It’s the moment of truth: your opportunity to demonstrate why your new product or service is worth funding

BUS 400 Project Guidelines and Rubric

Competencies

In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competencies:

• Determine how an organization gains a competitive advantage

• Determine organizational risk and growth opportunities in order to develop a strategic plan

• Defend business decisions in support of an organization’s strategic plan

Scenario

It’s the moment of truth: your opportunity to demonstrate why your new product or service is worth funding. You have done the research and know that the funding you seek can be a game changer for the company. Not only

will it produce revenue and pro�tability, but more importantly, it will strategically set the company apart from its competition.

You just have to convince senior management.

In preparation, you have created a checklist for yourself to use in compiling information that includes research, feasibility of the idea via the BMC, scope of project (timeline included), project risk mitigation, DEI, CSR, and 24-

month pro forma.

You know that anything can happen in a funding pitch. With this in mind, you are prepared to answer questions that encompass all aspects of the project.

Directions

Create a pitch for funding. In this pitch, you will have to convince senior management to greenlight the new product or service. Aspects of the pitch that must be addressed:

1. VVaalluuee pprrooppoossiittiioonn: Describe the company’s current value proposition in the market.

a. Describe the selected company’s main product or service.

b. Discuss the company’s overall strategic plan.

2. CCoommppeettiittiivvee aaddvvaannttaaggee: Describe the competitive advantage the company will gain by funding the project.

a. Describe how you discovered an opportunity to do something better than your competitors.

b. Determine how the new product or service shifts the value proposition of the company.

3. RRiisskkss aanndd ooppppoorrttuunniittiieess: Establish the risks and growth opportunities of the company.

a. Determine if the new product or service could disrupt the current industry.

b. Identify the risks associated with the development of this new product or service.

4. GGrroowwtthh ooppppoorrttuunniittiieess: Describe the areas of potential growth for the company.

a. Identify the growth opportunities within the company.

b. Explain how the competitive advantage allows for growth.

5. DDiissttiinngguuiisshh aass aa nneeww pprroodduucctt oorr iinnnnoovvaattiioonn: Distinguish the new product/service as an innovation or improvement on an existing product/service.

a. Determine if the product or service �ts within the capabilities of the company.

Note: a company’s SWOT analysis or 10-K is an indicator of whether the new product or service could be feasible.

b. Explain how the new product or service adds to the portfolio of the company.