University of North Dakota (UND)
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Strategic Management and Planning Consultancy

MGT 4950
Closed
MSU Denver
MSU Denver
Denver, Colorado, United States
David Bechtold
David Bechtold
Associate Professor
1
Timeline
  • September 7, 2020
    Experience start
  • September 9, 2020
    Project Scope Meeting
  • October 14, 2020
    Q&A #1
  • November 3, 2020
    Interim Report Due
  • November 10, 2020
    Q&A #2
  • December 1, 2020
    Experience end
Experience
2/2 project matches
Dates set by experience
Preferred companies
Anywhere
Social Enterprise, Non profit, Large enterprise, Small to medium enterprise, Sole proprietorship, Family-Owned
Any industries
Categories
Leadership Organizational structure Market research Product or service launch
Skills
business consulting business strategy situational analysis competitive analysis swot analysis
Learner goals and capabilities

Student teams will conduct a complete strategic analysis of a company that is assigned to them by the instructor. The analysis will include a detailed analysis of the external environment as well as a review of the company’s internal operations. With the completion of the analysis teams will be able to provide the client with a comprehensive situational assessment as well as general recommendations for the management team to consider. If, as part of the strategic analysis, the client has targeted areas of the organization for more detailed review then teams will also provide specific recommendations.

All students will be 4th year students who are completing this course as their final capstone project before graduation. Student teams will come from all degree programs offered at MSU Denver and will include students who have a major in Management, Marketing, Finance, CIS, Accounting and Economics.

Learners
Undergraduate
Any level
60 learners
Project
46 hours per learner
Learners self-assign
Teams of 4
Expected outcomes and deliverables

Teams will provide the client with a middle of the term report describing some initial findings in advance of the second Q & A with the client.

Student teams will produce a detailed final report of their findings and recommendations. Teams will also present a 15-20 minute formal presentation of their results (with an additional 10 - 15 minute Q & A). to the clients. The final report will be provided to the client one week prior to the formal presentation which will occur during the last week of the semester.

Project timeline
  • September 7, 2020
    Experience start
  • September 9, 2020
    Project Scope Meeting
  • October 14, 2020
    Q&A #1
  • November 3, 2020
    Interim Report Due
  • November 10, 2020
    Q&A #2
  • December 1, 2020
    Experience end
Project Examples

Section 1 - External Analysis

Students will make a comprehensive industry analysis using traditional strategic management tools such as the PESTEL (broad environment) analysis and Porter's 5 Forces (task environment). From these analyses key success factors related to the industry will be identified as well as opportunities and threats.

Section 2 - Internal Analysis

This is a comprehensive review of the business operations. This component can be guided by the specific needs of the company. In the past, students have supported profit/non-profit organizations with a variety of internal challenges that have included:

  • A company looking to expand their market offerings.
  • A company considering business expansion opportunities (i.e. satellite sites, franchising, etc.).'s expansion opportunities.
  • A non-profit organization looking at different ways to introduce a new product into the marketplace.
  • A non-profit that was looking at how to transition to a for-profit model.

Students are also able to support companies on specific areas of concerns such as (but not including) HR, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, etc.. These specific areas of review will be in addition to the general analysis as described above.

Upon completion of the internal analysis students will identify core competencies of the firm as well as strengths and weaknesses.

While clients can direct student teams away from certain aspects of their organization (i.e. human resources) companies must be able to provide student teams with company financials (preferably no less than three years). For best results students will need access to monthly (or quarterly) financial statements as well as annual reports.

Students will sign a confidentiality agreement prior to the start of the team project (a copy will be provided for company review).

Section 3 - Recommendations

Based upon the analysis students will propose general and specific recommendations. These recommendations will, whenever possible, include a financial feasibility assessment as well as an implementation plan.

Companies must answer the following questions to submit a match request to this experience:

Be available for a quick phone call with the instructor to initiate your relationship and confirm your scope is an appropriate fit for the course.

A contact who is available to answer questions that will allow each team to tailor their recommendations for the client.

Provide a dedicated contact who is available to answer periodic emails or phone calls over the duration of the project to address students' questions.