1. AUS POST CASE STUDY

2. Question 1: Explain the issue of technological development and how it has impacted on Australia Post. (3 marks) Technological development can cause change in an organisation. Increased use of ICT for business operations and communication has been a far-reaching change and has impacted on many organisations. Australia Post has been affected by change in a number of ways due to technological development. These include changes in the way people use the postal service. The increased use of email has led to a decrease in the amount of mail delivered. On the other hand, the rise of e-commerce and online shopping has meant that Australia Post has had to change to deal with the increased volume of parcels now being delivered. A further change due to technological development is changes in the types of products and services offered by Australia Post. Marking guide: 1 mark for a definition of technology development as a change issue; an in-depth explanation of one impact or two or three in less detail (2 marks)

3. Question 2: Explain how the following three factors acted as pressures on Australia Post. a.The increased value of the Australia dollar. (2 marks) The increased value of the Australian dollar means that it is more attractive for Australian consumers to purchase overseas as they are able to obtain products at a cheaper price. This has led to an increase in the number of parcels that have to be delivered by Australia Post. b.Changes in social attitudes and lifestyle. (2 marks) Changes in social attitudes and lifestyle have led to changes in the way people shop and the methods used by businesses to reach their customers. Longer working hours, reduced leisure time and access to computers and mobile phones with Internet access has meant that people are staying at home and shopping online. As a result, Australia Post has to deliver these parcels and has also developed software to assist small businesses in selling online as well.

4. c.Access to technology, such as computers, the Internet and e-commerce. (2 marks) Increased access to technology, such as computers, the Internet and e- commerce, for customers and businesses has changed the way customers are reached. More people are likely to use the website of a business before visiting the premises and businesses are starting to provide services for customers via the Internet and their website. Australia Post offers My Shop in a Box for small and medium-sized businesses to take advantage of the increased use of technology by customers. Marking guide: three x 1 mark for definition/explanation of the pressure; three x 1 mark for an explanation of the link to Australia Post and the impact on it.

5. Question 3: Identify one driving force and one restraining force faced by Australia Post. (2 marks) One driving force faced by Australia Post is the increased take up of technology and the use of the Internet for online shopping. This has meant that Australia Post has made changes to take advantage of this development. One restraining force has been the rapid increase in the volume of parcels that need to be delivered. Australia Post has had to employ contractors to cope with the extra demand, for example at Christmas time, and there have been issues with parcels not being delivered in a timely manner. It has been a restraining force, as Australia Post has not had the capacity and time to deal with the unexpected demand. Marking guide: 1 mark for each force, must relate each force to Australia Post.

6. Question 4: Describe the impact of technological development on Australia Post’s internal environment. (5 marks) Students need to discuss at least two changes in some detail. The impact of each change could include one or more of the following; operations human resources marketing finance structure corporate culture research and development.

7. Question 5: Australia Post has undergone organisational change. Evaluate the performance of the organisation in relation to the changes introduced. You may use performance indicators (PIs) as part of your evaluation. (4 marks) Australia Post has been impacted by technological development. Performance has been mixed, with some increases in costs due to the cost of parcels weighing less than 2 kg and some increases in revenue and profit due to the changes made at Australia Post to take advantage of the new situation. Operations have changed as external pressures and technological development have brought about changes in the way customers shop. Australia Post has generally been successful in meeting these challenges as indicated by their performance indicators. Changes in the way people use the mail system (a move away from letters to online shopping) has provided Australia Post with more opportunities to expand and develop the postal services offered.

8. PIs include: sales revenue—increased since 2009–2010 profit—increased by 31.3 per cent in 2010–2011 customer satisfaction—surveys found that 96 per cent of letters were delivered on time level of waste—recycling of non-hazardous waste is 31 per cent. Marking guide: 2 marks for an evaluation of how Australia Post has managed the change; 2 marks for information about the use of PIs to support the evaluation.