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DPBS1110/BMGT1310

Evidence-Based Problem Solving

Assessment 2a: Case Part 1 (25%)

Assessment Guide

Case Overview

Imagine that you are working as an intern in Solve It!, a leading consulting firm in Sydney.

Solve It! has a reputation for on-time and thorough

problem solving solutions that integrates

different evidence sources, namely statistical information with insights from literature and ethical

decision-making processes.

Solve It! won a contract with Fresh1Grocer, a well-known retail supermarket chain, to address a

business problem concerning a significant increase in food waste, particularly in the fresh food

section. Food waste involves the disposal of unconsumed food items for various reasons, such

as reaching expiry dates, not meeting quality standards, or undergoing spoilage due to improper

storage conditions. This waste represents a significant economic loss and poses serious

environmental concerns. Fresh1Grocer is keen to understand the underlying causes of this surge

in waste and is seeking actionable recommendations to manage this problem effectively.

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Assessment 2: Case Part 1 (25%)

Your main task and objective in this assessment are to prepare a business analysis report

for an internal meeting on the rise in food waste at Fresh1Grocer fresh food section.

Use analytical, statistical, and ethical tools to understand the drivers behind this increase.

Analytical Toolbox: Identify potential factors and drivers contributing to the food waste problem.

Statistical Toolbox: Analyse Fresh1Grocer's data to identify food waste trends and patterns.

This will help pinpoint potential causes, direct detailed analysis, and focus solution development

on key issues.

Ethics Toolbox: Identify any ethical dilemmas associated with food waste.

Academic Integrity in DPBS1110/BMGT1310 and UNSW College

You may use AI software for brainstorming ideas initially, but your final submission should

primarily be your own work. Avoid relying on AI tools to generate your report. UNSW

College employs a tool to detect AI-generated writing with a high AI score.

Always ensure your assignments are completed independently, without asking others, such

as paid academic cheating companies, to complete them for you.

Potential cases of academic misconduct will be investigated. If confirmed, students will

receive a grade of 0 for the course and an academic cheating record, or face exclusion

from UNSW College. Please don't take the risk.

• Word Limit: 1,300 words with a 10% buffer. There's no minimum word requirement, so any

word count below 1,300 is acceptable.

• The word count rule is straightforward – everything in your report, such as headings,

subheadings, and in-text citations, contribute to the word count, except for the reference list

(bibliography), and any inserted screenshots or images. Use your Word document's built- in word count feature to check your word count accurately.

• Structure and Format: No need to have cover page, introduction, or executive summary.

Simply begin your report directly with section 1. Write in a business report style (e.g., using

an essay format, formal language, headings, and subheadings to make your report easy to

read).

• Referencing Style: While referencing is optional, if you choose to cite external information,

adhere to the Harvard referencing style for any sources cited in your report. (see the

guideline link - How to Cite Different Sources with Harvard Referencing | UNSW Australia

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Section 1 - Scoping the Problem Using the Analytical Toolbox (40%):

This section is approximately 400 words (guide only, not a word limit).

1) Define the Problem: Define the problem concisely to provide clarity on the main issue

requiring resolution for this assignment. Ensure that your report readers grasp a clear

understanding of the background story and the primary focus of your report.

2) Scope the Problem: Based on what we learnt, apply the 5Ws framework (What,

Where, When, Who, Why) to frame and scope the problem. For each 'W', formulate

questions to explore the problem and identify the evidence required to generate the

answers. Choose only 2Ws for your report.

Instruction: Use the table below to organise your questions, evidence, and types of

evidence. You are required to provide two points for each ‘W’ (you can choose any 2

Ws from the 5Ws).

Please integrate the table provided directly into your report and type out your response

as text. All content within the table will count towards the 1,300-word limit, so

avoid using screenshots.

2Ws Questions to Explore the

Problem

Identified

Evidence

Type of

Evidence

W.. 1.

2.

1.

2.

1.

2.

W.. 1.

2.

1.

2.

1.

2.

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3) Break Down the Problem Using a Logic Tree: Based on what we learnt from our

lecture and tutorials, let’s construct a logic tree to systematically analyse the increase

in food waste at Fresh1Grocer, dividing the problem into its parts and sub-parts to

pinpoint specific areas of concern and contributing drivers.

Instruction:

a) Include a clearly labelled logic tree in your submission. The tree needs to meet

the Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive (MECE) Requirements.

Ensure all details in your logic tree are clearly visible. Marks may be deducted if

the details cannot be read due to blurriness. Attach your logic tree as an image

to your report. The logic tree image will NOT count towards the word limit.

b) Prioritisation: Determine and justify which branches and/or sub-branches should

be prioritized for further analysis. Provide a clear rationale for your choices. 5

Section 2 - Data analysis using the Statistical Toolbox (40%):

This section is approximately 600 words (guide only, not a word limit).

Context:

After presenting your logic tree and having a detailed discussion with Fresh1Grocer, it has

been identified that a substantial portion of the increase in food waste is due to an

abundance of freshly packed meat and seafood reaching their expiration dates before

being sold. This insight has refined the focus of your investigation, necessitating a more

targeted analysis to comprehend the waste generated from these specific items.

Fresh1Grocer has shared a dataset with you, concentrating on these two food items.

A detailed description of the dataset is provided in the Excel spreadsheet.

Order Details: Each record in the Excel dataset represents a single order, comprising

100 pre-packed meat and seafood items. The dataset provides insights into the quantities

wasted due to items remaining unsold before their expiration date

Fresh1Grocer Food Waste Allowance Target: Fresh1Grocer’s food waste allowance

percentage for meat is capped at 9%, implying that in any given order of 100 pre-packed

meat items, a maximum of 9 items should be wasted due to reaching expiration before

being sold. The waste percentage for seafood is capped at 12% (a maximum of 12 Items

per order).

Fresh1Grocer's Operational Protocols: When orders arrive at Fresh1Grocer, they are

initially placed in the storage area before being stocked on the shelves for sale.

Operational protocols with specific targets for shelving fresh food items are implemented

to optimize the availability of fresh products to customers while minimizing waste due to

expiration.

- For meat: Target is to have the items on the shelf for at least 7 days before the

expiry date, given an expiration date of 10 days post-arrival at the storage area.

- For seafood: Target is to have the items on the shelf for at least 5 days before the

expiry date, given an expiration date of 7 days post-arrival at the storage are.

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Statistical Toolbox Analysis Instructions:

1) Preliminary analysis on Food Waste

Calculate the descriptive statistics of food waste (variable “Quantity_Wasted’)

and draw the histogram. Briefly describe its distribution.

Using PivotTable in Excel, calculate the percentage of food waste by order type

and draw the pie chart. Give a brief analysis.

2) Analysis on Food Waste and Order Type.

Calculate the descriptive statistics of food waste (variable "Quantity_Wasted")

separately for meat and seafood. Describe the distributions and draw the

appropriate diagrams. Next, compare these results with Fresh1Grocer’s Food

Waste Allowance Target.

3) Investigate Logistic Issues and Shelf Time

Fresh1Grocer suspects that logistic issues may be causing delays in moving items

from storage to the shelves. This delay could reduce the display time of food items,

contributing to increased food waste due to items reaching their expiration dates

before being sold.

Calculate the descriptive statistics of "Days_on_Shelf" and perform the analysis

separately for meat and seafood. Compare the results with Fresh1Grocer’s

Operational Protocols. Highlights any issues that you have noticed.

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Section 3 - Ethical Dilemmas with the Ethics Toolbox (20%)

This section is approximately 300 words (guide only, not a word limit).

Select a stakeholder impacted by Fresh1Grocer's food waste issue. Stakeholders may

include Fresh1Grocer, customers, suppliers, local council, environmental activists,

etc.

Consider one ethical dilemma faced by your chosen stakeholder due to the increase

in food waste. Reflect on the various ethical concerns and challenges related to food

waste at Fresh1Grocer. Assess the potential harm to individuals or entities, such as

the environment, and elaborate on your reasoning (Please refer to Unit 4 tutorial

materials).

Note: For this section, you are NOT required to apply the full 7-Steps Ethical Decision- making Framework; your task is merely to identify one potential ethical dilemma

related to the food waste issue at Fresh1Grocer, considering the perspective of your

chosen stakeholder.

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