The client organizations served by the IBD program span the globe, often operating in multiple countries or regions. They can be U.S. or non-U.S. companies, non-profits, universities, entrepreneurs, or government agencies, with headquarters anywhere in the world.
We ask that each IBD project client provide the following to help achieve project success.
Identify a strategic business challenge
Identify a strategic business challenge that is vitally important to the organization, and involve internal stakeholders who will make use of the student team’s recommendations.
Clarify the desired outcomes
Work with IBD staff on submitting an application that clearly describes the scope of the challenge and the desired project outcomes.
Assign client contacts
Assign individuals who will act as primary points of contact, communicating with the student team on a weekly basis to ensure the project’s goals and deliverables are met. These contacts for the student team should be fluent in English and invested in the IBD project. The client contacts should also be prepared to work with the students during their two weeks in-country at the end of the spring semester.
Provide relevant data
Provide relevant data from your organization that informs the project’s critical analysis, and recommend who the team should interview as part of their primary research. These individuals could be industry experts, people in your organization, customers, distributors, or others.
Invest time while the student team is on-site
At the conclusion of the spring semester, the IBD team will work for two weeks with your organization at the project site. To achieve a successful outcome, please provide the time and resources to ensure that the IBD students will be able to complete their work and deliver their final presentation.
We also ask that IBD project clients cover the cost of travel and lodging for a team of four to five MBA students during their two-week in-country stay. In addition, we request that project clients pay a modest project sponsorship fee to the IBD program at the end of the project, which varies depending on the type and size of the client organization. IBD program staff will be glad to provide you with more details.