4.1 Be Able To Prioritise Business Tasks

Question 1

Conflicting demands on time

Answer 1

Employees particularly senior managers have their own tasks to carry out but they also have to support others

A manager might have to prepare a report for the the executive board but a direct report might require help resolving a customer complaint.

Key Term -
Direct report

Question 2

Importance of meeting deadlines

Answer 2

Internal deadlines :

A sales manager is preparing a training session for her team tomorrow at 2pm. All documents and resources need to be ready and completed by 9am tomorrow the same day.

This is an internal deadline as if it is not met the session will seem unprofessional and her reputation will be affected.

External deadline :

A customer has placed an order with a printing firm which needs to be processed and ready for pick up at 12 pm tomorrow.

This is an external deadline as if it is not met then the business may lose this customer and their reputation can be affected negatively.

Question 3

Interim / final deadlines

Answer 3

Large projects will have interim as well as final deadlines. This interim deadlines are like stepping stones to achieve the final deadlines.

The interim deadlines are not always given the same priority as the final deadlines however, this will lead to an increased workload later on as the final deadline approaches.

Question 4

Impacts of missing deadlines

Answer 4

If an employees fails to complete a self appraisal before a performance management meeting their manger will not be pleased but it won’t affect the business.

If businesses are unable to meet customer demands and orders this will cause problems for the business in securing customers in the future.

If deadlines are missed this can have a knock on effect as someone else may have a deadline but they require someone else to meet a deadline before they can start their duty.

Question 5

Explain one impact of not being able to meet customers demands in time ? (2 marks)

Answer 5

One impact of not meeting the customer demands in time is that it can affect the business negatively by losing a customer and this then affects reputation and how the business failed to retain a customer.