Planning to Fail by Failing to Plan

Synopsis: Planning to Fail by Failing to Plan

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RES 341

Don Smith

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to define the need and purpose for conducting pre-assessment planning prior to statistical business research, to explain the problem of failure to conduct pre-assessment research, to describe the data collection methods used to determine the pre-assessment factors, and to explain the researchers’ conclusion regarding the necessity for conducting a pre-assessment phase prior to conducting statistical business research.

Pre-assessment Planning Necessity

The pre-assessment planning phase requires thorough analysis of all influencing factors to determine the correct research course of action. If key facts are missed then the final result will suffer from the lack of information (Knight – Tracy, 2007). Thorough analysis may be costly and take significant investment in time; therefore, a thoughtful management team will make careful consideration of all influencing factors and involve key stakeholders within the company ensuring that sufficient depth in experience is involved to gain the collective company experience and insight into the problem. The management team must also take care to challenge any preconceptions that are contrary to the factual evidence discovered during the pre-assessment phase. Finally, the pre-assessment planning team must take care to ensure that data is accurate and precise within an acceptable level of statistical significance.

The Cost of Failing to Conduct Pre-assessment Planning

The costs associated with conducting sampling research and analysis is high. Careful consideration of the problem and the methods used to determine variances should be used to ensure the efficient use of company time and resources. At times the pre-assessment team may have access to sufficient data that can be analyzed to determine a solution. The management team should be cautious to avoid rushing to conclusions without conducting thorough...