrace the challenge, open your mind, and make this process work for you because you are the one in the driving seat.

Instructions:

In this assessment, you are required to propose how you are going to study your capstone project. Before you can propose, you first need to identify a project idea on which to develop your project proposal. Your project proposal must include the opportunity statement or pain/problem statement. The capstone project proposal serves two basic functions. Firstly, it presents and explains how you are going to study and analyse the issue of your capstone project. This is essential to make clear what you aim to achieve by the end of this study period, what data you will collect and analyse and what MBA subject theory applies to your project. Secondly, how you will conduct the capstone project. This is an account of the steps you will take until you produce the final report. This includes a timeline. The timeline will help you track your progress. With this information, your facilitator will be able to guide you concerning the suitability and feasibility of your capstone project idea.

You need to ‘negotiate’ the assessment with your facilitator to check that they are happy with your project idea and that it will meet the requirements of the capstone unit. If you are not able to identify a suitable project your facilitator will specify a topic for you. Avoid randomly picking a project idea. Also avoid a project idea involving common companies. Such project ideas have been studied many times, therefore there is nothing new you can do in your study that is not otherwise commonly available online.

Once ‘agreed’ with your facilitator, you need to present the project proposal in a manner that suits you and meets the marking criteria (rubric) below.

The project proposal

The project proposal needs to:

• have a clearly defined issue (‘problem’ or ’opportunity’ to address),

• a clear aim statement,

• identify sources of data relevant to analysing the issue,

• identify how analysis of the data will be done,

• relate to a theoretical base that allows you to apply the theory to your situation to make recommendations for resolution

• provide a timeframe of your capstone project activities.

Solution

1. Problem Statement

Reverse logistics involves the cost-effective and efficient flow of goods from the consumers to the sellers in order to recapture value.  It also implies the return of packaging and waste products for recycling, reusing and disposal (Wood & Duong, 2022). In the retail sector, as well as in the e-commerce sector the effective management of the returns is important. Especially in the case of e-commerce, the Covid 19-induced lockdown led to an increase in business and created a good opportunity for e-commerce websites. According to the MBA Assignment Experts, The growing number of returns implied more sales and it became a challenge to undertake the effective management of returns to satisfy the demand of the situation (IGI Global, 2022). This challenge has been converted into an opportunity by many organisations. 
It is essential for retailers to streamline the process of returns so that complications are removed and customers do not face any hassle. Retailers who have both an online and offline presence and offer an omnichannel experience to customers are more successful in earning the loyalty of customers (Mthabini et al. 2020).

There is enough literature highlighting the challenges associated with the management of return materials. Many companies have converted this challenge, brought about by the pandemic into an opportunity (Mutekwe et al. 2020). The biggest challenge is the safe handling of the products. As per the UNIDO, the Covid 19 outbreak has significantly affected the international value chain (Chinomona & Bikissa-Macongue, 2022). This has impacted the operations of nations as well as the partnering nations. It is believed by many that such a disruption in the global supply chain would lead to a collapse of the economy for a long time. Covid 19 has evidently brought about a disruption in the global value chain, essential for the growth of the economy (Tungande et al. 2020).

Officeworks Australia, which operates under Wesfarmers is a chain of stores supplying office materials. The company was founded by Coles Myer in 1994 prior to being taken over by Wesfarmers. It is headquartered in Melbourne Australia (van Eeden et al. 2018). Apart from retail stores, the company also has a significant online presence and many of its online customers buy products directly from the company website. The challenges posed by the pandemic on reverse supply chain management have also affected Officeworks Australia in terms of both the retail as well as the e-commerce sections of its business operations (Krapp & Kraus, 2019).

2. Research Aim

To understand the significance of reverse logistics in the post-pandemic retail sector as well as the associated challenges at Officeworks Australia.

3. Literature Review

According to Wood & Duong (2022), the Covid 19 pandemic has brought about drastic changes in planning processes, operations, and distribution of almost every company and retailer. There are various challenges facing companies in preparing to cope with such an unexpected crisis. Included within this is the problem of reverse logistics or supply chain which has turned out to be an inconvenient challenge. In the opinion of Mthabini et al. (2020), one of the significant challenges associated with the management of returns is increased expenses coupled with a restricted budget. 

The need for investments in new facilities, advanced technology, and new transportation has increased the need for funds for all retailers and e-commerce organisations. The normal budget of these firms may not be sufficient to handle the current situation. 

As per Mutekwe et al. (2020), there has been a vulnerable impact on companies on account of the disruption of transportation routes caused by the Covid 19 pandemic. There were now new regulations that were put in place because of the nationwide lockdown. Retailers and e-commerce companies need to step up their supply chain efficiency for reverse as well as forward logistics operations.

As stated by Chinomona & Bikissa-Macongue (2022), the pressure on e-commerce sales of companies during the pandemic was especially significant since physical stores were all shut down. All sales, therefore, had to take place through e-commerce platforms alone. No other way was available. The pressure on data centres also increased subsequently, on account of a rise in the number of orders. The increase in the number of orders has led eventually to a rise in the number of return requests. 

Another major challenge, in the opinion of Tungande et al. (2020), was the collection of the products to be returned and handling the same with all the necessary safety precautions. During the pandemic, all products which were quarantined had to be kept away from the supply chain. This was done to ensure that the exposure to the coronavirus was kept at a minimum level. There were also audit restrictions on site to ensure that the rules of lockdown were followed diligently. According to Wood & Duong (2022), this has led to further mishandling of the materials and products. The pandemic also led to problems in the processing of return orders and transporting returned goods and products from consumers to sellers. The normal methods of transportation and processing were not of much use during the pandemic. The integration of new alliances and looking for new partners were some of the strategic issues faced by retail and e-commerce companies.

4. Data Analysis

There are various ways of collecting data for the purpose of research. The primary data collection method is one in which the researcher collects data directly from participants and respondents through interviews, surveys or other methods (Thomas, 2021). The secondary data collection method on the other hand involves the collection of secondary data from sources such as books and journals, academic papers, published research works, or the internet. In the former case, fresh data is collected while in the latter, data which already exists is collected (Hammond & Wellington, 2021). 

The requirement of the present research is such that secondary data needs to be collected in order to understand the true significance of reverse logistics in the post-pandemic retail sector and the associated challenges at Officeworks Australia. The secondary data will be collected from journal articles and company annual reports to gain better insight into the problem. 

The data collected in research may either be evaluated qualitatively or quantitatively. Quantitative data analysis depends on numbers and statistics and the research problem is addressed in an objective manner (Thomas, 2021). The present research, however, will use secondary qualitative data analysis, where the researcher will analyse the obtained data in a subjective manner. The data will be observed to identify ideas and themes which make recurrent appearances and hence form a pattern. These patterns will then be analysed to form theories related to the research problem. Thus qualitative analysis requires a subjective interpretation of the researcher, based on their previous experience and existing knowledge, instead of arriving at objective results and definite conclusions. Qualitative data analysis results in the researcher gaining deeper insight into the problem (Hammond & Wellington, 2021). 

The research will adopt the interpretivism philosophy wherein the researcher will interpret the various study elements and integrate the interest of the researcher into the study. The interpretivist research philosophy holds that only social constructions like consciousness, language, instruments, and shared meanings can give access to a given or socially constructed reality. The interpretivism philosophy supports the qualitative analysis of research data (Hammond & Wellington, 2021).

5. Recommendations

The Covid 19 pandemic has affected the reverse logistics process of retailers and e-commerce companies. Limitations in the budget, restrictions on transport, and increased costs have led to ineffective management of the process of returning products for retailers and e-commerce companies. The pressure on e-commerce operations was especially great. The increased number of orders also meant more return requests. Thus, the situation calls for better management as well as an understanding of the return management process. Attrition of the negative impact, creation of emergency plans, and investments in technology, facilities, and human resources may enable companies to get over these challenges.

Popper planning and the execution of the same can help handle the post-pandemic situation. Even if the challenges are not entirely eliminated they can be restricted to some extent. It is essential for companies to enhance their efficiency as far as return management is concerned since an increase in the number of orders has resulted in a corresponding increase in returns. 

The creation of strategic plans in accordance with the situation is one of the ways to tackle the situation. Creating contingency plans may be a great way to start. Instead of looking for new partners, companies should consider working with the existing ones will help develop a trust base. Old partners have a better experience in return management processes However, at times new partners may also be helpful in mitigating the effects of the pandemic. 

The management of volatility in the market is also crucial. Ecommerce websites need to play the role of retailers in order to manage the volatility in demand. Apart from this, investments in logistics, human resources, and technology will be the most effective way to enhance return management in the long term. Novel ways of operations and transportation should work well in this scenario. Managing the crisis will evidently require money. It is mandatory to arrange funds to alleviate the effects of Covid 19.

6. Timeframe