Undergraduate Student Consulting Projects That Get Results

Project Challenge: A non-profit organization is seeking to have the MCFE Program implement a community economic impact study that will measure the impact of a new, larger facility on the surrounding community. The study also will explore any negative impacts or barriers to maximum community impact. Once we receive the study, we will develop new programs to meet community needs. These programs will be accompanied by a targeted marketing campaign, and plans for program sustainability.

Project Deliverables: Students will deliver a community impact study addressing the following areas:

• Population served
• Impacts on local businesses
• Traffic patterns, both foot and automotive
• Philanthropic support for programs
• Job creation Membership growth

Project Challenge: With the growing elderly population, the existing incidence of chronic diseases, and an ever-increasing national expenditure on healthcare, the durable medical equipment market is booming. Our company works with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to finance leases of durable medical devices (X-rays, ultrasounds, patient monitoring, laboratory equipment, etc.) for customers that may not otherwise be able to afford it; the ultimate goal being sales improvement and an increase in cash flow. Our company sees the leasing opportunity for mid and lower markets as underserved. Thirty-five to 40% of all medical equipment in the U.S. is currently being leased, but the majority of this is done via large manufacturers and their internal financing arms (example: GE Healthcare/GE Capital). This leaves a great deal of opportunity for small- to mid-sized medical device manufacturers to partner with financing providers like ours.

Project Deliverables: The objective of this project is to further develop the approach to market this service to target OEMs. The project would consist of a market study to determine who the right target OEMs are, followed by the creation of a Go-To-Market strategy, including marketing materials.

Project Challenge: Our company is a leader in performance and lifestyle clothing—with the goal to be the fastest brand in the world. The brand is always looking for “what’s next” and wants to capitalize on internal creativity from all divisions to drive new ideas.

Project Deliverables: Provide us with guidance on how to introduce an Idea Tank forum for the global company. What systems are needed for a successful crowdsourcing forum? How will this run/operate? What are the resources needed for successful implementation? What are best practices from other crowdsourcing companies/sites?

Project Challenge: Our professional sports team is currently hosting tournaments at a local university’s stadium, which restricts certain areas of growth like revenue streams and flexibility when hosting events. We need a case study including ideal locations to build a stadium, opportunities that are made available by a team owning their home stadium (revenue streams, etc.), and challenges of owning a property as opposed to renting. This study should include a look at facility management, security, emergency services, concessions, and anything else that might go into costs for game day operations.

Project Deliverables: Students will provide a report that summarizes their research of the ideal location for the building of a stadium for the athletic team and also provides recommendations for the building’s amenities, specifications, and costs.