Assignment Brief
Taking on board the feedback you received on your individual post, you will make a video where you will advise the company (or any other type of organization you picked) on their digital transformation. In the video, you will assess why the organization should invest in digital technology as part of its strategy, how the organization should implement digital transformation as part of its strategy, and what the outcome would be in terms of value creation.
Please do not change topic or organization between the individual post and the video assignment. The video assignment should be the final consultancy delivery, based on your intermediate report (the individual post).
In terms of content, the difference between the individual post and the video assignment is that in the video you are expected 1/ to deliver a consultancy work that could be used by the organization, 2/ to integrate broader knowledge of the course, in particular adding learning materials from weeks 7 to 11, when relevant to do so; and 3/ to leverage the feedback received on your mid-term note.
An important criteria for evaluation will be your capacity to critically analyse a business situation, and make concrete and realistic recommendations at an executive level. A relevant and tailored use of some course material (articles, concepts, frameworks, inputs from in-class discussions, etc.), is also expected.
Some students want to know if there is a minimum number of articles or book chapters expected for the assignment, and if I expect additional research beyond the content of the course. The answer to the first question is no, but as a rule of thumb if you use less than 5 out of the 10 teaching modules, you may miss some important aspects. And if you use all material, you are likely to have irrelevant material in your video. The most important is that when you use the course material, you use it in a relevant and in-depth way, to add something to your own reflection. On the second question (about additional material), the answer is no. Adding articles, concepts, and framework that are not part of the syllabus and that we haven’t discussed in class can be confusing for me, and additional work for you. Keep it simple and in line with the course content.
The video will be no more than 6 minutes long, and must include:
1. WHY: A description and justification of the challenges or issues that the organization could address better with a digital strategy, or the opportunities it could better seize with this strategy. It is important that you provide a rationale to the organization for investing in digital technology, to convince them to follow your recommendations. This involves its competitive position and how the company will be able to capture value if they follow your suggested strategy.
2. HOW: A detailed explanation of the strategic priorities that will guide the change. Make use of design thinking to identify the value gaps, and prototype your strategy for the company. You will also discuss the implementation hurdles, and potential organizational obstacles the company may encounter when launching your strategy. You will suggest how to overcome these challenges. Your recommendations should explain in particular the role of the leader and how to address potential organizational inertia or resistance.
3. WHAT: An assessment of the outcome of the digital strategy in terms of value creation (how the company will be better off in the end), and the concrete aspects of the digital strategy you recommend. This can involve specific aspects of big data, or platformization, etc.
It is suggested that your video follow the structure above, devoting 2 minutes to the why question, 2 minutes to the how question, and 2 minutes to the what question. This is not compulsory, but may make your structuring of the video easier, and the marking process more straightforward.
Each video must be fully referenced in the end credits, in the form of a 5 seconds slide, and evidenced with additional material if needed. The references must be accurate. It must follow the standard regulations. The University subscribes to Cite Them Right Online: the essential referencing resource at: http://www.citethemrightonline.com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/ which covers the School’s recommended style, Harvard.
This is a comment from the last assignment and have the teacher check for any gaps