FINAL PROJECT REPORT GUIDELINES:

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

This applied/ project-based learning experience is expected to complement your long-term career plans. The real-world nature of this client project on analyzing customer journey was designed with the objective of helping support your career plans. Prior studies show that top companies and consulting firms are seeking graduates with proven knowledge and applied learning/ real-world client experience. Our object in designing this applied learning experience is to empower you with customer journey analysis skills, problem solving tools, critical thinking, communication, and written reporting of findings.
In case you are consider a career change you will be interested in this article on the 25 highest paying companies:

https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/25-highest-paying-companies-america-2016/

Abbott brand teams just completed 4 executive conference calls with

(1) Brand Managers,

(2) Shopper Marketing,

(3) HCP Reps and

(4) Consumer Relations.

If your team have more questions as you work on your project, feel free to send your queries to the client's designated contact Ms. Ashley Bronston: [email protected] who coordinates communications with the designated Abbott will brand managers.

PROJECT OUTCOMES:

Every student-team is expected to develop a final PowerPoint presentation and report which contains novel strategic and tactical recommendations for connecting the assigned Abbott brand with patients/customers at different touch-points through the patient/ customer journey. The following is a template of the client's expected outcomes:

1) It is expected that every team will develop a detailed customer journey analysis that include information on all touchpoints. Each brand team will have a unique journey appropriately designed based on the analysis and supported with evidence from the client's interviews and related secondary sources of information (with cited sources and references). The customer journey analysis will include evidence and illustrations on what are the challenges and what are possibly overlooked by the Abbott brand managers - what have they missed.

2) Based on the findings of the customer journey analysis and research, what would the students' do differently than the Abbott brand managers?

3) How can the student-team's assigned brand evolve?

4) How can they increase the awareness that the assigned brand (i.e. ENSURE, GLUCERNA, ELECARE, etc.) is the ideal treatment option in its respective market e.g., Ensure for malnutrition market segment?

5) What recommendations do the student-team have on engaging key influencers/ stakeholders though out the patient journey?

PROJECT REPORT FORMAT:

The final report on this applied learning experience must be in the range of 20-25 pages (including all tables and references) and should comply with business reports' style manual (see below links).

http://www.victoria.ac.nz/vbs/teaching/resources/VBS-Report-Writing-Guide-2016.pdf

This final report must conform to high professional writing standards of organization, documentation of research sources, and clarity of language. It is important to use proper documentation of the sources of information, facts, and figures. It is NOT possible to complete this report by writing a paper based on personal opinions. You are expected to support your analysis and recommendations based on hard evidence and documented client resources. All reports should be submitted to the Blackboard site in MS Word based on professional writing standards. This client report will be presented in class using 20-25 PPT slides that should be uploaded to the Bb site under final project.

Note that this final report should integrate all learning elements and phases of this project and insights from company interviews, secondary research, etc. Your team is encouraged to review industry reports and studies provided for reference and discussion to determine various industry trends and drivers as your team presents the analysis in compelling and complete ways. The following rubric will be used as basis for evaluating your team's final report:

1. Background & Study Importance

2. Industry Analysis of Key Competitors

3. Customer-brand Experience Gap Analysis

4. Scope of Client's Brand Problem/ Dilemma

5. Analysis/ Findings of Customer Journey

6. Integration of Insights Re Brand Mangers Interviews

7. Strategic and Tactical Recommendations

8. Feasibility/ Action Plan

9. Integration of Report Sections/ Elements

10. Conform to high professional writing standards & documentation of sources of research

In the event of departing from the originally presented project due to lack of evidence, your team will be required to resubmit another set of PPT slides to replace the one that was originally presented in class.