Impacts of modern technology on organisations Exam Questions

Award one mark for each correct thing, up to a maximum of two marks from:

• Poor coverage/no signal in remote or rural areas
• Hills/valleys or tall buildings blocking the signal
• Bad weather/extreme weather
• Network congestion at busy times/too many users
• Faulty or damaged transmitter/mast
• Power cut affecting the network/mast
• Being indoors/underground/in a basement
• Maintenance or upgrade work on the network

Do not accept: a flat battery, a lost or broken phone, no credit on the phone - these are device problems, not the network being unavailable

Accept any other appropriate response.

Award one mark for each correct activity, up to a maximum of two marks from:

• Video conferencing/video calls
• Streaming video
• Uploading/downloading large files (e.g. coursework, videos)
• Many users/devices connected to the network at the same time
• Backing up data to the cloud
• Downloading software updates

Allow each activity only once, e.g. 'watching videos' and 'streaming video' are the same activity

Do not accept: effects of high demand such as a slow connection or buffering, or buying/issuing devices to students, as these do not put demand on the network

Accept any other appropriate response.

Award one mark for each correct factor, up to a maximum of two marks from:

• Power cut/power failure
• Internet/network connection failure/loss of connection/ISP outage
• Server/hardware failure/breakdown
• Cyber attack/denial of service (DoS)
• Planned maintenance/downtime
• Software fault/crash
• Natural disaster/flood/fire
• Poor mobile signal/coverage for drivers using the app

Do not accept: busy periods/many customers booking at once, as this is demand on the infrastructure, not whether it is available

Accept any other appropriate response.

Award one mark for a correct reason and one mark for a justification of that reason, up to a maximum of two marks.

• Many parents log on to the platform at the same time (1) which puts a high demand on the server(s) so the platform cannot respond quickly (1)
• Staff upload large photo/video files (1) which use a lot of bandwidth and take time to send over the connection (1)
• The nursery's internet connection has a low upload speed/bandwidth (1) so pages or photos take a long time to load (1)
• The nursery's internet connection is shared with other devices/activities (1) so there is less bandwidth left for the platform (1)

A clear statement that many parents use the platform at the same time is enough for the first mark, e.g. 'too many people use it at once' (1)

Do not accept: 'it is slow'/'the internet is slow' on its own

Allow mix and match if it makes sense

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing.

Award one mark for a correct problem and one mark for a justification of that problem, up to a maximum of two marks.

• Staff cannot access/check the stock records (1) as the records are on a web-based platform that needs an internet connection (1)
• Orders cannot be processed (1) so the company may lose sales/customers (1)
• Staff cannot contact suppliers/customers by email or online messaging (1) which can delay deliveries/orders (1)
• Staff cannot update the stock records (1) so the figures become out of date/inaccurate (1)
• Work in progress may not be saved (1) so staff have to repeat it when the connection returns (1)
• Staff cannot check what ingredients are in stock (1) so they may order ingredients they already have/run out of ingredients (1)

Allow: online ordering/sales systems for the 'orders cannot be processed' point.

Do not accept: 'they cannot use the internet' on its own, or claims that all data is lost/deleted when the connection drops.

Allow mix and match if it makes sense

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing.

Award one mark for a correct benefit and one mark for a justification of that benefit, up to a maximum of two marks.

• If one copy is damaged/lost, another copy still exists (1) so the company can restore the records and keep its practices running (1)
• If one server is infected with malware/ransomware, the other copies are not affected (1) so the company can restore clean records and appointments are not lost (1)
• Records are still available if one practice has a power cut/connection failure (1) so staff at the other practices can carry on treating patients (1)
• If a member of staff accidentally deletes records, another copy can be used (1) so the company can recover the data without re-entering it (1)

Do not accept: claims that keeping copies makes the data harder to hack, as each practice holds a full copy.

Allow mix and match if it makes sense

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing.

Award one mark for a correct impact, one mark for a justification for that impact and one mark for an expansion of the justification, up to a maximum of three marks.

• Customer orders cannot be recorded (1) because the web-based software needs an internet connection to work (1) so orders/stock levels are not updated until the connection returns (1)
• Orders are delayed (1) as staff cannot see new orders (1) which means customers wait longer for their cider to be delivered (1)
• Sales are lost (1) because customers cannot place orders (1) so the company does not earn money from them (1)
• Work takes longer (1) as staff must write (paper) orders (1) which then have to be typed into the system later (1)
• Stock records are not up to date/current (1) because they cannot be updated during the outage (1) so staff may not know what stock is available (1)

Allow mix and match if the whole response makes sense

Do not accept: any reference to security issues/viruses

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing

Award one mark for a correct benefit, one mark for a justification for that benefit and one mark for an expansion of the justification, up to a maximum of three marks.

• Staff can work together more easily (1) because the translation means they can understand each other (1) so tasks are finished more quickly (1)
• Staff can share ideas and skills (1) as language is no longer a barrier (1) which gives the company new ideas to improve its service (1)
• Staff feel included/valued (1) because they can take part like everyone else (1) so they are more likely to stay with the company (1)
• Managers can pass on instructions to all staff (1) in each member of staff's own language (1) which reduces the number of mistakes made (1)
• The company can recruit staff from more countries (1) as the workspace removes the language barrier (1) giving it a wider pool of skills/talent (1)

Do not allow mix and match

Do not accept benefits to staff only (e.g. it is easier for them to understand each other); the workspace being online on its own

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing

Award one mark for a correct way, one mark for a justification for that way and one mark for an expansion of the justification, up to a maximum of three marks.

• Provide screen reading software (1) for staff with a visual impairment (1) so they can hear the text that is on their screen (1)
• Use voice recognition software (1) so staff who find typing difficult can enter call notes by speaking (1) which means they can do the same job as everyone else (1)
• Turn on captions in video meetings (1) for staff who are deaf or hard of hearing (1) so they can follow the discussion and take part (1)
• Provide specialist keyboards/braille keyboards (1) for staff with additional needs (1) so they can input customer details (1)
• Give staff remote access to the systems (1) so staff with health conditions can work from home on days they cannot travel (1) which means they do not have to take time off (1)

Allow mix and match if the whole response makes sense

Do not accept measures that are not technology based, such as extra breaks or involving staff in decisions

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing

A description of how the charity could make its digital systems more inclusive for staff. To include three from

• Provide screen readers/text-to-speech software
• Use captions/subtitles on video calls
• Allow text to be resized/zoomed/high contrast
• Use instant messaging/email as an alternative to phone calls
• Use shared cloud documents so staff can work at different times/from home around health needs
• Provide translated/plain-language documents for staff from different cultural backgrounds

Do not accept physical workplace changes such as ramps or wheelchair access (these are not digital systems).

Accept any other appropriate response.

A description of an effect of remote working on the company. To include three from

• Cost savings for the company as there is no office rent/utility bills to pay
• Can employ translators from a wider area/more skilled staff
• Reliance on a reliable internet connection, so outages can stop work
• Staff can feel isolated/less teamwork, which can reduce collaboration
• Company data may be less secure when accessed from home

Allow: positive or negative effects.

Do not accept benefits to staff.

Accept any other appropriate response.

Award one mark for each correct drawback and one mark for a justification of each drawback, up to a maximum of four marks.

• Increased risk of hacking (1) as the system is never taken offline, so attackers have more opportunity to steal customers' payment details (1)
• Out-of-hours support is needed (1) as staff must be paid to fix faults during the night and at weekends (1)
• Greater demand is placed on the infrastructure (1) as the servers must cope with traffic at all hours of the day and night (1)
• Higher running costs (1) as the servers and systems use electricity and hosting all the time (1)
• Staff may have to work unsociable shifts (1) which can reduce their morale/work-life balance (1)
• Fewer staff are on duty at night (1) so a fault may take longer to fix and sales are lost (1)
• Holidays and prices must be kept up to date at all times (1) as customers may book something that is no longer available (1)

Do not accept: benefits for customers (e.g. customers can book a holiday at any time of day).

Allow mix and match if the response makes sense.

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing.

Award one mark for each correct benefit and one mark for a justification of that benefit, up to a maximum of four marks.

• It meets legal accessibility requirements (1) so the council avoids fines/legal action (1)
• The council reaches more residents (1) as people with a visual impairment can use screen readers on the website (1)
• Residents can find information without help (1) so fewer staff are needed to answer phone calls (1)
• A better reputation (1) as residents see the council as fair and inclusive (1)
• More residents can take part in consultations (1) as information can be provided in different formats, such as easy-read/large print (1)
• Fewer complaints (1) which saves staff time dealing with them (1)

Allow mix and match if the response makes sense

Do not credit 'reaching more residents' and 'more residents take part in consultations' as two separate benefits if both are justified by people being able to access the website

Do not accept: physical changes to the council building (e.g. ramps/wheelchair access); benefits to residents only (e.g. it is easier for residents to use the website)

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing.

Responses will be credited according to the learner's demonstration of knowledge and understanding of the material, using the indicative content and level descriptors below.

The indicative content that follows is not prescriptive. Responses may cover some or all indicative content, but learners should be rewarded for other responses.

Discussion may consider

Company impacts

• Cost savings – no need to rent, heat and maintain a large office, so the company's running costs fall
• Wider pool of talent – translators can be recruited from anywhere, so the company can fill vacancies more easily and find translators with the legal and medical knowledge clients need
• 24/7 service – translators working in different time zones can pick up urgent documents overnight, so work is completed sooner
• Demand on infrastructure – every member of staff needs a laptop, reliable internet access and cloud-based translation software, which the company must provide and support
• Security of distributed data – confidential legal and medical documents are stored on home devices and networks, so the company needs encryption and secure remote access to reduce the risk of a breach

Staff impacts

• No commute – staff save time and money on travel and can fit work around childcare or health needs, improving their work-life balance
• Isolation and wellbeing – staff have less contact with colleagues, so the company may need to provide wellbeing support and regular online meetings to keep morale up
• Harder collaboration – translators may find it harder to share ideas or ask for help with a difficult document, so chat and video tools are needed

Accept any other relevant response

Levels

• Level 0 (0 marks): No rewardable content
• Level 1 (1–2 marks): Demonstrates isolated elements of knowledge and understanding; there will be major gaps or omissions; Few of the points made will be relevant to the context in the question; Limited discussion which contains generic assertions rather than considering different aspects and the relationship between them
• Level 2 (3–4 marks): Demonstrates some accurate knowledge and understanding; with only minor gaps or omissions; Some of the points made will be relevant to the context in the question, but the link will not always be clear; Displays a partially developed discussion which considers some different aspects and some consideration of how they interrelate, but not always in a sustained way
• Level 3 (5–6 marks): Demonstrates mostly accurate and thorough/detailed knowledge and understanding; Most of the points made will be relevant to the context in the question, and there will be clear links; Displays a well-developed and logical discussion which clearly considers a range of different aspects and considers how they interrelate, in a sustained way

Responses will be credited according to the learner's demonstration of knowledge and understanding of the material, using the indicative content and level descriptors below.

The indicative content that follows is not prescriptive. Responses may cover some or all indicative content, but learners should be rewarded for other responses.

Evaluation may consider

Benefits

• Cost savings – less office space needed in its three cities and lower utility bills
• Wider pool of talent – architects can be recruited from anywhere in the UK
• Collaboration – web-based platforms let staff in different offices work on the same drawing at once
• Inclusivity – staff with caring responsibilities, health conditions or additional needs can work from home, helping the firm meet its legal obligations
• Travel time saved – staff do not lose working time travelling to an office

Drawbacks

• Availability of infrastructure – some staff lack a suitable home workspace, fast broadband or a reliable device
• Security of distributed data – designs and client details on home devices could be lost, stolen or seen by others
• Demand on the firm's network – if all staff connect at once it may run slowly and large design files take longer to open
• Reduced collaboration – staff miss informal conversations, so junior architects get less support

Accept any other appropriate wording/phrasing

Levels

• Level 0 (0 marks): No rewardable material
• Level 1 (1–2 marks): Demonstrates isolated elements of knowledge and understanding; there will be major gaps or omissions; Few of the points made will be relevant to the context in the question; Limited evaluation which contains generic assertions leading to a conclusion which is partially supported
• Level 2 (3–4 marks): Demonstrates some accurate knowledge and understanding; with only minor gaps or omissions; Some of the points made will be relevant to the context in the question, but the link will not always be clear; Displays a partially developed evaluation which considers some different competing points, although not always in detail, leading to a conclusion which is partially supported
• Level 3 (5–6 marks): Demonstrates mostly accurate and thorough/detailed knowledge and understanding; Most of the points made will be relevant to the context in the question, and there will be clear links; Displays a well-developed and logical evaluation which clearly considers a range of different aspects and competing points, leading to a conclusion that is fully supported