OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical in Business (2016)

These theory notes have been written to meet the teaching content but they are NOT endorsed in any way by OCR

Please note that Units 1, 2 and 4 are now complete.

Unit 1 - The Business Environment

Unit 1 - The Business Environment

• LO1
• LO2
• LO3
• LO4
• LO5
• LO6
• LO7
• LO8

LO1

1.1.1: Business Activity
1.1.2: Business Purpose
1.1.3a: Legal Structure
1.1.3b: Sole Traders
1.1.3c: Unincorporated Associations
1.1.3d: Partnerships
1.1.3e: Limited Companies
1.1.3f: Private Limited Companies
1.1.3g: Public Limited Companies
1.1.3h: State Owned Businesses
1.1.3i: Charities
1.1.3j: Community Interest Companies (CIC)
1.1.4: Appropriate Ownership
1.1.5: Business Aims and Objectives

LO2

1.2.1: Functional Areas
1.2.2: Interrelationships Between Functional Areas

LO3

1.3.1: Different Organisational Structures
1.3.2: Elements of Organisational Structures
1.3.3: The Impact of Structures on Business Organisations
1.3.4: Using Organisation Charts

LO4

1.4.1: Essential Financial Terms
1.4.2: Essential Financial Calculations
1.4.3: How to Interpret Financial Statements

LO5

1.5.1: The Stakeholders of a Business
1.5.2: How Stakeholders Might Change Business Behaviour
1.5.3: Responding to Different Stakeholder Objectives
1.5.4: The Consequence of Not Listening to Stakeholders

LO6

1.6.1a: The External Business Environment
1.6.1b: Social Factors
1.6.1c: Technological Factors
1.6.1d: Economic Factors
1.6.1e: Environmental Factors
1.6.1f: Political Factors
1.6.1g: Legal Factors
1.6.1h: Ethical Factors
1.6.2: The Impact of the External Environment
1.6.3: Responding to the External Environment

LO7

1.7.1: Why Businesses Plan
1.7.2: Appropriate Sources of Finance
1.7.3: The Contents of a Business Plan

LO8

1.8.1: The Factors Affecting The Success of a Business
1.8.2: SWOT Analysis
1.8.3: How to Interpret Business Performance

Unit 2 - Working in Business

Unit 2 - Working in Business

• LO1
• LO2
• LO3
• LO4
• LO5

LO1

2.1.1: Authority Protocols
2.1.2: Confidentiality Protocols
2.1.3: The Constraints on Document Content
2.1.4: Checking Protocols
2.1.5: IT Security Protocols
2.1.6: Employment Protocols

LO2

2.2.1: The Factors That Influence Meeting Arrangements
2.2.2: The Factors That Influence Business Travel Arrangements
2.2.3: The Factors That Influence Business Accommodation Arrangements

LO3

2.3.1: Completing and Using Business Documents
2.3.2: Other Business Documents
2.3.3: Making Payments
2.3.4: Meeting Documentation

LO4

2.4.1: Reasons for Prioritising Business Tasks
2.4.2: The Factors That Influence Task Prioritisation
2.4.3: Using Information to Inform Prioritisation
2.4.4: Assigning a Priority Level
2.4.5: The Need to Change Priorities

LO5

2.5.1: What Informs the Design of Business Documents
2.5.2: The Impact of Design on the Use of Resources
2.5.3: When to Use Different Types of Communication
2.5.4: Ensuring Documents are Fit for Purpose

Unit 3 - Business Decisions

Unit 3 - Business Decisions

• LO1
• LO2
• LO3
• LO4
• LO5
• LO6

LO1

3.1.1: Different Types of Business Decisions
3.1.2: Different Criteria Used When Making Business Decisions
3.1.3: The Use of Different Types of Information When Making Business Decisions
3.1.4: How to Judge the Validity of Information Used to Make Decisions
3.1.5: The Purposes, Benefits and Importance of Communication
3.1.6: Factors Affecting the Quality of Decision-Making

LO2

3.2.1: How to use Profitability Data
3.2.2: How to use Break-even Analysis
3.2.3: How to use Contribution Data
3.2.4: How to use Cash-flow Data
3.2.5: How to use Investment Appraisal

LO3

3.3.1: Factors Involved in Workforce Planning
3.3.2: How to Use Workforce Performance Data

LO4

3.4.1: How to use Market Research Information
3.4.2: How to use Marketing Decision-Making Tools
3.4.3: Considerations When Making Marketing Decisions
3.4.4: How Constraints on Marketing Impact Business Decisions

LO5

3.5.1: The Issues and Key Tasks Involved in Resource Management
3.5.2: How to Use Project Management Tools
3.5.3: How to use and Interpret Critical Path Analysis (CPA)
3.5.4: How Change is Managed
3.5.5: The Factors Involved in Contingency Planning

LO6

3.6.1: How to use Business Decision-Making Tools
3.6.2: Different Strategies to Achieve a Competitive Advantage
3.6.3: How to Make Business Decisions
3.6.4: How to Justify a Business Decision

Unit 4 - Customers and Communication

Unit 4 - Customers and Communication

• LO1
• LO2
• LO3
• LO4
• LO5

LO1

4.1.1: The Different Types of Customer
4.1.2: What Influences Customer Behaviour
4.1.3: Managing the Customer Experience
4.1.4: Why Customer Service is Important

LO2

4.2.1: Audience Requirements When Communicating
4.2.2: The Purposes of Business Communication
4.2.3: Comparing Various Forms of Communication
4.2.4: Using Appropriate Business Formats and Styles
4.2.5: The Importance of Corporate Standards
4.2.6: Managing a Corporate Profile Through Media Activity

LO3

4.3.1: Non-verbal Skills
4.3.2: Verbal Skills
4.3.3: Listening Skills

LO4

4.4.1: Conveying Messages
4.4.2: Types of Verbal and Written Communication
4.4.3: Other Considerations for Conveying Messages

LO5

4.5.1: Legal Constraints
4.5.2: Ethical Issues
4.5.3: Security Issues