M-Lab 2008 Project Descriptions
4th Release: March 12, 2008
Summary of document changes (changes from previous release will be noted here)
3.10.08) 1 Project added for TIXEM (student initiated)
3.11.08) 2x Projects added for 12 Interactive LLC (primary business/brand is PerkSpot)
3.12.08) Chicago Olympic Bid -> project coming
2008 M-LAB Projects Overview*
This document provides a brief summary of the projects that are either approved or pending approval for M-Lab 2008. The class will be notified if major changes are made to this document prior to the end of bidding.
In selecting projects for this year’s M-LAB class, the student co-chairs and administration went through all of the project proposals and carefully selected the projects below as most desirable in terms of providing the best opportunities to solve cross-functional, real-world business issues across a range of industries that both the student teams and clients can benefit from. Feel free to e-mail any of the professors or member of the student leadership team directly should you have any questions and we will respond to any queries on these projects.
Please keep in mind the deliverables are all subject to agreement/negotiation between the client company and the project teams during the first week in order to ensure completion by the end of the term.
The information below is considered confidential and should not be shared outside of the M-LAB program.
*Additional project opportunities (general Kellogg submissions) can be found on the following web-site: http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/corporate/studentprojects.htm
Table of Contents
(Projects listed in order of receipt)
2008 M-LAB Projects Overview* 1
General Projects
Project/Company Six Sigma Winery, LLC (Project 1) 3
Project/Company Six Sigma Winery, LLC (Project 2) 3
Project/Company Training the Street, Inc. 4
Project/Company The Arial Foundation 4
Project/Company ShoreBank 5
Project/Company Solid Waste Solutions Corp. (SWS) 5
Project/Company United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago 6
Project/Company Sears Holdings (Project 1) 6
Project/Company Sears Holdings (Project 2) 7
Project/Company Atlantic Investment Associates, LLC 7
Project/Company Tiz Media Foundation 7
Project/Company Family Institute 8
Project/Company GE Healthcare Financial Services 9
Project/Company Intellisys 10
Project/Company Landauer (Project 1) 11
Project/Company Landauer (Project 2) 12
Project/Company Landauer (Project 3) 12
Project/Company 12 Interactive LLC (Project 1) 13
Project/Company 12 Interactive LLC (Project 2) 13
Project/Company Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid 14
Student Initiated Projects
Project/Company Social Value Exchange (Student Lead Chul Seo) 15
Project/Company Nike (Student Lead Robert Fuchs) 16
Project/Company TV One (Student Lead Regina Gwynn) 16
Project/Company Mozilla (Student Lead Shahid Hussain) 16
Project/Company TIXEM, Inc (Student Lead Kauser Kheyroolla) 16
Possible MMM Integration Projects: MMM approval depends upon final project direction. To be approved the project must contain an operations or design aspect.
General Projects
(Projects listed in order of receipt)
Project/Company Six Sigma Winery, LLC (Project 1)
Company Description
Established in 1999, Six Sigma Ranch and Vineyard is set on 4,300 acres in Northern California. The first vineyard (Else’s Vineyard) was planted in 2001 with the first harvest of wine grapes in 2004. Six Sigma Winery was established 2005, with wine production beginning that year. The first release was in 2006, and production for both vineyards and the winery continues to grow yearly.
See Website: http://www.sixsigmaranch.com/
Project Description
Define Six Sigma Winery’s most promising social marketing avenues for 2008, including, but not limited to: online television, social networking sites, blogs, and podcasts.
Project Deliverables
o Advertising Analysis of Social Marketing Avenues
o Targeted Marketing Plan
Qualified for MMM Integration?
No
Project/Company Six Sigma Winery, LLC (Project 2)
Company Description
See Above
Project Description
Perform segmentation, targeting, and positioning analysis for Six Sigma’s potential customer base, focusing on finding the “Voice of the Customer”. Who are Six Sigma’s primary target customers, and how does customer preference vary by market segment?
Project Deliverables
o STP Analysis
Qualified for MMM Integration?
No
Project/Company Training the Street, Inc.
Company Description
Training the Street (TTS) offers state-of-the-art, instructor-led courses in financial modeling and corporate valuation to finance professionals. Founded in 1999, TTS is the world’s leading financial learning services company offering targeted and customized training courses to corporate and educational clients. Through the use of highly effective and intuitive teaching methods in an interactive and multimedia setting, the company’s mission is to teach everyday valuation techniques and financial modeling skills that experienced professionals use at work. In short, through a mix of hands-on instruction, practical illustrations, group projects, computer exercises, visual presentations, and mini-lectures, the company teaches real-world applications of finance theory in a way that brings corporate valuation and financial modeling to life.
See Website: http://www.trainingthestreet.com/
Project Description
TTS is looking for a clarified marketing strategy for the company, including (but not limited to):
Utilizing effective online and/or print media advertising outlets
Identification of opportunities to capture more revenue from repeat business
Overall brand and image management
Project Deliverables
o Comprehensive marketing strategy recommendation and proposal
Qualified for MMM Integration?
No
Project/Company The Arial Foundation
Company Description
The Arial Foundation is a non-profit, 501.c3, private charitable foundation. The Foundation’s major endeavor is The Arial Home Initative. The goal is to be the driving force behind the construction of one million new, pre-fabricated homes in the next 10 years. By comparison, Habitat for Humanity has built 200,000 homes in the last 30 years, so this goal is ambitious.
See Website: http://www.arialhome.org
Project Description
The Arial Foundation has TS numerous project opportunities including (but not limited to):
Independent review of entire project plan
Fundraising strategy and proposal
Strategy and proposal for a business model applicable to the poorest regions of the world
Strategy and proposal for establishing the “micro-manufacturing” concept world-wide
Coordination (possibly with McCormick) to establish the optimum housing design
Project Deliverables
o Depends upon project direction
Qualified for MMM Integration?
Possible
Project/Company ShoreBank
Company Description
ShoreBank is the Chicago-based bank owned by ShoreBank Corporation, which is the first and leading community development and environmental bank holding company in the US. With assets in excess of $2 billion and a 34 year track record, ShoreBank Corporation provides financial resources and information that foster new opportunities to transform underserved communities and reinvigorate people’s lives. Headquartered in Chicago, ShoreBank Corporation has banks and affiliated nonprofits in Chicago; Cleveland, Detroit; northern Michigan and Wisconsin; Seattle and Ilwaco, Washington; and Portland, Oregan; and provides consulting services around the world.
See Website: http://www.sbk.com
Project Description
ShoreBank launched an online High Yield Savings Account (HYSA) in the fall of 2007. This product, which is functionally similar to ING Direct, is believed to be the first online account that supports economic development and environmental sustainability. Through it, ShoreBank has a unique opportunity to bridge two fast growing trends: socially responsible investing and the HYSA. Much of the original research on this product was conducted by a LEAP team in 2005.
The goal for this project is to develop a plan to grow this business with selected individuals aged 25-30 within the next 12 months. Specifically, the project will involve:
Sizing the market
Assessing the competitive situation
Developing the value proposition
Creating a basic proposal for a follow-on product (if needed)
Creating specific marketing tactics
Determining the basic economics
Project Deliverables
o A summary presentation outlining the business case and specific marketing tactics needed to grow this segment. The emphasis is on creating an economically viable and actionable plan that could be implemented upon completion of the M-Lab project.
Qualified for MMM Integration?
No
Project/Company Solid Waste Solutions Corp. (SWS)
Company Description
Solid Waste Solutions Corp. (SWS) is a nationally recognized environmental consulting firm that works with both private and public sector clients. SWS has developed a niche in the environmental consulting arena and is often viewed as a groundbreaking leader in segmented areas of this industry and across various industries looking to truly improve their environmental record and not just “Greenwash” for a press release. For the past two years SWS has experienced a “green wave” as environmental awareness has dramatically increased among public and private sector clients.
See Website: http://www.wasteaudit.com
Project Description
SWS is looking for a Kellogg team to provide an interdisciplinary roadmap to assist and guide us in growth. We have a tremendous need to understand any and all options available to us as we grow, concerning finance, human resources, marketing and other likely disciplines. Our concern is that we are vulnerable to be inundated by one or more projects that overwhelm our resources.
Project Deliverables
o Strategic roadmap to grow revenue from $1.25M to $10M+ over the next few years
Qualified for MMM Integration?
No
Project/Company United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago
Company Description
See Website: http://www.ucpnet.org/
Project Description
The organization wishes to initiate a national program to improve access to durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, canes, and walkers. The focus of this program is on recycling and reusing equipment. Issues of supply chain management for this project need to be researched, opportunities for partnerships between social services agencies and socially conscious national corporate logistical partners as well as national B2B and B2C marketing and educational campaigns to be considered. A more exhaustive project explanation can be found at here.
Project Deliverables
o Business Plan
Qualified for MMM Integration?
No
Project/Company Sears Holdings (Project 1)
Company Description
Sears Holdings Corporation, the publicly traded (NASDAQ: SHLD) parent of Kmart and Sears, Roebuck and Co., is the nation's fourth largest broad-line retailer with over $50 billion in annual revenues and approximately 3,800 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada.
See Website: http://www.searsholdings.com/
Project Description
Sears Holdings is requesting analysis of the supply chain for their on-line retailing operations. Students would work directly with retail and supply chain management to perform a cost-benefit analysis of supply chain and order fulfillment options, and develop a strategy for maximizing the efficacy of these operations in terms of cost, order fulfillment, and customer satisfaction.
Project Deliverables
Exact deliverables to be determined by group
Qualified for MMM Integration?
Likely (depends upon project direction)
Project/Company Sears Holdings (Project 2)
Company Description
See Above
Project Description
Sears Holdings is requesting analysis of the impact on inventory policy from their rain-check and lay-away functions. Every year a significant number of lay-away customers do not return to claim their product, resulting in inventory holding costs and lost sales. Likewise, the impact of rain-check policy on sales and inventory is substantial. Students would work directly with retail and supply chain management to perform this analysis.
Project Deliverables
Exact deliverables to be determined by group
Qualified for MMM Integration?
Likely (depends upon project direction)
Project/Company Atlantic Investment Associates, LLC
Company Description
Atlantic Investment Associates (“Company”) is a Baltimore-based real estate and small business investment and consulting group that evaluates and executes on small, private opportunities. Since 2005, Atlantic Investment Associates has been dedicated to bringing together talented individuals, technology, and capital in order to enhance investment returns. Our goal is to bring Wall Street to Main Street by compiling a diverse, highly skilled group of business experts to evaluate and execute private investments utilizing comprehensive research and quantitative analysis.
See Website: http://www.atlantic-ia.com
Project Description
Working in conjunction with the CFO, COO and Managing Principal of the Company, the M-Lab group will coordinate a marketable pitch package for potential investors. The purpose of the package is to raise capital to fund current and new initiatives and contribute to the growth of the organization in the pursuit of real estate, small business, and fund management opportunities.
Project Deliverables
1. Simplified financial model for opening pitch to investors
2. PowerPoint presentation for delivery to investors
3. Audio file & transcription: Q&A on the Company and its goals
4. Written Business case and Executive Summary for investor presentation
Qualified for MMM Integration?
No
Project/Company Tiz Media Foundation
Company Description
Tiz Media Foundation was founded in 2001 in Evanston, Illinois. It is a 501.C.3 nonprofit organization dedicated to creating engaging, culturally specific multimedia educational applications. Tiz Media’s primary multimedia application is MindRap, an educational program that encourages students to achieve in math and science by combining interactive teaching applications with hip-hop music.
Through the program, students translate math and science lessons into interactive rap and hip hop movies, which they produce and share with other students. In this way, MindRap harnesses the power of hip-hop culture and the students’ creativity to energize the learning process and encourage an interest in math and science.
See Website: http://www.tizmedia.org
Project Description
The Motorola Foundation, through its Innovative Generation Grant Program, has awarded funds to Tiz Media Foundation and the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO) to sponsor Speech and the Cell Phone, a summer science program for high school students and college science majors. MindRap, Tiz Media’s multimedia hip hop education program will take the high school students on a communications journey that begins with the talking drums in Africa and ends with sound waves traveling through the cell phone network.
There are several concrete outcomes or products that will result from this project. One is a Hip-hop multimedia module about the physics of sound targeting younger students. The other is a DVD documentary targeting educators, high school students, and potential funders.
During the last quarter, the Kellogg NBI team created a comprehensive document including market research and strategies for MindRap PR based on the DVD created during this project. We would like to analyze the recommendations and create a plan for leveraging the Speech and the Cell phone project to me the overall marketing goals for Tiz Media Foundation. For instance, a public relations campaign for the MindRap project is badly needed.
Project Deliverables
1. Analysis of the NBI report
2. Prioritization of action
3. Specific recommendations as to how we can leverage the above project to meet those recommendations.