Business and Project Skills — Apprenticeship Support

• A dependency means one task needs something from another before it can proceed. Write the dependency explicitly rather than assuming every task can run in parallel.
• A useful task description states the output, owner and deadline. A measurable outcome makes it possible to check whether the task is complete.
• An estimate is a planning assumption, not a guarantee. Allow for uncertainty and update the plan when a dependency or available resource changes.

Watch for: Starting a dependent task before its prerequisite is finished. Treating a vague activity such as improve service as a measurable output.

• In a simple cost model, fixed costs stay the same within the stated activity range and variable costs change with quantity. Total cost = fixed cost + quantity × variable cost per unit.
• Closing cash = opening cash + cash received − cash paid. Use the dates when money actually moves, not just the dates when an order or invoice is issued.
• Revenue, profit and cash are different measures. An unpaid invoice may be recorded as a sale under a stated accounting approach, but it is not cash received yet.

Watch for: Multiplying the fixed cost by the number of units. Counting an unpaid invoice as money already available.

• A useful clarification question asks for the specific missing fact needed to act. It is more helpful than guessing what the customer meant.
• Separate confirmed information from estimates. If a delivery time is not confirmed, explain the next check and a realistic update time instead of making an unsupported promise.
• A handover should say what happened, what is outstanding, who owns the next action and when it is due. Share only information required by the task and the team's rules.

Watch for: Promising a result before checking whether it is possible. Handing over a problem without an owner or next action.

• A baseline describes performance before a change. Compare it with the same measure after the change using a consistent definition and a comparable period.
• Use a rate when the amount of work changes: errors per 100 orders is more comparable than total errors alone. Consider sample size and the kinds of work in each period.
• A small trial can suggest a useful next step without proving causation. Record other changes, collect more comparable evidence and check for unintended effects.

Watch for: Calling a lower error count an improvement when far fewer orders were completed. Claiming a single short trial proves that a change caused the result.