Put Wake Forest to Work for You

Today’s ever-changing business climate creates unique problems and opportunities for management—challenges that often require in-depth study. Unfortunately, in many firms daily demands leave little time or personnel available for a special project. That’s where Wake Forest Business Solutions can help.

Wake Forest Business Solutions is a student consulting program which is overseen by members of the Schools of Business faculty. Wake Forest Business Solutions places teams of second-year MBA students who serve as consultants to organizations on a variety of key business issues—under the supervision of high quality and innovative faculty advisers. Participating firms receive work on projects such as strategic plans, marketing and feasibility studies, financial analyses and operational evaluations. Wake Forest Business Solutions (formerly Management Consulting Practicum), an integral part of the curriculum of the Schools of Business since 1971, has won enthusiastic support from several hundred organizations for whom projects have been completed—both in the United States and abroad.

Every participating organization has received hundreds of hours of free consulting time, worth thousands of dollars, with the added benefit of assessing possible future employees with no risk.

How Students Benefit

Wake Forest Business Solutions enables Schools of Business graduate students to gain additional exposure to current business challenges and management practices. Our students also acquire practical experience applying concepts and skills from the classroom in a business environment. Students design, develop and execute the project they agree upon with the sponsoring organization and faculty adviser. Wake Forest Business Solutions is an important component of the curriculum of the Schools of Business graduate program, and each team is required to complete a comprehensive written report and formal presentation to the client and faculty adviser before receiving academic credit.

Project Guidelines

Projects typically come from all sizes of for-profit and nonprofit organizations. They:

• Deal with important and high level issues critical to the organization
• Have a designated timetable
• Directly and regularly involve students with an organization’s management team, especially the designated client contact
• Must allow reasonable access to all relevant client expertise and information
• Challenge students’ abilities and utilize their knowledge, expertise and innovative talents
• Add distinct value to the organization and the students

Possible Projects

• Formulate strategic plan for growth and expansion
• Develop comprehensive marketing plan for a new or existing product
• Analyze international expansion or sourcing opportunities 
• Revise supply chain management strategy
• Reformulate dividend policy
• Assess alternative financing options
• Evaluate information system plans
• Assess the feasibility of a new product or market entry
• Evaluate possible mergers or acquisitions
• Develop a full business plan
• Other strategic/important organizational issues

Expenses

How to Participate

After you identify a Wake Forest Business Solutions project in your organization, submit a project proposal via the Internet. In October, each student team will meet with representatives of the organization it is assigned to and discuss the project. The students then will submit a formal proposal for organizational approval. The proposal will address issues such as access to potentially sensitive data, confidentiality of information and project expenses. Teams will dedicate an average of 20 work days per student to the projects from mid-October to February.