ASSIGNMENT – MBA

Semester I
Subject code: MB0023
(3 credits)
Set 1
Subject Name: Business Communication

Note: Each question carries 10 Marks. Answer all the questions.

Q.1. Describe any situation in your experience where the

communication was a failure. Analyze the barrier(s) which stood
in the way of successful communication. Explain how you would
overcome the barrier(s). (10 Marks).

Ans. To describe a situation in my experience where communication was

a failure, I would like to mention the dinner party organized by one of my
friends on his birthday. He had been advising us that he would like to give
us a treat on the evening on his birthday. He called us individually to
advise of the time as to when we were going to meet infront of a restaurant
on the said day. According to him it was 7 p.m. as he said that he will be
joining us from office. At about 6.30 p.m. in the evening he sent me a text
saying that he wanted me to be there at the restaurant at 8.30 p.m. as he
was stuck in a meeting. Accordingly, I had gone to the restaurant at 8.30
p.m. when I found all my other four friends stranded there from 7 p.m. On
asking them, they told me that they haven’t received any sort of
communication from the birthday boy. Expectedly enough they appeared
very unhappy about the whole saga. Eventually my friend turned up at 8.45
p.m. with a grin on his face suggesting that he was very happy to see us all
there. On being asked to why he did not inform others, he advised that he
was running in for a meeting at 6.30 p.m. and he only had time to sms me
and that he expected me to pass on the information to others. I told him
that I would have thought that he could have added an extra line to the text
that he sent me advising me to pass the information to others which he
never did. The matter however ended with apologies but was an example
terrible miscommunication that happened.

The barrier which stood in the way of successful communication

here was:

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 • Individual Barrier: My friend believed that once he had sent me the
text advising that he would be late it implied to him that I would
inform all other friends of ours. This was a case of blocking out
communication and forming his own viewpoint as he never
mentioned in his sms that I needed to inform others.
• Channel Barrier: This was more of a wrong choice of channel. He
could have given me a quick call to inform that he would be late and
at the same time advise me to inform others.
To overcome these barriers I would advise him of certain individual actions
like,
Careful wording of message:
I would ask him to mention what he wanted me to do explicitly rather than
expecting me to do something.
Selection of appropriate channels:
I would advise him to give a quick call under these sort of circumstance in
future and mention what he wants me to do. In this way there would be no
ambiguity in the process.

Q.2. Select an article of around 200 words from any business

publication. Analyze the readability of the article using the “Fog
Index”. Is the reading level appropriate for the reader of the
publication? (10 Marks).

Ans.
Article: Transport provided by cas not taxable.
Total number of words = 180
Total number of sentence = 18
180
Average length of a sentence = =18
10
No. of difficult words in the publication = 30
200 words in the passage has 30 difficult word
30
∴100 word in the passage has 200
×100 = 15 words per hundred

Now adding number of difficult words per hundred and

the average sentence length = 15 + 18 = 33
Fog Index = 33 × 0.4 = 13.2
The reading level is not appropriate in this case. Though the above
index is an indication for 200 words. However using unitary method the
Fog Index for 100 comes to 6.6 which is not appropriate.
P.T.O
Q.3. Imagine that you are the Chairperson of the Board of
Studies of the Department of Management & Commerce of
Sikkim Manipal University Department of Distance Education.
You have been asked to call a meeting of the members of the
Board to discuss the launch of new management programs and
new specializations in the existing management program. What
kind of meeting would be required? Prepare a comprehensive
agenda for the participants of the meeting. (10 Marks)
Ans.
The kind of meeting that would be required would be problem solving or
decision making meetings.

AGENDA
Date : October 13, 2009
To : Ananya Gopalan, Jigar Ashwini Shah, Vinay Kashyap,
Srikkanth Sistla, Vivek Dubey, Carol Atkinsin, Michelle
Tao.
From : Arijit Ghosh
Subject : Planning for the launch of New Management Programs
and new specializations in the existing programs.
Time : Monday, October 18th , from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.
Place : Room No 417, Fourth Floor
Backgroun : The launch of new management programs and new
d specialization in the existing program would take place
on October 27th, 2009 as previously scheduled. We
would need to discuss the below action points to ensure
that the new programs becomes functional seamlessly
We would discuss the following items:-
1. Different management programs: The different management
programs that
could be taken up by the university.
2. Specialization areas : The different areas of specialization that can
be offered to students.
3. Case Structure : The number of classes for each subject in a
particular week and the duration for each class.
4. Number of Students : The number of students that will be admitted
for each of the converses with the present
bandwidth that the university has.
5. Allocation of resources : Discuss on rooms and other resources like
projector, white board etc.
6. Miscellaneous : Any other point relevant to the topic that any
body would like to raise.

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Q.4. Select a corporate ad of your choice from any publication.
Analyze the ad in terms of its specific objectives and type of
corporate advertising. Is it effective? Why or why not? (10
Marks)

Ans.
I would like to discuss the appended advertisement published by Economic
Times on October 13, 2009.
This particular advertisement could be classified as ‘Corporate
Identity Advertising’ as it has been done to communicate the organization’s
corporate identity, such as its name and logo.
I would reckon that it is an effective advertisement based on the
below points.
• Specific message: It does have a clear cut point as it mentions the
achievement of economic times after Q1. It does not only end their
but also suggests what readers and investors could expect from
economic times in the coming quarter.
• Creative ad: Its bright and catching to the eye for a newspaper
reader. It has a lot of power words like ‘Dividend’, ‘Benefit’, Margin’
being used in it which will obviously catch the eyes of a reader. Also,
the catchline ‘When its time ……… talk first to ET Now’ sends out a
strong and positive message.
• Effectiveness: The advertisement is pretty clear cut and ‘to the point’
and it sends the message across pretty crisply. Its short and sweet
in other words and does not beat around the bush at all. Also, the
advertisement looks pretty well organized. As in case of corporate
ad, messages are fine to read if needed from time to time it can be
done with ease as the message here in this ad are independent of
one another.

Q.5. Write an unsolicited job application letter to a company that

you would like to work for in a specific position. Include a one
page profile about yourself. (10 Marks)

Ans.
LETTER
Date : October 25, 2009
To,
The Recruitment Officer,
3, Ezra Street,
Kolkata – 700067

RE: Application for the post of an Accountant

P.T.O
Sir,
This is with reference to your advertisement for the post of an
accountant in your organization in ‘Times of India’ on October 24, 2009. I
would like to apply for the above mentioned post as I believe that I have
the requisite skills and knowledge to take up the position. If given the
position, I am sure that I will be able to perform the tasks optimally and add
up to a lot of value to your company.
I am attaching my C.V. herewith for your perusal. Hope to hear from
you soon.

Thanking you, I remain

Yours faithfully
Arijit Ghosh

Q.6. Case Study (10 Marks)

The Power of Nonverbal Communication

Soon after I graduated from engineering college, I accepted a position with

the Sundaram Foundry, a medium-sized firm located in a small town in
Tamil Nadu. It was a good position, since I was the assistant to Mr.
Viswanath, the General Manager and president of this family owned
company, Although there were many technical problems, the work was
extremely interesting and I soon learnt all about the foundry business.

The foundry workers were mostly older men and were a closely knit team.
Many of them were related and had been in the foundry for several years.
Therefore, they felt that they knew the business in and out and that a
technical education had no value. In fact, Mr. Vishwanath had mentioned
to me even at the time of my joining, that I was the only engineer ever to
be employed in the foundry. He also let me know that the foundry workers,
although a good group, were very clannish, since they had been working
together for several years. Therefore, it would probably take them some
time to accept me.

I introduced myself to the group of foundry workers, a few days after my

joining. As I went around in turn, I felt them eyeing me coldly. As I went
down the main aisle of the foundry, I heard them talking to each other in
low voices and laughing. I found their behabior to be very childish and felt
that it was best to ignore these signs of hostility. I thought that if I ignored
them, they would automatically stop these antics.

A few weeks after this incident, I happened to visit the enamel shop. As I
entered, I noticed a worker cleaning the floor with a hose, from which water
flowed at high pressure. I was aware that it was the practice to clean the
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shop at least once a week. I turned my back on the worker and was busy
nar a dipping tank, when I suddenly felt the force of a stream hitting me. I
was almost knocked down by the pressure and slipped on the wet floor.
When I turned around, the worker looked away in the other direction, as if
he had not noticed this happening. However, I was pretty sure that he had
intentionally turned the hose on me.

Questions

How could the engineer, the foundry workers and Mr.

Vishwanath be more effective, both verbally and nonverbally?

A.6.1. The first thing that could have been done to kick start the whole
process was Mr. Vishwanath should have called for a get together or a
gathering where he could have introduced the new engineer to everybody
in the organization. This would have ensured that everybody would have
been on the same page. Everybody would then have had a formal
introduction with the engineer. This would have ensured that the foundry
workers felt self-important. Once this was over, Mr. Vishwanath could have
arranged for a demo from a few nominated factory workers to the engineer
to advise the kind of work done is day to day operations. Once this was
done the engineer could have discussed with the foundry workers on the
new techniques that could be employed to perform the job optimally with
maximum output. In the process, of this effective communication the big
gap between the management.

1. What do you suggest that the engineer should do, after the hosing
incident?

A.6.2. The engineer should think about ways by which he could get
close to the foundry workers and get an effective communication going.
Communication so we always know is the most efficient medium to break
the ice when there is no talk between parties. Probably, to get started after
the hosing incident the right approach would be to go back to the person
concerned and may be laugh the whole matter off. But going forward the
best thing would be to always have some sort of a dialogue with the
workers. This would ensure that the pleasantries is always there between
both the parties.
 ASSIGNMENT – MBA Semester I
Subject code: MB0023
(3 credits)
Set 2
Subject Name: Business Communication

Note: Each question carries 10 Marks. Answer all the questions.

Q.1. Describe three specific situations at the workplace where
positive non verbal communication could be used effectively to
enhance verbal communication. (10 Marks).
Ans.
1. Kinesics – This is the most often studied and important area of non-
verbal communication and refers to body movements of any kind.
Different body movements can express inner states of emotion.

Facial Expression can convey feelings of surprise, happiness, anger and

sadness. If you meet a long lost friend and say “I’m very happy to meet
you again”, but with a sad facial expression, it conveys the exact opposite
meaning.

Eye Movements, such as wide open pupils, express feeling of surprise,

excitement or even fear. The importance of eye contact with one’s
audience was pointed out earlier. Direct eye convey feeling of nervousness
and guilt.

Gestures, such as movement of the hands while giving a lecture or

presentation, indicates a high level of involvement in what you are saying.
On the otherhand, shuffling of the feet is a sign of nervousness and
speaking with one’s hands in one’s pockets is considered to be casual or
even rude.

Head Movements, like nodding the head can convey interest,

appreciation, agreement or understanding.

Body Shape and Posture – Body shape is not one’s control, but can be
stereotyped to convey cerain meanings. For example, someone who is
strong and muscular is generally thought to be athletic, as opposed to a
person who is short and fat!

Posture on the otherhand is within our control. In formal settings such as

job interviews or classroom settings, it is essential that you maintain an
erect posture to convey that you are attentive, since slouching or a relaxed
posture conveys a casual attitude.
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Physical Appearance – Our outward appearance, including the way we
dress and the jewelry and make-up that we wear can convey an
impression of formality or informality. Going to a job interview dressed in
blue jeans, or not sticking to a stipulated dress code at the workplace can
convey that you are rebel, non-conformist or a very casual person.

Therefore, it is important to take care of your appearance, so that you

convey the right meaning to others.

2. Proxemics – Proxemics is derived form the word “proximity” or

closeness and is the communication term for personal space and distance.
The space and distance which we choose to keep from people is also
part of non-verbal communication. Each of us has our own inner and outer
circles, which differ for different people.

Our inner most circle is an “intimate space”, into which we generally admit
only select people such as family and close friends. Next comes a
“personal space” which might include other friends and colleagues or co-
workers. These two spaces involve communication of an informal nature.

Most of us also have a “social and public” space, which includes official
or workspace relationships, where the communication is of a more formal
nature.

In a business context, it is more relevant to understand the concept of

“fixed space” and “semi-fixed” space.

Fixed space means that the physical feature of the work environment such
as furniture, room size and seating arrangement are permanent. This
conveys an impression of formality. On the other hand, semi-fixed space
means that certain elements of the environment can be changed – for
example, the seating arrangement could be changed and this conveys an
impression of informality.

Sometimes, use of space at the workplace can determine leadership

positions. For example, seating at the head of the table conveys leadership
authority. A round table meeting, however conveys the idea of equality,
since no one can be seated at the head of the table! All points of a circle
are the same. That is why when heads of state meet (as in UN Security
Council meeting), it is always a round table discussion, since all heads are
equal.

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Space should therefore be used carefully in a work environment, so as to
convey the right impression.

3. Time Language – This refers to the meaning or importance attached to

time and varies between different people. One person may value time more than
another. Similarly, time language also varies across cultures.

In most western cultures for example, punctuality is considered to be important.

Arriving late for a business meeting is inexcusable. In other cultures, it is more
relaxed and time is not given that much importance.

We convey messages to others through the time we spend on a work related

activity, or by the importance that we give to time. Arriving early at work or for a
job interview shows interest, involvement and seriousness. Spending time with
an employee and giving him suggestions on how to improve his performance,
shows interest and involvement in his career growth.

4. Paralanguage – “Para” means “like” or “similar to”, therefore paralanguage

means “like language”. Of all the forms of non-verbal communication,
paralanguage is closest to verbal communication. It refers to the tone of voice
with which something is said. In other words, it is “how” something is said, and
not “what” is said. The tone of voice includes the pitch (high or low pitch), the
pace (slow or fast) the emphasis on words and the volume (soft or loud) and can
convey different moods and emotions as mentioned earlier in this unit.
Example: The statement “I practice good business communication” can be
understood in different ways, depending on the emphasis on certain words.
Saying “I practice good business communication” means that I alone practice it
above anyone else. On the other hand, saying “I practice good business
communication” could be interpreted to mean that you communicate particularly
well in a business context, rather than in a general context.
The important point to keep in mind regarding to of voice is to avoid mixed
signals – that is, making sure that what you say is consistent with how you say it.

5. Physical Context – This refers to the physical environment or

surroundings within which we communicate and includes two aspects – 1)
color and layout and 2) design.
Colors are known for their symbolic meaning and have associations with different
feelings. For example, colors like black and grey are associated with death,
mourning and negative feeling. Yellow and green are associated with more
positive feeling. Of course, these can also vary across cultures. The point to
remember is that you can make the right impressions with use of the right colors.
Layout in a work environment refers to the size of an office, or the arrangement
of furniture. Design refers to the type of chairs, desks or carpeting. All these can
convey status, formality or informality.

Q 2. Lateral or horizontal communication is more important

today than vertical communication. Do you agree or disagree?
Justify your answer. (10 marks).
 P.T.
O

Ans.
A communication network refers to how information flows within the
organization. Information within an organization generally flows through a
system, rather than being a free flow. In the words of Adler,
“Communication networks are regular patterns of person-to-person
relationships through which information flows in an organization.”

This means that the flow of information is managed, regulated and

structured.

Communication networks may be formal or informal. We will deal with

each of these in some detail.

Formal Communication Network – A formal communication network is

one which is created by management and described with the help of
an organizational chart. An organizational chart specifies the hierarchy
and the reporting system in the organization. Therefore, in a formal
network, information is passed on only through official channels such as
memos, bulletins and intranet (email within the organization).

The organizational chart implies that information can flow in any of three
directions – vertically, i.e., upward or downward, and horizontally.

1. Upward Communication – This maybe defined as information

that flows from subordinates to superiors. Some of the reasons
for upward communication include discussing work related
problems, giving suggestions for improvement and sharing feelings
about the job and co-workers.

This type of communication has both benefits and disadvantages. One of

the biggest benefits is problem-solving. Once a subordinate has brought a
problem to his superior’s notice, chances are that the problem will not
recur, since the subordinate learns from his superior how to tackle it the
next time. Thus, his ability to solve new problems and therefore his
managerial ability, improves. Another benefit that could arise from upward
communication is that valuable ideas and suggestions may sometimes
come from lower level employees. Therefore organizations should
encourage this kind of communication. A third benefit is that employees
learn to accept the decisions of management and thereby work as a team.

The biggest problem associated with this type of communication is that it

may lead to “handing down” of decisions by superiors. When subordinates
frequently seek the superior’s guidance, the latter may adopt an
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authoritarian approach and merely give instructions, disregarding the
subordinate’s opinion completely.

2. Downward Communication – This may be defined as information

that flows from superior to subordinates. The most common
reasons for downward communication are for giving job instructions,
explaining company rules, policies and procedures and giving
feedback regarding job performance. A number of studies have
indicated that regular downward communication in the form of
feedback given to employees is the most important factor affecting
job satisfaction. Therefore organizations today are trying to
encourage more of this type of communication.

There are both benefits and disadvantages associated with this type of
communication. Downward communication that provides regular feedback
will be beneficial if the feedback or review of performance is constructive.
A constructive review is one where a manager “counsels” an employee, or
advises him on how to improve his performance. On the other hand, a
destructive review can destroy employee morale and confidence. Regular
downward communication also creates a climate of transparency or
openness, where information is passed on through official channels, rather
than through rumors.

Thirdly, downward communication boosts employee morale, since it

indicates that management is involved in their progress.

The problems with this type of communication are the danger of doing
destructive reviews, as mentioned, and that of “message overload.” This
means that superiors many sometimes burden their subordinates with too
many instructions, leading to confusion.

3. Horizontal Communication – This type of communication is also

known as “lateral” communication. It may be defined as
communication that takes place between co-workers in the
same department, or in different departments, with different
areas of responsibility. For example, Sales Managers and
Advertising Managers in the Marketing department, or Marketing
Managers and Finance Managers.

The reasons for this type of communication are for coordination of tasks,
sharing of information regarding goals of the organization, resolving
interpersonal or work related problems and building rapport.
The biggest potential benefit of horizontal communication is the sense of
teamwork that is created. Regular communication of this type ensures that
all co-workers work together towards achieving a common goal in the

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overall interest of the organization. The biggest potential problem is that
conflicts such as ego clashes are bound to arise, when co-workers at the
same level communicate on a regular basis.

In spite of these problems, horizontal or lateral communication has

become more important in today’s business scenario than upward or
downward communication. This is because the “organizational pyramid”
indicating the different hierarchies or levels in an organization has
flattened.

Q. 3. Imagine that you have to make an oral presentation of the

features of the EduNext portal to new students of the SMU MBA
program. Prepare an outline of the presentation and specify the
following – a) Purpose of the presentation b) Key idea c)
Audience analysis d) Delivery style. (10 Marks)

Ans.
(a) A “statement of purpose”, expressing what you want to achieve
through the presentation should be framed, so that it becomes easy to
measure whether the goal has been accomplished or not.

(b) Key idea of a presentation is a statement that expresses the main

message to be conveyed to your audience.

(c) Demographic Characteristics of the Audience – The gender, age,

cultural background and economic status of the audience also needs to be
studied in advance, so that the presentation may be tailored to appeal to
that particular audience.

(d) Delivery style: This is different from speaking impromptu. While

impromptu speeches are delivered on the spot and not rehearsed, an
extemporaneous speech is prepared and rehearsed in advance, but
delivered naturally, without the support of notes or other aids.

This is the least appealing style of delivery, since it comes across as

unnatural and monotonous to the audience.
This consists in reading the entire presentation from notes. It is a method
used by government or business officials and may be appropriate when
the material to be presented is highly technical or complex. However, it has
some limitations.
Q.4. Write a letter to your distributor, conveying the bad news of
one of your product lines being purchase out or discontinued,
offering some form of compensation in return. (10 Marks)
P.T.O
Ans.
March 28th,
2008
Mr. John Smith, Dean
XYZ School of Business
Cunningham Rd.,
Bangalore 560034

Dear Mr. Smith,

We make no money when our customers are forced to take long trips by
train, rather than by flying Kingfisher Airlines and when that happens, we
try to find out the reasons.

A review of the March 19th flight records of the cancelled Kingfisher Airlines
flight 1256 shows that it was scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. and was
cancelled at 5.30 am, because of foggy weather. Passengers were asked
to remain in the boarding area and those who did were rebooked on flight
1257, which departed an hour latter at 7 am. This flight arrived in
Bangalore just an hour later than the scheduled arrival of flight 1256.
Therefore, our ticket agent was correct in refusing to grant a refund on
tickets to you and other passengers who did not take the later flight.

You have mentioned in your claim letter that you are a frequent flyer of
Kingfisher Airlines. Although we cannot grant you a refund, I have asked
our Scheduling Department to add your name to our mailing list, for
receiving a free subscription to our in-flight magazine. A complimentary
copy of our current flight schedule is also enclosed. From now on, you will
know exactly when every Kingfisher Airlines flight arrives and departs from
Bangalore airport.

Sincerely,
Service Representative, Kingfisher Airlines
Enclosure 1

Q.5. As a sales manager, prepare a one page report in memo

format addresses to the VP Marketing, providing sales updates
for a newly launched FMGC product. (10 Marks)
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Ans.

TO : The VP Marketing
FROM : The Advertising Manager
DATE : March 11th, 2008
SUBJEC : Review of advertising campaign
T
An analysis of our latest sales reports has revealed that territory X, for
which I am responsible, is a highly profitable one. This territory has been
contributing to the bulk of our company’s sales over the last one year. The
annual advertising budget for our products being sold in territory X is
currently Rs.50 lakhs.

Although our advertising has been satisfactory, it needs to be reviewed for

the following reasons –
• More frequent advertising is needed to improve awareness levels of
our products, which are still new to the market.
• Advertising is an investment and needs to be sustained over a long
term, in order to build our brand.
• Building a positive brand image through advertising can help build
long term brand loyalty.
• Fast moving consumer goods such as ours require a higher
percentage of sales spent on advertising, during the introductory
stage.
• We need to spend an amount on advertising that is comparable to
our closest competitor in the region.

In view of the long-term benefits of advertising, I would like to recommend

doubling our advertising budget in territory X to Rs.1 crore a year. I
request you to consider my proposal and to grant approval.

Q 6. Case Study (10 Marks)

Problems with Email communication

StratAssemble, leading developer of web-based project and detail

management services that improve communication and increase
productivity, has released a white paper chronicling the growing problems
associated with email – “Can Your Business Survive Email?”
The paper recounts the history of email, its changing role in business, and
the emergence of new Web 2.0 collaboration tools, such as
StratAssemble’s PlanDone, that offer new and better ways for companies
to manage their workflow.
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Email usage drains workplace resources and hinders the timely completion
of projects of all types. Given today’s fast pace of business,
communication in real-time and keeping staff on the same page are crucial
to staying ahead. Yet delays caused by using email to coordinate
business-critical data between individuals, departments, and remote
locations actually slow productivity.

Top 10 critical email problems:

1. Lack of security.

2. Attachment problems

3. Reliability problems

4. Spam clutter

5. Document version confusion

6. Scattered data

7. unclear project direction

8. Project status confusion

9. Next step priority uncertainty

10. Lack of accountability

“Email has become a barrier to effective communication and productivity.

StratAssemble’s PlanDone encourages participation from everyone
involved with a project’s outcome and is available anytime and anywhere,”
said StratAssemble founder AJ Wacaser.” As email problems escalate, the
PlanDone solution will become the method of choice for managing day-to-
day operations of companies everywhere.”

Transferring project and task functions from email to PlanDone’s

interactive platform helps teams build on each other’s work. Ideas and
opinions are shared, documented, and refined in constructive ways. Two
powerful tools—priority ranking and deadline analysis—help staff focus
precisely on first things first each day, ensuring last-minute changes and
course correction don’t turn into unmanageable business fires. Unlike most
other software, PlanDone supports both individual styles and team
methods rather than forcing everyone to conform to one rigid system.

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StartAssemble’s motto is “Work smarter. Live happier!” We believe in team
creativity and sharing ideas, and are passionate about the collaborative
process. Our purpose to enable and inspired our customers to better
manage their knowledgebase and work forces by providing a simple, open
platform where staff member can assemble, participate and contribute—
revolutionizing corporate communications and strategic planning.

Questions

1. Evaluate email communication as a tool for internal communication,

based on the facts mentioned in the case.
2. How will you adapt email communication to overcome some
problems mentioned in this case?

A.6.1. “Email has become a barrier to effective communication and

productivity. StratAssemble’s PlanDone encourages participation from
everyone involved with a project’s outcome and is available anytime and
anywhere,” said StratAssemble founder AJ Wacaser.” As email problems
escalate, the PlanDone solution will become the method of choice for
managing day-to-day operations of companies everywhere.”

Transferring project and task functions from email to PlanDone’s

interactive platform helps teams build on each other’s work. Ideas and
opinions are shared, documented, and refined in constructive ways. Two
powerful tools—priority ranking and deadline analysis—help staff focus
precisely on first things first each day, ensuring last-minute changes and
course correction don’t turn into unmanageable business fires. Unlike most
other software, PlanDone supports both individual styles and team
methods rather than forcing everyone to conform to one rigid system.

StartAssemble’s motto is “Work smarter. Live happier!” We believe in team

creativity and sharing ideas, and are passionate about the collaborative
process. Our purpose to enable and inspired our customers to better
manage their knowledgebase and work forces by providing a simple, open
platform where staff member can assemble, participate and contribute—
revolutionizing corporate communications and strategic planning.

A.6.2. StratAssemble, leading developer of web-based project and detail

management services that improve communication and increase
productivity, has released a white paper chronicling the growing problems
associated with email – “Can Your Business Survive Email?”

P.T.O
The paper recounts the history of email, its changing role in business, and
the emergence of new Web 2.0 collaboration tools, such as
StratAssemble’s PlanDone, that offer new and better ways for companies
to manage their workflow.

Email usage drains workplace resources and hinders the timely completion
of projects of all types. Given today’s fast pace of business,
communication in real-time and keeping staff on the same page are crucial
to staying ahead. Yet delays caused by using email to coordinate
business-critical data between individuals, departments, and remote
locations actually slow productivity.

Top 10 critical email problems:

1. Lack of security.

2. Attachment problems

3. Reliability problems

4. Spam clutter

5. Document version confusion

6. Scattered data

7. unclear project direction

8. Project status confusion

9. Next step priority uncertainty

10. Lack of accountability