Q Final Project In Modules 4 and 5 you will be criticizing two different business plans. The object is to get you ready to do your own OAP of a "team found" opportunity. The two case studies in Modules 4 and 5 are real business plans and I would like you to use the five different lens of the OAP to assess these plans: 1. Is the problem (i.e.,market) important and large enough to support the effort to engage in the idea? Here discuss the size and scope of the market. When assessing the market, industry analysis is appropriate. Papers deserving As will do a good job here. Outside sources will be used, SIC and NAIC codes will be referred to, growth technology and trends will be taken into account. 2. Is the product unique and attractive? Discuss the product and the competition. Analyze whether or not there are substitutes or better head-to-head solutions. Do a competitive analysis. I know that you are familiar with both Porter's competitive forces and with SWOT, so use them. 3. The distribution plan is a key issue you must analyze. How will the company approach the market. Can the company penetrate the market sufficiently to allow for long term success? A key issue here is scalability. If management cannot rapidly expand and then sustain the expansion then the project is doomed for failure. Suppl;y chain is important to this section of your report. Be logical and follow through on the specific supply chain processes that impact the product and its distribution. 4. The management team is important. Warren buffet is fond of saying that he, "bets on the jockey not the horse". I have to leave it to you to make this important call. However, a few words of advice: Investors want to see real ability slotted into logical areas of expertise. If there is currently no team member to provide a needed skill they would want to see the a blank slot to be filled by recruiting rather than a relative or friend who has just been dropped in to the spot to fill it. Keep this in mind for your final project. 5. Financing is important. For OAPs it is not necessary to have a set of multi-year monthly projections, it is necessary to provide some financial analysis to show basic viability. Also, some concept of what you are offering to an investor is important to include in the OAP. As a starting point the investor to have some idea of the possibilities that would come from his investment. For all of your work I have the following suggestions: 1. Go the extra mile, cite outside sources and do your own analysis and make definite conclusions regarding the questions you are addressing based upon both the course materials and your own research. Use the text, lectures and course materials as a starting point. 2. Be precise in your writing. I expect substance, not chit-chat. Short paragraphs or even bullet points or numbered points are preferred. 3. Cope with "ambiguity", it is the one thing that cannot be taught but that entrepreneurs must have, the "ability to cope with ambiguity".. Here are some notes from me regarding two different subjects. Team assignments: Here at Thunderbird we rely on team assignments as a key part of our curriculum and teaching process. We believe that team participation is a key driver to prepare our students for life subsequent to graduation. This class is no different in its outlook. You must be responsive and engaged members to your assigned team in order to do well in this class. It has come to my attention that a few (two) students have not started off their team experience by fully co-operating and engaging in the team process. Below please find some rules that will apply to the conduct of your team work from here until the end of the course: 1. Each team should elect a President and Vice-President to help schedule, take attendance and co-ordinate the team's work. The President and/or Vice-President will be responsible to keep a log of each team member's contributions and attendance and to report such matters to me. 2. It is incumbent upon team members to "pull" their weight in terms of contribution to the team effort. 3. Once a course of action has been settled upon, every team member must perform his or her assigned task to its completion and on time. I will expect reports from team leadership as to any students not pulling their weight.