The Capstone course allows students to apply a cross-disciplinary approach while considering both business model architecture and the formulation of business solutions. It prepares students for the complex business environment of today by emphasising the application of academic knowledge accumulated from a range of prior core courses to solving real world problems. The course develops in students an ability to: strategically position the client and its challenge within an environmental context; appropriately scope the challenge of the client; develop and execute a workplan to address the challenge; and develop solutions by establishing a fact-base through directed primary and secondary research, drawing out relevant insights through analytic review, and engaging in abstract idea generation.
The course exposes students to the uncertainties and ambiguity that exists within real-world business landscapes and organisational environments of industry clients, as well as, the challenges with engaging busy business executives and convincing them and their organisation of innovative solutions that have been devised by the students that address the client's real-world challenges.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Assess a business problem and/or opportunity from the current business environment, including new and untapped markets
- Design interdisciplinary solutions to address the business challenge or future opportunities by considering strategy, marketing, operations, organization, finance, and communication
- Reason critically through the solution process with appropriate modes of analysis
- Describe the solution's implementation plans and processes with regard to the firm's existing strategy, market, and organization
- Apply a variety of approaches to engage with busy business executives to obtain guidance and information, as well as, secure their buy-in to your ideas
With the aim to grow the business in Singapore, students investigated the landscape and target customer segments that Timperio was working in, and proposed various holistic and comprehensive business plans (branding, marketing, financial, channels etc) that the business could adopt in the short and long term.
Facing challenges to engage and attract customers, students proposed offline and online business strategies on how Zenxin can expand their business and capture new untapped markets.
Students proposed ideas and proposals to increase DMK's brand awareness locally among the younger generation, as well as to improve on the value offered to DMK shoppers using smarter technology on their e-commerce site.
Being new to the market, students proposed various outreach and marketing efforts to their targeted audience, including suggesting a short and long term marketing and business plans of their edible cutlery.
Students researched into the beauty services industries in the neighbouring countries, and provided an analysis on which countries presents the greatest opportunities and lowest risks for the beauty company's overseas expansion efforts.