Level 2 and 3 Diploma in Business Support (4475-12/13)

Unit 306 Principles of contributing to innovation and
change
Guidance notes
Outcome 1 Understand the purpose of innovation in a business
environment
1. Innovation in a business environment: creating value from ideas, making something in a
different way, new ways of satisfying customers, new ways of carrying out routine activities,
new approaches to work, new organisation structure, improved product design.
Outcome 2 Understand how to contribute to innovation
1. Purpose and benefits of reviewing eg:
• increased efficiency
• increased profitability
• increased productivity
• greater competitiveness
• better use of resources
• reduced costs
• better response to customer requirements
• increased customer satisfaction
• reduction in waste
• more employee involvement
and positive ways of doing so eg: customer feedback, effective communication, employee
survey, forums, team meetings, staff suggestion schemes, employee involvement.
2. The candidate should be able to explain the benefits eg: team feedback, effective
communication so that team ‘buy in’ to innovation by being involved, utilise existing staff, extra
resources needed can be identified, team will be convinced of benefits to organisation and to
themselves, sharing of ideas breaks down barriers.
3. Behaviours and attitudes eg: positive, motivated, ‘can do’ attitude, enthusiastic, willingness to
be involved.
Outcome 3 Understand the reasons for and implications of change in a
business environment
1. Reasons for change eg: mergers, acquiring new companies, new ownership, loss of revenue,
legislative changes, rising costs, new strategies, sales review, new technology, economic/
political changes, relocation.
2. Positive and negative implications may include: challenges, new work roles, promotion, higher
productivity, job losses, redundancies, fear of the unknown, stress, loss of motivation,
retraining, issues with staff retention.
170 Level 2 and 3 Diploma in Business Support (4475-12/13)