MGMT4140 Course SyllabusFall 2012

Course Instructor: Jim Marlatt - For this course I will act like an executive providing you with expectations and resources you must use to organize and complete your work.

Office: S450G

Class: Koelbel 330 Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:45

Cell Phone: 720-933-5541 (Don’t be afraid to call with questions 7 days a week anytime between 9 am and 7 pm)

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays from 2 pm to 3 pm and 6:15 pm to 7 pm or by appointment

Course SummaryThis project management course integrates many concepts and theories from your undergraduate course work into an applied project experience with a real company. Students are given a problem and then plan, execute and deliver a solution. This course requires extensive use of problem solving, research and communications.

Learning ObjectivesUpon completion of this course, students will demonstrate how to:

Identify the root cause(s) of a problem that, when solved, improves the organization’s performance,

Ask the right questions to discover accurate and useful information,

Define measurable project objectives, Identify and negotiate project scope that can be

accomplished during a semester-long project, Conduct company and industry research to help identify

and support your recommendations, Organize and manage your team, Identify and manage project milestones, Write professional-quality deliverables, Use graphs and tables to present information, Make effective presentations to groups, Provide constructive feedback. Incorporate feedback into project deliverables

Class AuthorityJim

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Determines the grade you earned in the class, Calls on you for input during class and provides

feedback (in addition to your grades) on your work, Provides a different project grade for an individual

student than their team receives if appropriate.Students

Determine how to communicate with your team, client and Hitachi mentor,

Provide constructive and timely feedback to Jim, team members, Hitachi mentor and your client,

Fire a teammate who is not contributing as agreed, Determine how to allocate work within your team, Perform the work as agreed.

Assignments Are Due at the Beginning of Class – No late assignments will be accepted First Deliverable (Wednesday, October 3rd) 25% Interim Peer Evaluation (Wednesday, October 17th) 15% Final Deliverable,(In my office no later than Wednesday,

December 19th at 5 pm) 40% Final Presentations at Your Client (TBD) 20%

First Deliverable (25%) Cover Page (with contact info for team members, client

and Hitachi mentor - name, e-mail, cell phone #), Table of Contents (note changes to the class outline

based on client standards and procedures), Executive Summary, Industry/Company Background and KPIs, Project Purpose Breakdown, Project Charter, Breaking Assumptions, Roles and Responsibilities, Communications Plan, Work Breakdown Structure, Project Schedule and Key Milestones, Risk Management Plan, Supporting Research, Final Deliverable Outline.

Final Deliverable (40%) and Final Presentation (20%) Cover Page (with contact info for team members and

client - name, e-mail, cell phone #), Table of Contents, Executive Summary, Final Deliverable Based on Final Deliverable Outline,

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Final Presentation, Meeting Notes, Status Reports, Graded First Deliverable and Summary of Changes Made to

the Project Plan Since the First Deliverable, Hard and Soft Copies (in SharePoint) of all Deliverable

and Presentation Files.  All of this should be bound in a three ring binder or spiral bound notebook

Class Schedule and Reading Assignments - All assignments are to be completed prior to the week assigned (except for week 1).

Week One Review the course syllabus and class expectations, Read Managing Client Projects – Chapters 1 to 3, Sign and return the business meeting code of conduct, Review and discuss reading assignments, Review current project opportunities to determine

student interest,

Week Two Prepare for the project fair by reviewing project

charters and identifying questions to ask company representatives,

Review and discuss the Peer Evaluation,

Week Three ***Project Fair – Monday, September 10th, 3:30 to 4:30

in the Koelbel Atrium. You will choose your client and commit to their project at some point during the fair***

Read Managing Client Projects – Chapters 4 to 6, Explain how your client makes money (and loses money),

including how your project can help them achieve their business objectives,

Obtain any client templates/procedures for project management and project deliverables,

Review and update your project purpose and project charter, identify and break assumptions,

Identify any changes to the class deliverable outlines based on client standards and procedures,

Determine weekly meeting schedules with your team, client and Hitachi mentor,

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Learn about SharePoint and how your team will use it for project communications.

Week Four Read Managing Client Projects– Chapter 7a, 7b, and 7d, Develop a work breakdown structure, Develop project team roles and responsibilities, Develop a project schedule, Research and be prepared to discuss at least 5 examples

of other organizations that dealt with a similar problem as your client.

Week Five Read Managing Client Projects – Chapter 7e and 7f, Develop a communications plan, Develop a risk management plan

Week Six First deliverable due on Wednesday. Provide a hard and

soft copy to Jim and to your client. Provide a soft copy to your Hitachi mentor.

Week Seven Read Managing Client Projects – Chapters 7c and 8, Develop a cost estimate (Get and use your client’s cost

estimate template) Develop project meeting notes, Develop a status report, Develop a change management procedure and get client

sign-off, Develop a quality assurance plan.

Week Eight First deliverable returned with feedback, Update your first deliverable, Interim Peer Evaluation due in class on Wednesday.

Week Nine Business writing skills.

Week Ten Read chapters 1 to 11 of The Seven Slide Solution, Develop your story, Presentation skills, Pepsi Final Presentation Example Bountiful Conservation Presentation

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Week Eleven Project work

Week Twelve Read chapters 12 to 26 of The Seven Slide Solution, Continue developing your story, Presentation skills, cont. 7 Slide Solution Deck

Week Thirteen Fall break, have fun and be safe.

Week Fourteen Project work.

Week Fifteen Lessons Learned

Week Sixteen Course wrap-up.

Final Exam Week – Presentations at Your Client’s Offices (TBD) Final client presentations and final deliverables due.

Reading Materials:1. THE SEVEN SLIDE SOLUTION , Kelly, Paul, Silvermine

Press, 2005 – ISBN: 1-4196-2003-72. Managing Client Projects 3. Group Projects Student Guide 4. Written Project Grading Criteria 5. Presentation Evaluation Form 6. Peer Evaluation 7. Hitachi Mentoring Background Information 8. Business Writing Deck 9. Work Breakdown Structure Training

Student Access to Qualtrics (on-line survey tool)

The following are instructions for students to sign up for their own Qualtrics accounts:

1. Go to http://www.qualtrics.com2. Click the ‘Free Account’ button on the right side of

the middle section of the page.3. Enter your email address (this MUST be your

@colorado.edu email address).  Create a password. Click ‘Get Started’.

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4. You can enter your first name, last name and phone number, but these fields are optional.  Then, select ‘Finish’.

5. Where it says ‘I Have An Access Code’, enter: LeedsFall12.  Click ‘Go’.

6. You will receive an email to verify your email address.  Click on the link in the email and you should be able to log into Qualtrics.

Please note that student accounts will EXPIRE at the end of the semester.

In order to have a chance to get a B or higher in this course, you must do the following (this is the minimum standard):Complete all work assigned to you by the team no later than its due date. Your team will establish a schedule early in the semester and will manage this through the performance review process.

Do not miss, be late to or leave class or your group project meetings early more than four times during the semester.

Provide a hard copy of all project files to your client and professor for each of the two deliverables on the same day they are due in class.

Maintain your SharePoint site where all files are stored and updated on a weekly basis during the semester that your client, mentor and all team members can access.

Document sources of information in your deliverables such that they would be easy to find for a reader without assistance from the team.

Meet with your client at least once every other week.

Make any information requests of your client and other stakeholders at least three business days in advance.

Respond to your client, mentor, professor or peer requests within three business days.

Agree on project deliverables, milestones and roles & responsibilities of your team and your client no later than the end of the sixth week of the semester. This will be documented in your first deliverable.

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Provide dates and locations to your client for all meetings, mentoring session and draft/final project presentations at the beginning of the semester. Also provide them with reminders three days in advance and agendas for each meeting.

Complete all work assigned to you such that your teammates, client and/or instructor do not have to do much (this means only a few minor changes) rework to make sure it is presentable as of its due date (spelling, grammar, ease of understanding, logical, consistent with project objectives and scope, consistent across all sections, well supported, complete, etc.). It is recommended that you provide drafts to people on the team, your mentor and/or others in advance of the due date for feedback so your work is accurate and complete.

Break the project into smaller, more manageable pieces with interim milestones.

Develop a project risk assessment in enough detail that team progress isn’t adversely affected by some unidentified risk during the semester.

Adhere to documentation standards set by the project team, client and professor.

Communicate any project issues within 24 hours to your teammates, your Hitachi mentor, your professor and your client as appropriate.

Identify and document ten sources of relevant/credible information (research, people, etc.) that the team uses to complete the project. These must be included and referenced in your deliverables.

Provide and document credible support for recommendations made during the project.

Identify additional work that needs to be done to achieve the project objectives early enough to allow for this work to be completed.

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Take on additional work as the need arises without waiting for your team member(s) to delegate work to you. Make sure you communicate what you are doing in advance if this is different than your roles and responsibilities on the project (likely would be if you are taking on additional work) so you don’t duplicate someone else’s work.

Work with team/client to make sure that project activities are fairly distributed.

Obtain the authority/information you need from your client to keep the project moving forward.

At least one recommendation must be used by the client in their business during the semester and this must be documented in your deliverable.

Actively participate in implementing your recommendations at the client.

Proactively identify areas that the team can improve throughout the semester and help implement these changes.

Manage changes to scope during the project by identifying if the new work is required based on the agreed project objectives.

Get/keep client’s interest such that they are responding to your requests within three business days.

Manage changes to project objectives. It is understandable that these might change early in the semester as you are becoming familiar with the client and project. These changes must be minimized/non-existent after the mid-way point of the semester. All changes must be justified and documented using an agreed upon change management process.

Get agreement from the client that the work performed by your team was as good as or better than expected and that they will be willing to work with future teams of students from Leeds.

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CU POLICIES AND RULES OF CONDUCTIf you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs can be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, Center for Community N200, and http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices.

If you have a temporary medical condition or injury, see guidelines at http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices/go.cgi?select=temporary.html

Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to deal reasonably and fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. In this class, you must make me aware of the dates you will miss class due to religious observation no later than the end of the first week of class. At this time, we will determine how to handle any missed assignments or exams. See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, color, culture, religion, creed, politics, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, disability, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See policies athttp://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and athttp://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code

The University of Colorado at Boulder Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures, the University of Colorado Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures, and the University of Colorado Conflict of Interest in Cases of Amorous Relationships policy apply to all students, staff, and faculty. Any student, staff, or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of sexual harassment or discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) at 303-

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492-5550. Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies, and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh

All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-735-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/

Maximum Section GPA Policy. The faculty of the Leeds School has recently mandated the following maximum grade point average (GPA) for each Leeds course section taught, where A=4.0, A- =3.7, B+=3.3, B=3.0, B- =2.7, C+=2.4, C=2.0, C- =1.7, D+=1.3, D=1.0, D- =0.7, F=0.0.

Course LevelMaximum Section

GPA

4000 3.215% of class at least a C+ or below

No more than 35% of class A- or above

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BUSINESS MEETING CODE OF CONDUCT(Source Professor Robert Donchez with changes made by Jim Marlatt)

1. You will be in class and to project meetings (these are

known as business meetings) on time, as scheduled and

prepared to participate. Prepared means you have done the

readings, identified other relevant information on your own,

prepared your assigned work and identified and completed

other work that will help the team do a great job during

business meetings.

2. You will complete and submit your assignments on time.

4. Working on anything that is not related to the topic(s)

being discussed during business meetings is unprofessional

and will not be tolerated.

5. Turn off your cell phone and any other distractions

during business meetings.

6. No sleeping will be tolerated during business meetings.

7. You are allowed four absences/early departures/late

arrivals (in total) during the semester from business

meetings.

8. Inappropriate use of other’s work is an honor code

violation and will result in disciplinary action.

9. Refer to people (instructor, peers, clients) using

their proper names. For example you can refer to me as Jim,

Professor Marlatt, or Mr. Marlatt; you choose the one you

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are most comfortable using. It is not acceptable to refer

to me as Marlatt, etc. Ask your teammates, client and

Hitachi Mentor how they would like to be addressed and refer

to them in this way.

10. I am happy to meet with you outside of office hours.

If you make an appointment with me and are late or miss it,

I will not schedule future appointments with you. You will

have to meet with me during office hours after that.

E-MAIL - TELEPHONE CONDUCT1. I check e-mail regularly and also answer my cell phone

7 days a week. I respond to e-mails within 72 hours. If

you haven’t heard from me by then, don’t hesitate to follow-

up with me. I respond to voicemails within 24 hours. If

your question is urgent, it is better to call me on my cell

phone (720-933-5541).

2. E-mail Requirements:

a. Subject line

b. Opening / salutation

c. Request for action: specifics

d. Contact info including phone & course

e. Closing

3. Voicemail Requirements:

a. Your name and course

b. Day/time called

c. Request for action: specifics

d. Contact info including phone # and times to call

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Signature Page

Please complete and return to Jim Marlatt no later than the

second class period of the semester.

Students are to adhere to the honor code throughout the

semester. The code states: "On my honor, as a University of

Colorado student, I have neither given nor received

unauthorized assistance on this work."

I have read, heard, and understand the course syllabus and

business meeting code of conduct. I understand that the

syllabus and business meeting code of conduct is an

agreement made between Professor Marlatt and me (a student

in his class). Not adhering to this agreement will

negatively impact my grade. Professor Marlatt will make

this determination at the end of the semester when

calculating final course grades.

Name (printed):_________________________

Signature:______________________________

Student ID:_____________________________

Course:__________

Date:____________

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Class Projects:

RAS Associates University CSU vs CU 08-31-12

CU Book StoreContact Name:Allison HartelEmail:Hartel@colorado.eduTelephone Number: 303-492-3427Website:www.cubookstore.comPlease tell us about your project:

Social media is still a fairly new marketing tool and is constantly evolving. The store as well as other retailers struggle with exactly how they should use social media and to find the right mix of promotion for sales purposes and general/customer fan engagement for the brand.

The CU Book store is interested in having the student project group evaluate our social media presence and activities. The project group would evaluate both what the store does as well as best practices of other facebook business users. Survey existing social media followers and non-followers to determine their wants for our social media presence. Formulate and make recommendations for activities, posts, etc for the store’s social media presence going forward to address the above issue. Please tell us about your project:

The CU Book store is interested in having the student project group evaluate our social media presence and activities. The project group would evaluate both what the store does as well as best practices of other facebook business users. Survey existing social media followers and non-followers to determine their wants for our social media presence. Formulate and make recommendations for activities, posts, etc for the store’s social media presence going forward. Select all categories that your project may touch:

MarketingManagementEthics/Social ResponsibilityFinance

Select all activities that your project may involve?Business PlanSurveys & Focus GroupsFeasibility Study

What timeline best describes your needs for a project deliverable?

Final reports, survey data tabulated, and recommendations presented by mid-December 2012. Sample 1 year social media marketing plan that can be used as a base to form the final plan.

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Project Outline for First Western Financial Inc.

Project Purpose Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our HRIS in conjunction with ADP Inc. (Automatic Data Processing). We would like to identify opportunities to utilize our HRIS more fully in addition to explore options available to us to use the system in a different way for better outcomes related to recruiting, employee development, reports and analysis, and human capital administration.

HistoryADP sells its products as the largest payroll company in the world with functionalities including customization, 24-hour service center help, and integrated systems. First Western Financial has contracted our HRIS through ADP for over five years and utilized much of the services offered by ADP under our contract. We are concerned that we may have over customized the system and that it may be preventing us from improving our processes and procedures. We also added functionality within the ADP systems in a phased approach and are concerned that this may be preventing us from using other functionality in the system. We currently have three representatives in the Human Capital department who utilize the system for close to 200 associates across four different states. Efficiency is a necessity to our positions so that we can focus on our associates and not our systems. A previous, small team from the University of Colorado was able to communicate with ADP on our behalf. This will be a continuation of that project with the hope that we can obtain further gains.

Project Objectives Increased system utilization on the Human Resources/Benefits

module of the ADP systems (measured in increased use of system we pay for and decrease in time required to use)

Increased system utilization on the ezLabor Manager (timesheets) module of the ADP systems (measured in increased use of system we pay for and decrease in time required to use)

Increased system utilization on the PayEx (payroll) module of the ADP systems (measured in increased use of system we pay for and decrease in time required to use)

Increased reporting functionality from the ADP systems (measured in ease of custom report creation)

Specific system uses will be explained upon start of the project.

Project ScopeThis project has been designed at the largest scope with the opportunity for the group to scale down based on their ability and the responsiveness of ADP. On a large scale, we would like to identify how our utilization differs from other companies similar to us in system utilization (not necessarily business market). A comparison of what we have available to use versus what we are currently using would be ideal to begin defining the smaller scope that the project team will be able to work on specifically. Items identified that relate to report generation are the highest priority from a recurring need basis but the project scope is fluid based on the size of the overall project.

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Project Deliverables Comparison of current utilization to potential utilization of

specific systems Recommendation of next steps to increase utilization Implementation of new utilization may be included in the project

scope depending on time constraints

Assumptions While the ADP service center representatives will be available to

assist the project team, they do require a bit of active follow-up. We expect the team to be proactive when it comes to obtaining information from ADP.

Due to the access into our systems, all team members will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to being given access to our systems.

Based on the specific training and knowledge base of the ADP service center, it may be necessary to obtain information from the ADP sales representatives to help compare our system use to other companies. This may provide the opportunity for students interested in the entrepreneurial side of HRIS to ask questions of the sales representatives as though they were creating their own company.

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Project Outline for Collegiate DECA

Project Purpose The purpose of this project is to host an open invitation DECA competition at the Leeds School of Business. Students will be given the chance to compete in various mock trial interviews and case study events. This project will help to increase chapter awareness and membership throughout campus as well as increase DECA activity on the collegiate level throughout Colorado. This project will also help raise travel money to Collegiate DECA’s ICDC.

HistoryDECA National is a 501(k) non-profit organization that integrates

business studies into the high school curriculum. DECA has also moved into the collegiate level with chapters spreading from the east to west coast and even internationally into Canada. The DECA network exists around an annual ICDC (International Career Development Conference), where students come from around North America to compete for awards and university recognition in front of corporate sponsors as judges.

In states where DECA is very prominent, a state DECA conference is held where the finalist are then invited to ICDC. However, in Colorado, DECA is not very prominent on the collegiate level and no state conference is held. The only other ICDC active chapter in Colorado is JWU (Johnson and Wales University).

The purpose of this project is to host an open-invitation DECA event here on campus as there is not a state conference. The idea of this event was thought up Fall 2011, however, proper planning was not executed and the project was dropped. With proper planning and time management, this event can be very successful.

Project Objectives Host a successful DECA event on campus Increase DECA exposure on CU campus Increase CU DECA chapter’s membership by ~25% Partially fund travel expenses to ICDC (~30%) Gain close corporate sponsors and networks for the benefit of the

CU DECA chapter Bring university exposure Establish this event as an annual CU DECA event

Project ScopeProject begins with class. Event will take place in late November. Reflection and suggested improvements will finish the project in December. Students from CU campus and other state Collegiate DECA chapters will be invited.

Project Deliverables Specifications and event details: competitive events, rooms,

tables, food, judges, event times, dates, workshops, guest speaker, awards

Corporate sponsor letters and communication Marketing and communication plan: registered teams

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AssumptionsWe are assuming that students with a business interest would be interested in competing against their peers in different mock trials interviews, case studies, and written events. We are also assuming that the university and corporate networks would see the benefit of sponsoring this event because of the exposure that it would bring to them. Benefits to corporate sponsors:

Access to top talent shown through competition Student networking University and student group involvement

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Project Outline for Leeds Projects Class- Fall 2012

Project Purpose

Over the last 5 years dozens of projects have been completed for local companies. These companies and student team members get the most benefit when this work is actually used by the company. This project will determine the factors that most influence whether the work was used by the company, in order to improve the company and project selection process and project management process for future semesters.

History

The projects class has been taught by Jim Marlatt from its inception. Jim will be transitioning this class to Noah Zikmund for spring 2013. As with anything there is pride of ownership, and as a result there are many improvements that can be made to the existing processes. In addition to transition what has been done to date, there is a need to identify improvements to the class while Jim is still available to provide insights about why things are being done the way they are, what has been tried, make client introductions, etc. The primary focus of the project is client/project selection and project management in order to increase the likelihood of the project (or some part of the project) being implemented by the client within a one year timeframe.

Project Objectives

Review twenty projects for at least ten different companies, Identify at least five key factors that positively influence if the work is used, Identify at least five key factors that negatively influence if the work is used, Identify at least five improvements to the current project management process that will

increase the likelihood a project will be implemented.

Project Scope

Only student projects done in MGMT4140, Only companies that have done projects in the last five years.

Project Deliverables

List of projects reviewed, including company, sponsor, mentor, team members, deliverables and project outcomes (success stories and horror stories),

Five key factors that positively influence if the work is used, Five key factors that negatively influence if the work is used, Company and project selection criteria for future semesters, Updated project deliverables template.

Assumptions

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Jim Marlatt will provide the students with all materials requested within three business days,

Noah Zikmund will act as the client for this project and will be available on a bi-weekly basis for an hour to review and provide feedback about the work,

Brian Lewandowski in the Leeds BRD is another key stakeholder who would like to actively participate in the project and who is very familiar with the current process,

Kim Link is responsible for our corporate outreach at Leeds and must be part of the project as appropriate (TBD by the team),

Other Leeds’ stakeholders will be identified early and made aware of the project as soon as possible during the fall 2012 semester,

Student final presentation will be made to Leeds stakeholders and any existing/interested clients who have provided information to the project team.

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Project Outline for Vail Resorts

Project Purpose Restore and integrate a lodging reservation system copy within our Enterprise Customer Database.

HistoryWithin the last year we have integrated several lodging systems into our customer database – these have ranged from various enterprise solutions from Visual One to Springer Miller Systems and Micros’ Opera.  We no longer have a management agreement with Hotel Jerome is Aspen, however we do have a copy of their Opera based database – we would like to restore that database into our SQL back end so we may integrate the customers with our future CRM initiatives.

Project Objectives1) Research restore options from Opera to a Microsoft SQL Server back

end2) Restore database to SQL backend and begin to evaluate quality of

data

Project Scope Data is limited to Hotel Jerome backup received in August of 2011 Restore source tables to SQL Server 2005 environment

Project Deliverables Recommend method(s) to restore Opera database to SQL back end Restore database to SQL Server 2005 environment Evaluate guest data – if time clean up and standardize into format

we can input into central Person table – this can be removed if time is constrained

Assumptions Team has basic/working knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server and

generic knowledge of database design Students can get access to SQL Server instance either through

campus or Vail Resorts can arrange a secure Citrix link for work

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Project Outline for Planet YOU Promotions

Project Purpose Assess demand for personal branding services. The completion of this project will be vital in deciding whether this business idea is feasible and what the target market will be. Conduct research to determine who is interested in these services, in which specific services they are interested, and what prices they are willing to pay for those services. Make recommendations regarding how to reach the market you have defined.

HistoryThis is the jumping-off point for a startup business. The business will be primarily web-based and will provide personal branding services for those in need of an image, or an image re-vamp. Possible services will include business card design, personal logo design, personal website production, coordination of LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social/professional networking services, even assisting with physical image—building a YOU-brand. This will allow the client to spend time and energy focusing on their work, while we build the foundation upon which they can market themselves to potential employers, clients, and investors. This is a unique opportunity to participate in starting a business, and gain some valuable market research experience.

Project Objectives Knowledge of the market for this service. These questions will be

answered:o Who is this market?o What services, specifically, does this market desire?o What prices are they willing to pay for these services?o Through which channels can we effectively reach this market?

Knowledge of similar businesses currently in operationo Only relating to their services, prices, and target markets.

The completion of this project will enable the client to build the business around what isin-demand, which will help to minimize risk, and to create a well-informed marketing/advertising campaign.

Project ScopeIn scope: Conduct research and surveys to gather data regarding demand for specific services and acceptable price points for these services. This will include looking at competitors to see who they are targeting and what services they are providing. Aggregate data and analyze it to determine what the target market looks like for a business like this. Conduct research to identify effective channels for reaching this market.

Out of scope: We will not actually develop a marketing or advertising campaign, nor will we put together a business plan. This project is all market research.

Project Deliverables Competitor Information

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o Who are they?o What services are they providing, and at what prices?o Which markets are they targeting?

Survey data Analysis of survey data, regarding the following:

o Target market characteristicso Desired serviceso Prices the target market is willing to pay

Develop a target market profile Recommend effective ways to reach this target market, based on its

profile.

Assumptions Client will be easily accessible and will be cooperative, but

expects pro-active communication Project to be completed by mid-December Each participant will be paid $150 upon completion of a thorough

project

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Project Outline for:

Project Purpose A new mobile, dispatching and scheduling and GIS prototype system has been developed on the SAP’s Sybase platform and now needs to be marketed, sold in implementation projects, certified by SAP and ideally adopted by SAP as one of their mobile solutions. This project will focus on developing and executing a strategic plan for this new product.

HistorySAP has not had a reliable mobile solution for utility companies. Previously, SAP developed a mobile application with its middleware but it lacked many features that utilities needed. This product is named MAU (mobile asset management for utilities). Many utilities worldwide have implemented MAU but SAP support will end in 2015, so they will need to transition to another platform. In 2010 SAP acquired Sybase for $9B and plan to use this technology as the platform for the new mobile solutions. Sybase’s innovative mobile platform can connect all applications and data (SAP and non-SAP) and enable them on mobile devices.

Project Objectives(Define measurable items that will be accomplished from the project. Bullet list format is fine.)

Develop strategic plan document for the new product Achieve SAP certification for the product Develop marketing materials for the product (PowerPoint presentations, word document flyers,

advertisements) Identify at least five utility companies as sales targets

Project Scope(Describe the boundaries of the project, defining in- and out-of-scope elements.)The scope is limited to the mobile (user interface and back end logic), scheduling and dispatch piece, and GIS interface modules within the utility SAP solution.

Project Deliverables(Describe in reasonable detail the tangible work products that are the outcome of the project work. Bullet list format is fine.)

Strategic plan document for the new product SAP certification for the product Marketing materials for the product (PowerPoint presentations, word document flyers,

advertisements) List of utilities for sales targets Survey of utility companies to obtain product refinements Meetings with Quintel mobile product development staff

Assumptions

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(Identify critical planning assumptions that may or will have an impact to project scope, time, quality, or satisfaction.)

1) The mobile prototype can be expanded to meet survey input2) SAP is available for meetings and reviews3) Quintel staff is available for meetings and review sessions4) Costs for marketing collateral materials are funded by Quintel

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Project Outline for Mod Market Restaurant

Project Purpose Generate a Business Plan to attract investors to buy a franchise and establish the restaurant Mod Market in Monterrey, Mexico.

HistoryThe business idea came up by going to Mod Market and discussing with my friends how this business can be profitable in Monterrey, Mexico. The organic/health type of restaurants is growing fast in the area and establishing a brand early can give us a competitive advantage.

Project Objectives Business Plan in place that prove there is a business opportunity. Get the owners to approve the business plan. Get the funding from investors. Identify trends and strategic opportunities. Deliver quality service to our customers.

Project Scope Provide a new concept in the area by providing organic/health

foods. Make it affordable to our customers. The market of health/organic foods is still on an early stage in

Mexico so time is critical. Identify competition.

Project Deliverables Finance Plan (Projection of Financial Statements, competitive

margins to the industry). Marketing (market penetration, marketing strategy, point of sale

print media, broadcast media) Operations strategies (facilities and offices, hours of operation,

employee training, systems and controls, food production). Demographic study of the area. Identify problems in implementing the restaurant in Monterrey,

Mexico and their solutions.

Assumptions Establishing the company internationally. Getting the owners of Mod Market to open their business to an

international scope. Demographic data from Mexico is not 100% available and reliable. (Identify critical planning assumptions that may or will have an

impact to project scope, time, quality, or satisfaction.) Franchises are expensive and high initial investment. Mexico is still learning the experience of organic and healthy

food. The concept of Mod Market is a proven business in the United States and an early entry to the Mexican market will create brand recognition and excellent customer service.

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