Transcript Roden Scholars Case Study Competition

Roden Scholars Case
Study Competition
Accelerating technological change is transforming the ways in which we live,
conduct business, resolve political conflict and interface with the natural
environment on a global scale. There is now, more than ever before, a great
need for leaders who not only understand technical aspects of current
problems confronting society, but who also have a sophisticated
understanding of political, economic and legal concerns that govern the ways
in which solutions are devised, adopted and implemented.
Having such an integrated approach to tackling problems is certainly not easy
and rarely comes naturally. However, once given the right exposure to
challenging multifaceted problems at the right time, an individual can
broaden his/her horizons and facilitate the process of developing
himself/herself into a well-rounded leader.
But what do we mean by a “multifaceted problem” and what do we mean by
the “right time”? We believe that participating in a Case Study competition
would be great initial exposure. And the right time is now!
Roden Scholars: A brief introduction
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Members of the Roden Leadership Program
Created by the Chair of Free Enterprise
Named after Mr. Ted Roden
Leadership. Entrepreneurship. Service.
Check our website out at:
– http://www.engr.utexas.edu/roden/index.html
Past projects – At a glance
• Freshmen Engineering Workshop
• Dean’s Welcome
• Roddenovations
– Vector Magazine
– Campus Beautification
• Roden Debates & Essay competitions
• Interdisciplinary Dinner
What is a Case Study competition?
• A competition in which participants use their
analytical and creative skills to find a solution
to a challenging business problem or
opportunity
• That was vague. Let’s look at a sample case
BizIT 2008 Case Competition
• AppliedRF takes on Type 2 diabetes
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This BizIT Case can be found at this website:
http://misbridge.mccombs.utexas.edu/events/bizit/BizIT_Case_Jan_31_2008%20AN.pdf
– Implantable biosensor
– For-profit and philanthropic in nature
– Certain issues
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Technology leveraging
Scanner configuration
Collaboration with NPOs
IT support and logistics
BizIT 2008 Case Competition
• Please visit the BizIT website to get a better
idea of what Business Cases and their
respective Business Plans look like
– See past BizIT cases on this webpage:
• http://misbridge.mccombs.utexas.edu/events/bizit/rul
es.asp
– See past BizIT winning Business Plans here:
• http://misbridge.mccombs.utexas.edu/events/bizit/res
ults.asp
What are the deliverables?
• 10-15 page Business-Plan
• Preliminary Round
– 25 min presentation
– 15 min Q & A
• Final Round (On qualification)
– 20 min presentation
– 20 min Q & A
Why should you participate?
• Win great Cash Prizes !!!
– 1st Place: $4000
– 2nd Place: $3000
– 3rd Place: $2000
• Incredible networking opportunity
• Gain real-world problem solving skills in an
interdisciplinary environment
• Remember the recession...
• About the Networking Opportunities:
– Personal interaction with corporate
representatives during the strategy consulting
sessions (more on that in later slides)
– An unique chance to demonstrate your
communication skills and out-of-the-box thinking
to a panel of judges spanning diverse industries
during your presentation
– An incredible opportunity to get an upper-hand
for any upcoming recruiting season
Opens doors to future
opportunities
First step towards success in larger
competitions
Sponsors
What support will you get?
• Coaching Sessions
– Accounting: 18th
– Excel Modeling: 19th
• Strategy consultants
– Help refine ideas
– Identify areas of improvement
• All resources allowed!
– You may approach anyone you wish for help,
however, faculty/professionals associated with our
competition will turn you down 
Competition Timeline
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10th Feb – Case is released
13th Feb – Case Kickoff
16th Feb – Registration and Drop deadline
18th & 19th Feb – Crash course I and II
23rd to 25th Feb – Strategy consulting
27th Feb – Submission deadline
5th March – Preliminary Round
6th March – Final Round
17 days
Next Steps
• GET A TEAM !!!
– Most crucial process
• Make sure you’ve got a team that is smart and will
dedicate roughly 2 weeks to the competition
– Go through past cases at bizIT website
• This will give you insight into how business plans are
drafted and what other teams emphasize
– Register at www.rscsc.weebly.com
– Join our facebook group for updates
• Read the rules on our website. In order to
successfully register you must have:
– 4 students per team (At least 1 engineering major
per team)
– $60 security deposit check made out to “Roden
Leadership Program”
– Zip and email resumes of each teammate to
[email protected] (one email per team)
– Registration deadline is February 16th
Final Words...
In such dire economic conditions, employment undoubtedly takes a big hit. In the current job
market, it has become increasingly important to be able to differentiate yourself from the
rest of the crowd by giving yourself an edge. We feel that the best way to stand out from the
crowd is by unique thinking which comes only from unique experiences, such as this
competition.
Whether you are looking for an internship, a full-time job or are considering graduate school;
we believe that a uniquely enriching such as this competition can present you with incredible
opportunities in the future and give you the edge that you are looking for. You may have
wondered how we’re able to get sponsors to give out nearly $10,000 in prizes in such
financially crippling times. It’s because they see value in this competition, and feel that this is
an amazing experience from which participants can gain a lot; the same participants that can
potentially work at their firms in the future and add immensely to their human capital.
We urge you to consider participating in this competition. There is no doubt that you will
have the freedom and resources at your disposal for profound personal and intellectual
growth, and we hope you avail of this truly unique opportunity.