Pearson

Higher Nationals in
Business

Unit: 8 Innovation and Commercialisation

Higher National Diploma in Business

Brief Number: 1
 Higher National Certificate/Diploma in
Business
Student Name/ID Number

Unit Number and Title 8 - Innovation and Commercialisation

Academic Year

Unit Tutor

Assignment Title Sunshine Shakes - An Innovative Business Case

Issue Date

Submission Date
IV Name & Date

Submission Format

Task 1
The task should be completed in small groups ideally of around 3 – 4 learners, depending on the class
size. The group report should be submitted as one report, but it must be noted which section was
completed by each individual group member. The group should aim to split the workload equally as best
they can.

This should be written in a concise, formal business style using single spacing and font size 12. You are
required to make use of headings, paragraphs, subsections and illustrations as appropriate and all work
must be supported with research and referenced using the Harvard referencing system. Please also
provide a bibliography using the Harvard referencing system. The recommended word limit is 2,000–
2,500 words, although you will not be penalised for exceeding the total word limit.

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Explain the context for innovation and determine the difference between invention and innovation.
LO2 Explain the different types of innovation.
LO3 Discuss the process required to commercialise innovation.
LO4 Evaluate the range of methods for protecting ideas and understand their advantages and
disadvantages.

Assignment Brief and Guidance

Scenario

Case Study: Sunshine Shakes

When Mason Price, the founder of Sunshine Shakes, started the company two years ago he could not
have foreseen the rapid early stage growth that took place. The company started with several shakes that
were designed as a quick meal replacement for busy people on the go using key buzz words such as
healthy, quick and low fat.

These were launched into the UK market and based around 8 busy city centers. He had a great start and
saw a dramatic rise in sales in his first year due the general push for healthier living and a decline in some
fast food sales.

However, as the company enters its third year of trading there has been a significant decrease in sales as
some competitors have also started to improve their products and reduce fat, sugar and salt in key
products and focus more on the health factors that are in the news daily.

Mr. Price has a few ideas about how to fight back and regain some of the lost sales. He thinks the answer
is to create an innovative new range of snacks, but he is fearful about moving away from the shakes
which did so well initially.

You are an innovation consultant that the company has hired to evaluate the situation and present
recommendations on how the company should move forward. This assignment is split into two separate
tasks.

Task 1

Working in small groups (3–4 per group) you are to produce a business report to present to
Mr. Price to provide background information about innovation and the processes of innovation
development. This is the first part of your research and will support the development of a business case
which you are to present to Mr. Price.

The business report must include the following:

HNC/HND Business 3
 1. Provide an explanation of what innovation is and explain the difference between invention
and innovation whilst determining the importance to the organisation.

2. Explain the value and importance of innovation to shaping the organisational vision and
culture. How can this be embedded within the organisational leadership and teamwork at
Sunshine Shakes.

3. Analyse the potential different sources of innovation and how organisations can develop an
environment which nurtures the right culture for innovation.

4. Within an organisation innovation may be embedded and measured, critically analyse how
innovation is developed within this context.

5. Developing successful innovations can bring many benefits to organisations but they may have
to overcome obstacles and challenges along the way. Provide evidence-based judgments on
how they might overcome these obstacles and critically evaluate the nature of innovation
looking at how it is developed.

6. Explain the 4Ps of innovation and advise Sunshine Shakes which form of innovation they
should engage in by using an innovation funnel. Analyse your results and examine the ideas
used to shape innovation.

7. Using the approach, you have taken for Sunshine Shakes, evaluate the role of frugal
innovation.

*Please access HN Global for additional resources support and reading for this unit. For further guidance
and support on report writing please refer to the Study Skills Unit on HN Global
www.highernationals.com

HNC/HND Business 4
 Higher National Certificate/Diploma in
Business
Student Name/ID Number

Unit Number and Title 8 Innovation and Commercialisation

Academic Year

Unit Tutor

Assignment Title Sunshine Shakes - Bringing in new products

Issue Date

Submission Date
IV Name & Date

Submission Format

Task 2
Staying in the same groups as task 1 you now must complete a short PowerPoint presentation of around
10 minutes and you must be prepared to answer 5 minutes of questions at the end.
The presentation slides and speaker notes should be submitted as one copy. You are required to make
effective use of PowerPoint headings, paragraphs and subsections as appropriate. Your research should
be referenced using the Harvard referencing system. Please also provide a bibliography using the Harvard
referencing system. The recommended word limit is 1,000–1,500 words, including speaker notes,
although you will not be penalised for exceeding the total word limit.
Each member of the group must submit a copy of the presentation and a reflective statement must also
be included by each group member to identify the work undertaken and to evaluate the effectiveness of
the group work for both tasks in the assignment.

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Explain the context for innovation and determine the difference between invention and innovation.
LO2 Explain the different types of innovation.

HNC/HND Business 5
LO3 Discuss the process required to commercialise innovation.
LO4 Evaluate the range of methods for protecting ideas and understand their advantages and
disadvantages.

Assignment Brief and Guidance

Scenario

Case Study: Sunshine Shakes

You are an innovation consultant that the company has hired to evaluate the current situation and
present recommendations on how the company should move forward. You will be discussing the process
used to commercialise innovation and relating it to Sunshine Shakes.

Task 2

In your groups prepare and present a business case for the type of products that Sunshine Shakes can
bring to the market. The business case PowerPoint presentation should be 10 minutes long and slides
should cover the following:

1. Provide a very brief background to the company and the problem as an introduction. (no more
than 1 or 2 slides).

2. Identify the solution to the problem at Sunshine Shakes and explain the importance of the
commercial funnel as well as the application of New Product Development (NPD) processing
for commercialisation.

3. Build a detailed innovation case for Sunshine Shakes and include ways to access funding. How
will you measure the effectiveness and which techniques will you use to test, iterate and
improve the innovation process.

4. Evaluate how Sunshine Shakes can protect the intellectual property rights of a new product.
Consider which tools they can use to develop, retain and protect their knowledge.

5. Provide evidence to support your evaluation of the different tools you could use for Sunshine
Shakes and the wider business environment.

HNC/HND Business 6
*Please access HN Global for additional resources support and reading for this unit. For further guidance
and support on report writing please refer to the Study Skills Unit on HN Global
www.highernationals.com

HNC/HND Business 7
 Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass Merit Distinction

LO1 Explain the context for innovation and determine the difference
between invention and innovation

P1 Explain innovation and M1 Analyse different sources of LO1 & 2

determine its importance to
organisations in comparison with
invention.
P2 Explain how organisational
vision, leadership, culture and
teamwork can shape innovation
and commercialisation.
innovation, and how
D1 Critically analyse how
organisations can foster and
innovation is developed,
develop an environment and
embedded and measured in an
culture of innovation.
organisational context.

LO2 Explain the different types of innovation

P3 Explain the 4Ps of innovation M2 Analyse and apply the

and explain the use of the
innovation funnel to examine and
shape innovative ideas.
P4 Explain developments in
frugal innovation and provide
examples of how it is used in an
organisational context.
innovation funnel in an
organisational context.
M3 Evaluate the role of frugal
innovation in an organisational
context.

LO3 Discuss the process required to commercialise innovation LO3 & 4

P5 Explain the importance of the
commercial funnel and the
application of
New Product Development (NPD)
processing for commercialisation
of innovation.
P6 Build an Innovation Business
Case for an organisation,
including ways to access funding.
M4 Build a detailed Innovation
Business Case which includes
how to measure its overall
effectiveness using appropriate
techniques available to test,
iterate and improve.
D2 Critically evaluate the nature
of innovation and the context in
which it is developed, providing
evidence-based judgements on
how organisations can overcome
challenges to develop successful
innovations.

LO4 Evaluate the range of methods for protecting ideas and

understand their advantages and disadvantages

HNC/HND Business 8
P7 Evaluate the different tools
that organisations can use to
develop, retain and protect
knowledge and intellectual
property.
M5 Present supported evidence-
based evaluation of these
different tools in the context of
the wider business environment.
HNC/HND Business 9