Schulich MBA Strategy Study (Capstone Consulting Project)
Timeline
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September 12, 2022Experience start
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October 15, 2022Phase 1: Preliminary Assessment and Research Plan
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December 1, 2022Phase 2: Research and Analysis
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February 18, 2023Phase 3: Strategic Direction
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March 25, 2023Phase 4: Final Presentation to Faculty Panel
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April 1, 2023Experience end
Timeline
-
September 12, 2022Experience start
-
October 15, 2022Phase 1: Preliminary Assessment and Research Plan
Preliminary assessment that describes the internal and external environments of the business, presents a preliminary assessment of key issues. Development of a detailed research/project plan
-
December 1, 2022Phase 2: Research and Analysis
Comprehensive analysis of the company and its external environment with conclusions about possible opportunities, threats, and future prospects. Preliminary strategic alternatives are outlined and discussed.
-
February 18, 2023Phase 3: Strategic Direction
Draft report with finalized key issues and their rationale. Alternatives are evaluated and recommendations developed.
-
March 25, 2023Phase 4: Final Presentation to Faculty Panel
Final report and presentation with highlights of the strategic assessment and detailed description of key strategic issues, recommendations, and implementation plan, including solid rationales.
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April 1, 2023Experience end
Experience scope
Categories
Accounting Market research Operations Competitive analysis Market expansionSkills
competitive analysis business consulting strategic analysis financial analysis market researchSchulich MBA student-consultants will undertake a comprehensive strategic study of your organization and its external environment to identify key strategic issues and develop actionable recommendations - including an implementation plan - to help your organization achieve its goals.
Feedback from past clients indicates that they most appreciate the in-depth analysis and objective assessment of their operations and the new insights and perspectives introduced by the students.
Learners
Final deliverables include:
- A 40-page business-style report summarizing the assessment and presenting strategy and action recommendations backed up by specific research appendices with summaries of the purpose, the methodology, and the major findings of the research.
- A 20-minute presentation summarizing the research findings and arguing the value of the recommended strategy and action plans.
Project timeline
-
September 12, 2022Experience start
-
October 15, 2022Phase 1: Preliminary Assessment and Research Plan
-
December 1, 2022Phase 2: Research and Analysis
-
February 18, 2023Phase 3: Strategic Direction
-
March 25, 2023Phase 4: Final Presentation to Faculty Panel
-
April 1, 2023Experience end
Timeline
-
September 12, 2022Experience start
-
October 15, 2022Phase 1: Preliminary Assessment and Research Plan
Preliminary assessment that describes the internal and external environments of the business, presents a preliminary assessment of key issues. Development of a detailed research/project plan
-
December 1, 2022Phase 2: Research and Analysis
Comprehensive analysis of the company and its external environment with conclusions about possible opportunities, threats, and future prospects. Preliminary strategic alternatives are outlined and discussed.
-
February 18, 2023Phase 3: Strategic Direction
Draft report with finalized key issues and their rationale. Alternatives are evaluated and recommendations developed.
-
March 25, 2023Phase 4: Final Presentation to Faculty Panel
Final report and presentation with highlights of the strategic assessment and detailed description of key strategic issues, recommendations, and implementation plan, including solid rationales.
-
April 1, 2023Experience end
Project Examples
Requirements
Beginning in September 2022, a team of six MBA students will spend up to a combined 1,500 total hours completing a comprehensive study of your company and all of its business functions. Based on their in-depth research and analysis, the student-consultants will identify future prospects for the organization and recommend specific strategic actions, including a detailed implementation plan and an outline of the financial implications.
Area of Focus:
Instead of focusing on one area of your business, the team will perform a comprehensive analysis of your organization, including internal (e.g., financial health; customer base; strategic capabilities; human capital) and external (e.g., competitors; industry and market trends; customer behaviour; technological developments) factors. This will lead to insights and recommendations that address the needs of your organization, holistically. However, organizations are encouraged to provide a goal or suggested area of focus to guide the students' direction.
Areas that students may focus on include, but are not limited to:
- New market entry
- New product offerings
- Sale of the company
- Streamlining operations or channels
- Changing organizational structure
Typically, a successful application to this course would submit an open-ended project idea with a high-level goal relating to the potential student areas of focus or course learning outcomes. These capstone student-consultants will work with you to decide on the best direction to take the project.
To be eligible for this study, your organization should have annual revenues of $5M+ ($1.5M for non-profit organizations). Entrepreneurial companies with a fully developed product/service, some sustained revenue, and a proven track record (i.e., scale-up rather than start-up) may also apply. Please include annual revenue, number of employees number, and the business ownership structure in your application to determine eligibility.
Your project proposal should answer the following questions:
What problem/opportunity would you like students to address through this project? What are the benefits of this project to your organization/customers? What information and/or data set(s), if applicable, will you providing to student teams? Please describe the format. If students will be using publicly available data, can you please provide a link to a representative data set?
Before applying, we recommend that you create your project scope with this template: Field Study Consulting Project Template.
Additional company criteria
Companies must answer the following questions to submit a match request to this experience:
We will provide students access to required internal financials (at a minimum, balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements for the past 3 years) and other information as required to complete the project. An NDA will be provided by the Schulich School of Business.
What's your annual revenue? (Eligibility criteria: $5M+ in annual revenue ($1.5M for non-profit organizations). Entrepreneurial companies with a fully developed product/service, sustained revenue (at least ~$1M), and a proven track record (i.e., scale-up rather than start-up) may also apply. PLEASE DO NOT APPLY IF YOU DON'T MATCH THIS CRITERION.
We will dedicate a contact/liaison who will respond to information requests and scheduling over the duration of the project.
I and/or members of the executive team will attend the final presentation in person or virtually.
Members of the management team will be available for a minimum of 10 to 12 hours over the course of the project (7 months) for interviews and meetings (virtual or in-person).
Timeline
-
September 12, 2022Experience start
-
October 15, 2022Phase 1: Preliminary Assessment and Research Plan
-
December 1, 2022Phase 2: Research and Analysis
-
February 18, 2023Phase 3: Strategic Direction
-
March 25, 2023Phase 4: Final Presentation to Faculty Panel
-
April 1, 2023Experience end
Timeline
-
September 12, 2022Experience start
-
October 15, 2022Phase 1: Preliminary Assessment and Research Plan
Preliminary assessment that describes the internal and external environments of the business, presents a preliminary assessment of key issues. Development of a detailed research/project plan
-
December 1, 2022Phase 2: Research and Analysis
Comprehensive analysis of the company and its external environment with conclusions about possible opportunities, threats, and future prospects. Preliminary strategic alternatives are outlined and discussed.
-
February 18, 2023Phase 3: Strategic Direction
Draft report with finalized key issues and their rationale. Alternatives are evaluated and recommendations developed.
-
March 25, 2023Phase 4: Final Presentation to Faculty Panel
Final report and presentation with highlights of the strategic assessment and detailed description of key strategic issues, recommendations, and implementation plan, including solid rationales.
-
April 1, 2023Experience end