Task1:

Report

To: Assessor

From: Student

Subject: Develop the operation plan that services MAMILs in capital city.

Executive Summary: Tour Company is a full service of cycling tours business that will be based
in New South Wales, Australia. Our intention of starting a tour business in New South Wales
provide tour for MAMILs to deliver the best quality full services at an affordable price to a wide
range of MAMILs customers. Our cycling tours

Terms and Conditions: Tours vary in length from 14 days. Camping tours are still at the heart of
our tours program.
Three of our most popular tours are:
Tour of Tasmania in warmer months of tour 14 days.
In the more temperate months offer tours of wine regions such as Barossa and Clair Valleys in
SA, or Margaret River Region in WA or Hunter Valley and surrounds in NSW ZAW-
Tropical tours in the colder months e.g. the Daintree and Port Douglas region.

1. SWOT analysis:

Strengths Weaknesses
 Expensive for premium tours
 First pioneer of the industry
 Some are separate expenses to be
born by customers
 Interesting   and   attractive   tour
 MAMILs pay their own travel costs to 
packages for MAMILs
get to the start point of the tour and the
ir return home at the completion of the
 Provision of tours with different p
tour.
rice ranges   to   provide  
affordability   and service diversity
 Opportunities Threats
 Introduction   of   more   attractive  
tour packages  Rise of potential competitors

 Market expansion to other  Economic downturns
r e g i o n a l areas
 Change in the consumer patterns and d
emands

2. Determination on the viability of the proposed business.

Consideration for your risk management and decide on a "Go" or "No go" for developing this
business.

Who are the stakeholders? How Will you get their input?

 Internal employees  Email communication
 Management team  Regular   meetings   with  
 Tour guides physical meet-ups
 Tour suppliers

3. "Go" or "No go"?

Option Go

Business Name MAMIL Tour Package

Business
The team agree on using the name that would sound good for a travel agency. The name also need
to be easily remembered by the customers. After considering all the criteria above, the team had
decided on using the name “MAMIL Tour Package business.” This name implied that the team will
bring happiness for all of their customers with good and excellent service that makes their
customers feel like they’re travelling to a paradise. By using this name, the team hoped that they
would be able to provide the best customer service experience

4. Mission statement

 Our customers are an extension of our own families and we leave no stone unturned in en
suring their comfort, safety and happiness.
 Our employees are provided a safe and pleasant working environment in which they can 
grow and feel valued for their contributions.

5. Vision statement 

To become the best MAMIL travel company in the Australian tourism sector, respected
on by both customers and partners alike. They are the essence of our identity and provide the
guiding principles to our behavior and the relationships we have with our customers and
partners.

Values are:

 Genuine: We are real and authentic and truly believe in what we do

 Innovative: We aim to be the best in the business in everything that we do
 United: We are one global team and value relationships
 Positive: We are optimistic and always look on the bright side
 Commercial: We think strategically and we deliver results.
 6. Organizational chart:

BP and Business
Owner

HR management Premise &

Finance

WHS & Safety analysis Customer service team Tour guide

7.
team team
The functional units

in the above organizational chart are given below:

 HR management
 Premise & Finance
 WHS & Safety analysis team
 Customer service team
 Tour guide team

7. The functional unit which we selected is:

Premise & Finance

And Management plan to manage the functional unit of Premise & Finance is:

Everything costs money, and even though you may choose a country or region where it's
relatively cheap to get by, you'll still need cash to fund your trip. Apart from saving like mad,
one way of funding the trip is by company sponsorship or doing the journey in name of a charity.
You could also fundraise from family, friends and your wider community.
Ask clothing and bike companies or technology firms to donate equipment by agreeing to write
about them for an internet blog or mention them in a blog. Once you've got the trip funded, make
sure set up a budget for the trip, weekly or daily, and stick to it.

All finance comes from the fees that is taken from each MAMIL that is involved in the tour.
Each MAMIL pays cost of $3-5K for this tour so that this tour can be arranged in a good manner.
And everything in a tour like living in motels, BBQ breakfast, caravan parks along the way,
evening meals at camp, arranging cycles etc are done from this money.

8. Two Key Result Areas for unit/team are:

 Funding:

Let’s talk about the bottom line. At the end of the day, you want your business to turn a

profit. The most basic and one of the most important KPIs is your overall revenue. There

are plenty of great programs out there to help you organize your finances like

Quickbooks, but if you can, it’s worth bringing in a professional bookkeeper to help

advise on all financial decisions and manage them. Using a booking system like

TrekkSoft, you have a clear view of your turnover from all channels,

 Customer satisfaction

A common mistake that businesses make is thinking that having more customers will

solve all their business woes. But if your offer isn’t very good or the cost outweighs the

value, your customers aren’t going to be very happy. Having a lot of customers won’t

mean much if few of them are satisfied by the services you’re providing. In fact, it can

work against you, as those customers are likely to share their experiences with friends,

family members, or even strangers through reviews on TripAdvisor. There’s no doubt

about it - this is a crucial KPI for all tour & activity companies that want sustainable

growth.
9. Draft the operational plan:

Objectives:

 Continuously provide enjoyable quality excursions/trips on time and on budget.

 Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time.

 Establish a market presence that assures short-term and long-term profitability, growth
and success.

 We are fully committed to supporting growth and development in the tourism and overall
economy of Australia.

 Contribute positively to our communities and our environment.

Mission:

Internally we intend to create and nurture a healthy, exuberant, respectful, and enjoyable
environment, in which our employees are fairly compensated and encouraged to respect the
customer and the quality of the service we intend to provide. In addition follow-up will be
mandatory so as ensure customer satisfaction and make any improvements as recommended by
the customers in future. We seek fair and responsible profit, enough to keep the company
financially healthy for the short and long term, and to fairly remunerate employees for the work
and effort.

Key success factors will include the following:

1. Excellence in fulfilling the promise: We intend to offer completely enjoyable,

comfortable and informative travel excursions that will ensure that travelers are thoroughly
satisfied and appreciative at the end of their trip.
2. Timely response to customers' requests: We cannot afford to delay our clients for
whatever reason, as this will have a negative bearing on our image and reputation, including
future business.

3. Solid and fruitful strategic alliances: Considering the nature of our services and our
relative infancy on the market, we realize the importance of establishing and maintaining
fruitful strategic alliances with various stakeholders, including hotels, lodges, and travel
agencies, amongst others, so as be assured of a constant flow of customers, fulfilling their
needs at every opportunity.

4. Marketing know-how: As a relatively new company on the market there will be a need
to aggressively market our business and the services we provide so as to be continuously at
the top of our prospective clients minds.

The way you want to set up this new business is to develop a single but successful operation
that services MAMILs in your Capital City. When we have the model running successfully
you plan to franchise operations nationally and potentially internationally. Our goal is that in
five years’ time you will be managing a group of franchises and have both a good income as
well as a good work/life balance.

The model that your tours will follow is;

o The MAMILs pay their own travel costs to get to the start point of the tour and their return
home at the completion of the tour.

o Tour team will provide a support vehicle to travel with the herd each day of the tour.

o The tours will range from budget tours where the herd will stay overnight in camping and
caravan parks along the way, through to more up-market tours where they will stay in hotel
and or B&B style accommodation.

o For the budget tours you propose that your support vehicle provides a BBQ breakfast and
evening meal at the camps.
o Each MAMIL pays cost of $3-5K for this tour so that this tour can be arranged in a good
manner. And everything in a tour like living in motels, BBQ breakfast, caravan parks
along the way, evening meals at camp, arranging cycles etc are done from this money.

Operational plan

Funding involved in the tour Personnel Timelines

Firstly the no. of MAMILs that Company 1 dec2019

are involved in the tour is decided Manager
and which is about 25 to 30
MAMILs.
Premise&
Firstly the amount for total tour is 12Dec-20Dec
Finance
decided which is budget manager 2019

The budget for tour is decided Finance personnel 20Dec-30 Dec

now and tell the customers that staff
2019
the amount 3-5k is collected from
each person about 25 to 30
persons

Then the Tour is from Tasmania CEO 1June2020-

in warmer months (7-14 days) 14June2020
is started in month of June is
decided
10.

1. Financial Resources: Funding

The most important element in starting a business is funding. Even the most basic home
business incurs a multitude of startup costs, including registering a business name,
obtaining a business telephone line and printing business cards.
2. Human Resources: Employees

The success of an organization is heavily reliant on the talent and strength of its
employees. The hiring of experienced professionals with track records of excellence
within their area of expertise ensures that the mission and goals of the company will be
carried out efficiently and with competence.
3. Physical Resources: Premises and Equipment

Whether a small home business or a retail operation with multiple locations, every
organization must have the appropriate physical resources to survive like vehicle to carry
all bicycles safely.
4. Consideration

Encourage your agents to continue their education and learn about new developments in
the travel industry. The company's HR department can research upcoming classes and
seminars, or perhaps sign the agents up for a travel webinar.

11.

Educational Resources: Industry Know How

Perhaps the greatest thing an entrepreneur can do when establishing a new business is to gain as
much education possible. By understanding her competition and gaining an in-depth knowledge
of her industry, she will be better prepared to make smarter decisions regarding the direction of
her firm. Educational resources can be found through professional trade associations that are
geared toward her industry, her local chamber of commerce as well as the Small Business
Administration.
12. Strategy for obtaining an identified resources in tour are:

1. Establish Sephats reputation as a differentiated, specialty provider of city/ adventure

travel and excursions. This will be accomplished through a diverse marketing
communications program directed at Sephats target market, utilizing various media as well
as the establishment of strategic allies.

2. Provide unparalleled service to the MAMILs, local and international, of Botswana in

order to gain repeat business and build trust. This will include providing superior service in
all phases of the transaction, including timely follow-through.

3. Aggressively promote excursions as healthy, eye-opening and exciting activities with

those who participate in them as appreciative of the finer things in life.

4. We intend to build image and awareness through consistency and distinctiveness in our
service provision.

13.

1. First Repeat Client

Your next business milestone involves that sweet, sweet exchange of currency. Landing your
first repeat client will give you confidence in your business and the motivation you’ll need to
keep going. The key word here is “repeat.”

Realistic, Scalable Marketing Strategy

Marketing is the lifeblood of your business. Businesses owners sitting around waiting for clients
to call are destined to fail. Smart marketing can actively bring in new business instead of simply
reacting.

Hire and Train a Solid Team

Starting off as a one-man operation is great. However, with the exception of a few lucky business
models, it will only get you so far.

You’ll need to hire and train a team. This exciting milestone will grow your business by leaps
and bounds

Gain Authority in Your Industry

At this point, you’re making money and you have a great team in place. Your next milestone is
to become an authority in your industry.

14.

Activity Person(s) Cost Completion Schedule

Responsible
Monitoring Progress
1. Project approval and initiation CEO $800 Till Dec2019
2. Are relevant stakeholders involved in Manager $200
program development,
implementation, monitoring?

3. Are program reporting mechanisms in Manager $300

place?
4. Are resources in place HR manager $100
a. Staff hiring/training
b. Budget allocations and access
c. Communication/IT
d. Data management
e. Outside agency(ies) contracted
Monitoring Performance
5. [List each key element being CEO $500 In Jun 2020
monitored – e.g., trainings, materials
development, Coordinating
Committee meetings, etc.]
a. Did the tasks/activities take
places on schedule at the
 planned frequency?
b. Were the deliverable
benchmarks met?
c. Were the deliverables
distributed to the relevant
recipients?
d. Were broadcasts made
according to schedule?
e. Were activities within budget?
Monitoring Budget
6. Secured Income (Grants, Donations, Premises and $500 In Dec2019
User Fees, Other): finance manager
7. Budgeted Expenditures:
8. Management Expenditures Other
Indirect Expenditures (if any)

15. The final step in any planning process is to monitor and evaluate progress.  The same way as
you check the signposts along a road when completing a journey, it is similarly important to
check that development is on track.

The management committee should use reports against its annual operational plans to review
progress towards meeting the strategic aims and objectives.  Therefore, they must ensure that
whoever is doing the work is keeping appropriate records so that progress can be assessed.  This
will involve, at the implementation stage of your plan, being clear what systems and structures
are required.  The things you decide to measure will give an indication of how well you’re doing,
hence, the name indicators or performance measures.

Before completing your plan, you need to agree how and when it will be monitored and reviewed
and what information the Management Committee needs to receive in order to review progress.

When reviewing progress towards achieving the strategic aims and objectives, the Management
Committee should:

 ensure that activities are kept within the parameters of the agreed strategic
aims and objectives;
 ensure that activities are consistent with organization’s vision, mission and
values; 
 if the organization is a charity, use the information collected to show the
public benefit the charity is having; and
 keep under review internal and external changes which may require
adjustments to the organization’s strategy or affect their ability to achieve
their objectives.
16. Contingency planning is smart business. Although we cannot possibly know the precise
details of the next calamity, we can prepare our companies to withstand the full brunt of bad
times with some planning. Contingency plan for operations of MAMIL are:

 Note where there are resources that can be used in an emergency. Also, note where in
your contingency plan these resources might be applied.

 Identify dates that if missed will negatively impact your plan, for example getting
approval from a group or committee that only meets every now and then.

 Know your contingency plan. Check for any weak links and strengthen them. Identify
any slack that you can find in it.

 See if you can find points in your plan where alternative routes can be taken, and think
through each one’s scenario to add flexibility to your plan.

 Use your experience to help you see patterns in your project’s ebb and flow of activity to
sharpen your plan.

17.

1. Don't File Patents

The most uncommon way to protect intellectual property is not to file patents. Filing patents
provides the recipe of how a product or service can be created.

2. Run Lean And Fast

Innovation in the tech sector will always be prone to plagiarism. To some extent, that's what
drives innovation's evolutionary jumps in such quick succession. Having relentless innovation
cycles keeps your competitors constantly catching up. That does require your company to run
like an Olympic runner — lean and fast. - Daniel Hindi

3. Separate Teams

Our engineering teams are separated geographically, and we make a point that none of these
teams have access to the complete product. In order to undermine the security and sanctity of our
product, several of these teams would need to work together to steal the total product. Separation
of duties is a basic tenet of information security of things like Bicycles used in tour, camping
areas etc.

8. Get Strong Non-Disclosure Agreements

Get assistance with creating well-written non-disclosure agreements. Also, look at any other
agreements you use in your business to make sure they cover your intellectual property.

References:

How to protect your intellectual property. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2019, from
https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/business-strategy-planning/innovate/pages/how-protect-
your-intellectual-property.aspx.

6 Important Business Milestones in the First 5 Years. (2019, June 9). Retrieved December 1,
2019, from https://www.freshbooks.com/blog/business-milestones.

Tour and travel. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2019, from

http://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/Indian Adventure Tourism Guidelines Oct 2.pdf.

Andrews, B. (n.d.). Developing An Operations Plan: 5 Key Elements. Retrieved December 1,

2019, from https://www.bigskyassociates.com/blog/developing-an-operations-plan-5-key-
elements.

Section 1. Developing a Plan for Communication. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2019, from
https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/participation/promoting-interest/communication-
plan/main.

Task3: Written Questions

Q1: Describe models and methods for operational plan?

The Operational Plan can be subdivided into two basic forms which include:

 The single-use plan

 The standing plans
1. A single-use plan is developed to carry out a course of action that is not likely to be
repeated in the future. These plans are used once to achieve unique objectives for the
business. An example of this is when a business has a particular one off event coming up,
they may have a single-use plan to cover everything in relation to this event.
2. The standing plan is developed for activities that occur repeatedly over a period of time
in order for the business to help solve repetitive problems. An example of this would be a
large business that has activities repeating all the and need to be structured in a way so
that everyone knows what’s going on all the time.
Example of a type of chart used to develop operational plans - Gantt charts
A Gantt chart, commonly used in project management, is one of the most popular and
useful ways of showing activities (tasks or events) displayed against time. On the left of
the chart is a list of the activities and along the top is a suitable time scale. Each activity
is represented by a bar; the position and length of the bar reflects the start date, duration
and end date of the activity. This allows you to see at a glance:
 What the various activities are
 When each activity begins and ends
 How long each activity is scheduled to last
 Where activities overlap with other activities, and by how much
 The start and end date of the whole project

Q2: Explain the role of an operational plan in achieving the organization's objectives?

The Operational Plan DOES present highly detailed information specifically to direct people to
perform the day-to-day tasks required in the running the organization. Organization management
and staff should frequently refer to the operational plan in carrying out their everyday work. The
Operational Plan provides the what, who, when and how much:

 what - the strategies and tasks that must be undertaken

 who - the persons who have responsibility of each of the strategies/tasks
 when - the timelines in which strategies/tasks must be completed
 how much - the amount of financial resources provided to complete each strategy/task.

Q3: Explain at least one budgeting process used by your organization?

 Creating a budget is much more than management sitting down and coming up with performance
numbers that they want to meet in the next quarter. A budget is really plan for the company’s
future. Managers and board members meet and discuss where they want to see the company in
years to come, what markets they want to exploit, and what products they want to create. In order
to achieve any of these long-term plans, the company must have a way to create opportunities
and track the progress along the way. That is exactly what a budget does.

Top-Down Budget:

In the top-down budgeting process, the primary input is made by the top-level executives of the
business. The echelon of a certain organizational hierarchy lays down all the guidelines
according to which budget will be made. They outline the financial goals that a budget should
maintain. Moreover, guidelines related to sales budget, compensation, etc. are all given by the
top management. The lower level management is given the least amount of participation in the
budgeting process.

Q4: List the alternative approaches to developing key performance indicators to meet
business objectives?

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are used to measure the quality of an organization’s
performance and help to develop the performance goals and strategies. The development of KPIs
has to take time but it doesn’t need to be difficult. 4 step approach to writing KPIs:

1. Determine strategic objectives

2. Define success
3. Decide on measurement
4. Write your SMART KPIs

Step 1 - Determine the Key Strategic Objectives

Before writing KPIs, you'll first need to determine which of your organization's strategic
objectives you're trying to gauge.

Step 2 - Define Success

Now that you've identified your strategic objectives, you'll need to begin thinking about what the
success of each objective looks like.

Step 3 - Decide on measurement

Next, you'll need to decide how you will actually measure success. Going back to our example
once again, we've identified that the success of our objective means increasing the number of
contacts that enter our pipeline AND increasing the

Step 4 - Write your KPIs

Finally, it's time to begin actually writing your KPIs. KPIs should follow the SMART
format (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound), to ensure your KPIs meet
this criterion, we've devised a formula that you can follow to ensure you end up with SMART
KPIs every time.

Q5: Outline the legislative and regulatory context relevant to the operational plan of your
organization?

Health and safety legislation can be referred to work health and safety (WHS). This law is enacted
and enforced to ensure that work is performed in a safe manner and does not have any negative
effect on the worker’s health.

Privacy legislation- This law exists to protect the privacy of citizens by ensuring that personal
information is only collected when necessary, stored securely and not misused by organization.

Australian Consumer Law- To protect the customers from false and misleading conduct relating
to the advertisement, sale and provision of products and services.

Workplace relations legislation- To ensures the organization treat their employees fairly by
providing appropriate employment conditions and wages.

Anti-discrimination and equal opportunity legislation- To ensure that all Australians seeking
employment or performing work are treated fairly by employees and employers regardless of
inherent personal traits such as gender, race, disability, age and so on

Q6: Outline your organization policies, practices and procedures that directly relate to the
operational plan?

Providing a reference point to decide on how to treat particular issues.

 Providing a reference point for staff training.

 Ensuring a standard approach is adopted throughout the organization.
 Acting as a best practice tool to show that the organization is complying with legislation
and other requirements.
 Evaluate the organization's IT policies, standards, and procedures; and the processes for
their development, approval, implementation, and maintenance to ensure that they
support the IT strategy and comply with regulatory and legal requirements.
  Evaluate management practices to ensure compliance with the organization's IT strategy,
policies, standards, and procedures.

A policy presents the particular issue being addressed and a broad statement of intent or outcome
for management of the issue. An operational plan may incorporate a range of policies and
procedures.

Q7: When preparing a contingency plan what guidelines should you remember?

Here are some general guidelines to follow that will assist you when you are preparing your
organization’s contingency plan:

1. Your main goal is to maintain business operations – Look closely at what you need to do to
deliver a minimum level of service and functionality.
2. Define time periods – What must be done during the first hour of the plan being
implemented? The first day? The first week? If you look at the plan in this way, you're less
likely to leave out important details.
3. Identify the trigger – What, specifically, will cause you to implement the contingency plan?
Decide which actions you'll take, and when. Determine who is in charge at each stage and
what type of reporting process they must follow
4. Keep the plan simple – You don't know who will read and implement the plan when it's
needed, so use clear, plain language so anyone can understand the plan easily
5. Consider related resource restrictions – Will your organization be able to function the same
way if you have to implement Plan B, or will Plan B necessarily reduce capabilities?
6. Identify everyone's needs – Have people throughout the company identify what they must
have, at a minimum, to continue operations
7. Define 'success' – What will you need to do to return to 'business as usual'?
8. Include contingency plans in standard operating procedures – Make sure you provide initial
training on the plan and keep everyone up-to-date on changes
9. Manage your risks – Look for opportunities to reduce risk, wherever possible. This may help
you reduce or even eliminate, the need for full contingency plans in certain areas
10. Identify operational inefficiencies – Provide a standard to document your planning process,
and find opportunities for performance improvement

Q8: What may have a detrimental impact on time if not handled correctly?

The following aspects may have a detrimental impact on the use of time if not handled correctly:

 No follow-up procedures

 Number and type of customer complaints

 Telephone interruptions
 Meeting procedures

 Policies and procedures

 Delegation and authority

 Duplication of effort

 Deadlines not established

 Poor planning

 Decisions delayed

 Too much paperwork

 Cluttered desks and other work areas

 Changing priorities too frequently

 Not completing tasks

 Poor layout

 Lack of training

 Product faults

Q9: What aspects could be involved in recruiting new staff?

1. Writing the Job Advertisement

Take time over your job advertisement. Describe the role in detail. Give a ballpark salary
figure.

2. Speedy CV Feedback

People appreciate a quick response to their CV. This means keeping track of everywhere
you’ve placed your job advertisement – job boards, social media, your own company website.

3. A Streamlined Process

Candidates hate multiple interview stages. When a recruitment process is long-winded and
time-consuming, you’re more likely to lose candidates along the way.
4. Employer Branding

Ask yourself why someone would want to work for you. There are sure to be plenty of reasons.

5. Interview Availability

The best candidates have busy schedules. They might not be able to take time off to attend an
interview slot of your choosing.

6. Making an Offer

When it comes to making an offer to a candidate, you can’t just think of things from your own
business perspective.

7. Sending Out the Paperwork

Every stage of the recruitment process requires good communication with your candidates.
You need to keep them informed of any developments promptly. 

Q10: What is involved in monitoring and reviewing operational performance?

We live in an ever-changing world with customer demands/tastes, a new technology, product

developments, staff skills and improved equipment being some examples of things which impact
on results/performance. Organizations need to monitor these things and make appropriate
changes to designs, resources or processes to ensure survival. Variance analysis is a financial
control system whereby planned figures in budgets and standard costs of production are
compared with actual figures incurred to give differences known as variances. These variances
may be favorable, i.e. where actual sales are higher than the budget plan or actual costs are lower
than that budgeted. Unfavorable variances are where the reverse situation arises. Variance
analysis also includes determining the reasons for the differences and taking corrective action.
Usually, the accounting system is structured so that variances can be reported to those
responsible.