Tech Strategy Case Competition 2009

2009-11-12T14:55:00.002-05:00

The following teams are confirmed for 2010:

DOMESTIC

Kenan-Flagler Business School
UNC, Chapel Hill

McCombs School of Business
University of Texas, Austin

Sloan School of Management
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Marshall School of Business
USC

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

INTERNATIONAL

Fudan University, China

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, China

IESE Business School - University of Navarra, Spain

IPADE Business School - Universidad Panamericana, Mexico

Queen's School of Business, Canada

The Post Party Party

2009-03-29T14:47:00.008-04:00

Ericsson's generosity extended beyond the lovely dinner on the 4th floor.

Ericsson invited all the participants to have drinks at a favourite BU hang-out, Cornwall's.

The drinks were flowing freely and everyone was having a wonderful time.

Ericsson Excutives certainly know how to have a good time. With removed jackets and loosened ties, most were ready for their 16th beer. Must be all the stress from judging the hard-fought competition!

The drink for the evening were some vile yagers.

That marks the end of the 4th Annual International Tech Strategy Case Competition.

We at Boston University hope that everyone enjoyed the evening, created new friendships and we hope to see you again next year!

The Winners' List

2009-03-28T21:25:00.011-04:00

Dean Lataif's (Boston University School of Management) explained his mathematics on the value of this competition: "If you pay $400 per hour per consultant to evaluate the issues that were presented in this case = $400 per hour x 60 participants x 24 hours = $576,000. So Ericsson, what you're contributing towards this competition is very little compared to the tremendous value you're getting".

After dinner and a round of speeches from Angel Ruiz (President and CEO of Ericsson North America) who noted that he was impressed with "the flavour of the issues that Ericsson are struggling with that were identified by the students in the short 24 hours".

Keeping us in suspense, one of the judges for the final round, Per Jomer (VP, Group Strategy, Ericsson) annouced the list of winners:
First Place: Ericsson Manila - Queens School of Business, Queen's University, Canada

"Queen's delivered the most logical, reasonable and possible strategy that was delivered crisply and clearly. Showing tremendous team alignment and spirit" Per Jomer (VP, Group Strategy, Ericsson)

Second Place: Ericsson Buenos Aires - IESE Business School – University of Navarra, Spain

Third Place: Ericsson Stockholm - McCombs School of Business – University of Texas, Austin

Fourth Place: Ericsson Nanjing - Sloan School of Management – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Congratulations Queen's University and all the participating teams for a fantastic job well done!!

Judges' Deliberation

2009-03-28T17:06:00.004-04:00

The final applause were made indicating the conclusion of the final round of presentations. Ericsson Buneos Aires, the last team to present ended on a excellent note. The judges now have the unenviable job of deliberating on the winning positions of the final 4 competing teams.

The entire congregation in the Boston University School of Management waits with baited breadth for the results, that will be revealed shortly. Watch this blog closely for our top team!

Ericsson Buenos Aires

2009-03-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

Ericsson Buenos Aires started off with a key point that gripped me initially. The team was adamant that it doesn't matter who the customer really is - whether he is a farmer in India receiving a text message about commodity prices in the stock market or whether he is a user like you and me where communication and making our lives easier is what IP is all about.

Ericsson Buenos Aires is of the opinion that it is "all about data". And where the relevant industries are involved, Ericsson can capture the most space. As explained by Ericsson Buenos Aires, as we "move data from A to B, we can capture the most along the value chain". And how Ericsson can do this is from alliances with strategic IT partners - "It convergence leads to business convergence".

Ericsson Buenos Aires looked at the user today and the user in the future. What the cosumer was ultimately interested in was to enjoy a seemless experience, currently not provided in the market place.

Another interesting point provided by this team was the proposition that the now widely used and available mobile devices are considered "dumb terminals". The data storage in the future will not be confined to these "dumb terminals" but storage will be located in the grid that can be controlled and contained by Ericsson.

The team encouraged Ericsson to be proactive in leading and driving standards instead of being reactive to the new innovations when Ericsson clearly has the advantage of being a leader in infrastructure and a strong global presence.

Ericsson Stockholm

2009-03-28T16:00:00.002-04:00

Very different delivery style from Ericsson Stockholm. Simpler slides, slower paced delivery. “Solutions are the new products” is a similar theme to the Ericsson Nanjing theme—the addition of the CSR theme though, was novel. Ericsson will enhance its brand equity by making energy use smarter and the consumer more efficient as individuals. Also it will lead to market penetration in emerging countries if Ericsson becomes more energy efficient.

Ericsson Stockholm's main ideas addressed:
· Interoperability of all systems to create a stronger, more powerful consumer
· Ericsson must enable interoperability
· Mesh networking with a bandwidth or usage revenue model
· Forming partnerships with governments

Ericsson Manila

2009-03-28T16:00:00.000-04:00

Shaking hands with the judges and introducing themselves, Ericsson Manila gets politeness points right off the bat.

Ericsson Manila’s initial assessment of the landscape emphasizes the expanding nature of all different competitors… network companies moving towards solutions, device companies moving towards networks, etc. They also identify markets in Asia and Africa, Smart Products, and Energy Efficiency as the main opportunities. Ericsson Manila creates a great user anecdotes to illustrate the mobile convergence we expect in the future. These examples—one in the developed world and one in the developing world—demonstrate the value and the opportunities for profit available. They are great on product and services ideas, including the “dumb phone,” a bare bones device that runs off of hand crank or solar power. Cash flow from targeted advertising—a big theme seen both last year and this year… The GANTT chart scheduling the roll out of all of these plans was a nice touch.

The Q&A is a little uncomfortable at first… sometimes there’s a danger in using too many specifics! Once they got going though, they really had solid responses to the very tough challenges from the judges…

This is really going to be a tough decision for the judges!

Ericsson Nanjing

2009-03-28T14:30:00.001-04:00

Dean Chalykoff provided a round of introductions of the panel of judges:

Per Jomer, VP Group Strategy, Ericsson
Par-Anders Pherson, VP Human Resources and Organization Market, Ericsson

Peter Seremetis, COO, Lloyds America

Ericsson Nanjing was the first team to present. Their proposal "Project Aether", was inspired by Aether, the Greek God of air. The team's rationale is that the element of air is always present but not always noticeable. Ericsson can employ the same concept and be noticeable but not always visible.

The key question that Ericsson Nanjing addressed was "how to continue sustainable profitable growth in an already competitive environment".

Ericsson Nanjing painted a storyline of Kevin the urbanite in 2020. Kevin, instead of having to connect via different standards is able to enjoy an inter-connected environment, a world without wires. Kwasi in Botswana, however has different needs, where health, banking, learning are crucial differences. In an all IP encompassing world where Ericsson plays and hopes to win, Ericsson must exploit the ability to cross applications to drive profitability.

Ericsson enjoys a strong brand in B to B space and its opportunity is to take advantage of the existing infrastructure and keep innovating not just in the technical environment but allow innovation from its consumers. Ericsson Nanjing used Starbucks as an example where the average customer can provide feedback to the company.

Comments from Ericsson Executives, Global Perspectives Program

2009-03-28T13:59:00.005-04:00

I spoke with Ericsson's executives from the Global Perspective Program, having no idea what the case question was, Chris Byford, Ericsson was "open to the ideas and creativity".

I was delighted to find out that that Amitabh Pandey (Director, Business Strategies, Ericsson) and David Ekberg (Director, Ericsson) were tasked with "compling the key ideas from the 15 presentations and presenting them during a management meeting for the top 200 managers in Ericsson 2 months from now.

Anna Bostrom (General Manager, Head of PDU Multimedia Enablers & Clients, Ericsson) had " the highest of expectations just by looking around the room".

Ozgur Tohumcu (Vice President, KAM Avea & Turk Telekom, Ericsson) commented that he was "looking more for a provocative view-point and to push the bar because the paticipants coming from a new perspective could add value to this competition from a different angle".

Cecilia de Leeuw (Director, Sales Support, Ericsson) - picture below

The 4 Finalists

2009-03-28T13:14:00.007-04:00

After much deliberation, the 4 finalists were annouced after lunch. The air was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. Judges from each group provided a few comments on the overall presentations.

*****************

Group 1: Stain Kildal, Ericsson - "It was a great experience and were impressed with the comprehensive package and story in 24 hours. Questions around Ericsson's business model is highly relevant to Ericsson".

It was Ericsson Stockholm that took victory in Group 1.

******************

Group 2: Gabriela Styf-Sjoman, Ericsson - "I wish I can take the 4 teams, combine them and give them a new task". Gabriela provided a few words for each team in Group 2. Ericsson Beijng: "interesting and intelligent ideas to drive traffic" Ericsson Tokyo: "I was very touched by Maria's personal story of a mother's perspective in 2020 being a mother myself. Ericsson Manila: "excellent presentation, great overall picture and the team differentiated what we need to do to establish ourselves in the emerging markets". Ericsson Montreal: "presented Ericsson's strengths and weaknesses and took the judges along with them by "thinking out of the box".

"It was a very very tough decision" but Ericsson Manila took the spot.

******************

Group 3: Panel of judges commented that they were "impressed by the foresights and the insights" provided. They might employ the same 24 hour time period for their employees at Ericsson because "even with months of preparation, some plans are not as good as the ones we've seen today".

Ericsson Buenos Aires was in the words of Cecilia de Leeuw, Ericsson "might have worked for Ericsson before".

*********************

Group 4: The panel of judges commented how "refreshing it was to see the new perspectives in such a short time". But provided a few comments for all the teams: "(1) given the opportunities, to make the best of them, (2) challenge the corporation to make the corporation better (3) change is constant, what you do today is not enough".

Ericsson Nanjing took home the sweet spot.

*******************************************

The schedule of events for the next few hours follows:

Ericsson Nanjing - 2.30pm
Ericsson Stockholm - 3.15pm
Ericsson Manila - 4.00pm
Ericsson Buneos Aires - 4.45pm

A cocktail reception after the end of the 4 presentations will be held in the atrium for all to enjoy.

Final Round of Presentations! DONE and DONE!!!

2009-03-28T12:08:00.007-04:00

So *phew*, we've got though the final round of presentations, the teams have said what they have to say.

Ericsson Delhi - were reluctant with comments after their presentations. Providing a good explanation, they were hurrying off to "prepare for the next round".

Ericsson Dallas - "PHEW", thought that they did a good job in the Q&A given that the team has no time to prepare for the Q&A session.

Ericsson Montreal - "We thought we did well and their back-up slides came in useful during the Q&A". Montreal as were all teams "excited to know the results", at the same time, "happy to either way get to the next round or get some sleep".

Midway Presentation Comments from the Judges

2009-03-28T12:00:00.002-04:00

The judges were asking many clarifying questions and were digging deeper into the quality of analysis and the recommendations that the teams provided. However, the judges that I spoke with were "impressed by the good understanding of the issues" Ericsson faced. Stain Kildal, Product Manager, Ericsson "the teams were innovative and constructive with their suggestions".

Joanna Lau, President and Founder, Lau Technologies commented that "the participants were in tune with the environment in the IT world".

Round 3 Presentations - DONE!

2009-03-28T11:21:00.010-04:00

Ericsson Sao Paolo "whatever the outcome, we achieved it as a team". The team worked together as a cohesive structure and complimented each other during the Q&A session. The team added that they did "anticipate most of the questions except for one".

Overheard in the grad lounge - "one of the best things the judges did when we began the Q&A is hearing the judges say they "wanted a conversation"".

Ericsson Manila - achieved "professional poise" and "the judges were genuinely curious about our ideas instead of poking holes in our presentation". When asked about how confident they were about going into the finals, - Ericsson Manila replied - "we'll wait and watch".

Ericsson Johannesburg, complete with their chaperone in tow (see first picture below, lady in red). One member commented "after 48 hours of no sleep because of someone who was snoring like a rhino from Johannesburg..... we are here in one piece".

Ericsson Buenos Aires

Second Round Presentations

2009-03-28T11:07:00.005-04:00

Starting promptly at 9.50am, the teams were presented with the same 20 minute presentation time and 20 minute Q&A format. Teams Bangalore, Tokyo, Madrid and Najing are done with their presentations. I sat with Ericsson Madrid's team and were "happy with our presentation given the time we had, we thought we did a fair job". Ericsson Madrid thought that the questions were fair and "the judges asked good questions" that "articulated holes in the presentation".

However, at the end of the allocated 40 minutes, Ericsson Madrid emerged satisfied and relieved.

Ericsson Nanjing, Ericsson Tokyo and Ericsson Banglore are all, at the time of reporting finished with their presentations.

Ericsson Nanjing - thought that they did a better job in Q&A

Ericsson Bangalore - "ready for the second round"

Ericsson Tokyo

The first of 9am presentations

2009-03-28T09:03:00.010-04:00

After a full breakfast in the 4th floor dining hall, the 4 teams with the 9am presentations are well underway. The teams look fresh and ready to roll after their 24-hour marathon preparation despite many not being able to get any sleep. Starting promptly at the strike of 9, this is it guys!

I am in the presentation room with Ericsson Rome, after formal handshakes and brief introductions, Ericsson Rome are forging ahead with their presentatons and are off to a strong start

The judges are listening intently and are making furious hand-written comments on their handouts.

Ericsson Zagreb, Ericsson Beijing and Ericsson Stockholm were all part of the first round 9am presentations.

Post 1st round presentation pictures:

Ericsson Rome - "It's over!!!"

Ericsson Stockholm - hanging out in the lounge looking relaxed after a long time...

Ericsson Zagreb - "happy overall and with the quality of work. We worked very hard and choose the position that was best and relevant for Ericsson within such a broad case subject matter".

Ericsson Beijing - "we did reasonably well"

Pre-Presentation Comments from the Judges

2009-03-28T08:53:00.008-04:00

After the judges were briefed during breakfast by Professor Venkat on the case question, I managed to get a few brief comments from the panel of judges.

Pictures during the briefing for the panel of judges

"Good insights from an outside perspective because we (Ericsson) are looking at the same questions" - Ozgur Tohumcu, Ericsson. "The question is complex and we hope to be impressed by the participants."

Gabriela Styf-Sjoman, Ericsson flew in for the event and is looking forward to the "passion and innovation" that will be embodied in the presentations. She is eager to find out what "areas the teams will choose to focus on" given such a "broad" case question.

Bill Hewitt,President and CEO, Kalido, is back again as a judge at this competition for the second time and is looking forward to some "insights to the issues" at hand. "The world is moving at such a fast pace that the strategies executed must be much faster", therefore this competition is very relevant to the "practical matters facing many companies" today.

Tim Wright, General Partner, GrandBanks Capital, a true venture capitalist is here "looking for the next deal". Here with a slightly biased motivation, Tim is here to find the "next wave of entrepreneurs".

The big post-midnight present

2009-03-28T04:26:00.008-04:00

Ericsson Johannesburg made us this huge banner and hung it in front of the Grad Lounge at 4:30 AM. How they did that, was balance themselves on a tall trash can and really risk their lives to pin it up. It is an acknowledgment of the efforts of the volunteers and staff at BU (SMG) to make this case competition happen. In the words of one of their team-members "You guys don't even have adrenalin to run on, like the rest of us". Aren't we glad someone realizes that and thanks us for it? Ericsson Johannesburg, you are the best.
PS: Sorry about the bad picture, its the best my camera phone could do.

The night drags along

2009-03-28T02:30:00.009-04:00

Ericsson Dallas has some strange dynamics - team members were, at one point, closely collaborating, now they are as far from each other as they can be. Can it be that the pressure is getting to them? They do seem fairly comfortable with their position at this point and are aiming for 6 hours of sleep. I hope that works out for you guys.

Ericsson Tokyo is one confident team. Despite being super tired after their long flight, they are actually almost done drafting their strategy. A few rehearsals and off they go to bed. Good luck team Tokyo!

JetLag Bonus

2009-03-28T01:43:00.003-04:00

Ericsson Delhi's 4th member is suspiciously MIA. Then I found him in a corner, passed out on the floor. I highly suspect it was Morton's causing the comatose effect. The rest of this team has still not recovered from the jet lag- they are wide awake; after all, "it's still afternoon" from where they are.

First team to present

2009-03-28T01:40:00.005-04:00

Ericsson Stockholm like Ericsson Johannesburg aims to be out of the building by 2 or 3am since the team will be the first to present tomorrow.

I hope these energy drinks are keeping the team sustained.

Volunteer on night duty

2009-03-28T01:39:00.004-04:00

At this point, we have some volunteers that are probably more tired than the teams that are strategizing away. I did not expect all of these volunteers to hang out post midnight but here they are, braving sleep. Kudos guys, I can use some company.

Goal of 2-3 hours sleep

2009-03-28T01:36:00.006-04:00

Ericsson Johannesburg is still looking forward to 2-3 hours of sleep. However, I suspect they are more likely to achieve this goal if they spent less time gossipping about the organizing committee! By the way, it was their idea to vote for the Best/Worst volunteer.

"Still Surviving"

2009-03-28T01:32:00.004-04:00

"Still surviving" is a phrase I am hearing a lot these past few hours. Ericsson Manila, was also, like other teams "surviving". Their previous comment about getting sufficient sleep is being hotly debated by the organizing committee. Will Ericsson Manila surprise us by leaving early for the hotel?

"What's the scoop on the other teams?"

2009-03-28T01:25:00.003-04:00

Ericsson Buneos Aires did try to bribe me with a little something something... they used a very old fashioned trick "you give me something, I'll give you something in return". So, they did try to force me to reveal which teams have finished. My lips were sealed, "I can't tell you, my code of honour will be destroyed", Ericsson Buenos Aires "oh come on... the other teams are done right?"

"Millions more time"

2009-03-28T01:17:00.006-04:00

Ericsson Montreal's - when I entered the room, the team uttered, "we wished we had millions more time" is also the team that is counting its blessings along the way. Their goal at this point is to "make it to the second round". And the team's just thrilled of the idea of speaking with the CEO, CFO and executives of Ericsson because without this competition, this team may not have a chance of being able to get "direct access to the top management of Ericsson".

Private Email

2009-03-28T01:09:00.002-04:00

As I scanned Ericsson Madrid's projection on the screen, the topic wasn't about Ericsson, it wasn't about Ericsson's competitors, it wasn't even remotely anything related to this competition. They were replying emails to: "anybody up for a game in the park?".

On a totally seperate note, when asked how certain they were about leaving the building to get some shut-eye, they couldn't give me a straight answer. "We are uncertain about tomorrow, uncertain about 2020, but we are most certain about being extremely drunk after 7pm tomorrow". Their challenge to the rest of the other teams - an entirely non-academic booze competition starting at 7pm.

Post Pizza

2009-03-27T23:44:00.006-04:00

As midnight approaches, teams are getting their fill of pizza and energy drinks. Dean Chalykoff was here in the grad lounge to chat them up. I got a chance to ask them what they thought of the case and a lot of them admitted they were stumped. Despite that, many of the teams are hopeful of a few hours of sleep.
For those of you who haven't had your fill yet, we have plenty of pizza at the grad lounge, a couple of cookies (yeah, they went fast) and some rice crispies. If you need your spirits lifted at 3AM, go find your friendly(?) volunteer on night-shift.

Organizing Committee

2009-03-27T23:11:00.002-04:00

Cast your votes for the Organizing Committee...

1. Who is the most annoying volunteer?

2. Who is the nicest?

3. Who is the volunteer that doesn't do any work?

The most diplomatic team

2009-03-27T22:49:00.002-04:00

Ericsson Sao Paolo is by far the team to have said anything nice about the other teams. We "think everyone is smart and will have a similar formula for the judges". Blogger: "But don't you think the subject is too broad for that to be even possible?". Ericsson Sao Paolo: "Well, there is a reason why we all came to this stage right?"

"No pizza without drama"

2009-03-27T22:45:00.001-04:00

So the committee chair wants me to announce that "there won't be any pizza for teams not providing drama for the blog"

"We don't know about our energy levels"

2009-03-27T22:42:00.005-04:00

Ericsson Bangalore - was the deadliest room I entered. At 9pm, they all seemed like they didn't want to talk to each other. I was unable to decipher the communication, the team members were all speaking in some native language. On second thoughts, maybe that was intentional. One of the issues that they were struggling with were the lack of information and concrete evidence.

Midnight Train

2009-03-27T22:33:00.004-04:00

Ericsson Nanjing's plan is to potentially leave the building at midnight. According to the team, they are "almost done" and apparently had time to think about changing the competition rules for next year. Ericsson Nanjing wants the case comp rules to permit "dogs and other living creatures" to help encourage creativity. Mooky had to leave.

Cookies for dinner

2009-03-27T22:26:00.003-04:00

"So we are on the 5th wind" - energy levels. Blogger: "umm.. did you guys have dinner yet?" Ericsson Rome: (turns to another team member, slightly confused at the question): "umm.... did we have dinner yet?" Another Ericsson Rome team member "do cookies count?"

Ericsson Rome suffered a slight malfunction with the doors, the doors wouldn't shut and had to call facility maintainence to fix them. Ericsson Rome "we are maintaining secrecy, hence the drama with maintainence".

"A Sexy Formula"

2009-03-27T22:22:00.006-04:00

Ericsson Zagaeb is "starting to come together" and 12 hours into the competition, came up with a "sexy" formula. Their walls were plastered with flipcharts with furious writing, team members were playing devil's advocate and digging deep and tearing apart each other's comments.

"We haven't had dinner"

2009-03-27T22:13:00.005-04:00

Ericsson Beijing at the 12th hour, the team started at 9am and having converged on a story line at 2pm were now revisting their ideas and were confident that the team were on the same page. Having not eaten a full dinner and relying solely on the quickly drying up snacks, will Ericsson Beijing survive till the arrival of the 11pm pizzas?

Yea... so that's why they didn't need dinner...

Superstar in our midst

2009-03-27T20:07:00.008-04:00

Apparently, we have a superstar in our midst. Take Omae from Ericsson Delhi looks supsiciously like a Hong Kong superstar -Edison Chen. The picture below does not do justice to him here, but if you see Take Omae in person, you will be startled at the uncanny resemblance.

Take Omae

Edison Chen (Singer, Actor from Hong Kong)

The Big Move

2009-03-27T19:04:00.003-04:00

Finally, the teams in the 6 by 6 rooms have finally managed to ditch their rooms and move to the larger classrooms for a capacity of 5, complete with a desktop, projector and a full podium for to practice their practice.

Morton's The Steakhouse

2009-03-27T18:39:00.003-04:00

Ericsson Delhi has decided to leave the School of Management building and head to Morton's The Steakhouse on One Exeter Plaza, 699 Boylston at Exeter (http://www.mortons.com/) to enjoy a relaxing dinner away from the stress and from the other teams.

"We're all done!" - Ericsson Sao Paolo

2009-03-27T17:52:00.009-04:00

Ericsson Sao Paolo - Sao Paolo... woo hoo!!! So Ericsson - listen up, Sao Paolo thinks that the case question is not challenging / abstract nor broad enough, they needed Pablo Picasso to design the question. Sao Paolo wanted the competition to be done in 12 hours. I really doubt that the other teams will agree to Sao Paolo's proposition.

Ericsson Montreal - this team were still in the brainstorming stage, their strategy is to generate and think about various alternatives and possibilities instead of diving into a plan at this point. The question presents some wonderful "creative and innovative" angles. Montreal comprises a team member from the fashion industry. I wonder if a stylistic approach is what Montreal is employing.

Ericsson Dallas - Dallas' has not been confined to the boundaries presented by the question. Their approach is to look at fresh perspectives and bring to the table "something different from the other teams". Will Team Dallas' forceful all tech background community run at the forefront of this competition?

Ericsson Delhi - By far, the team enjoying the best room with leather chairs and a full conference table. Does the comfort level that the team has been taking pleasure in provide a headstart as compared to the rest of the teams in the 6 by 6 closets?

Strategizing for next year's case comp

2009-03-27T16:44:00.012-04:00

Ericsson Nanjing - this team had an advantage working together as a team for 3 other occassions, team dynamics had already been forged coming into this competition. Their preparation strategy last night was spent watching American Idol, an insight beyond this competition, I just found out that Michael Sarver got booted. NOOO!!!!

Ericsson Johannesburg - the minute we were done with this team's interviews, we heard "oh no, where were we, they distracted us, can we rewind the time?" Johannesburg also showed the BU organizing committee and volunteers the most lurve (evidently displayed in a poster on the team room's door).

Ericsson Manila - this was the most conflicting team by far. One participant was "out for the kill" and the other was all peace and said "we're not here to instill violence!".

Ericsson Buenos Aires: the university this team represents will initiate an internal competition from next year, sending the top team from the internal selection to next year's case competition. Looks like each university is going to prepare their teams well before entering next year's competition!

Misquoted!

2009-03-27T16:34:00.002-04:00

So, apparently I misquoted Queen's School of Business.

The team was not hoping to get 7 hours of sleep as previously quoted but "was sure to get up to 8 hours of sleep". Now that the air is clear, the other teams have Queen's sleeping record to beat.

Energy Drink

2009-03-27T14:48:00.008-04:00

Ericsson Rome: "we are not a big fan of the energy drink". The team was engaged in an intense discussion and we had to visit them a second time because they didn't want to be interrupted the first time. One team member interestingly, comes from a not for profit background.

Ericsson Madrid's team are doing "fantastic". The comment on how abstract and broad this year's case question was was the general sentiment from many teams. One team member became involved only since Tuesday but the team's growth was more of an organic movement.

Ericsson Tokyo: the most organized of teams with a detailed time schedule. But the generally friendly team did want to "from time to time, throw one team member out of the room". Team Tokyo's 4 were invited by the school's faculty out of 18 selected.

Ericsson Bangalore: the 13 hour difference was wearing the team down, still not recovered from jetlag, but the motivation to "take down ..." proved to be their motivation.

The small 6 by 6 rooms were a challenge to work in for hours at an end. Hopefully, the teams can take advantage of a bigger room in 3 hours.

3 hours into the competition

2009-03-27T13:45:00.011-04:00

Ericsson Stockholm were in good spirits and seemed to be on a roll. 1/2 of the team took part in the case competition last year, commented that the case this year was a lot more "big picture" and there was more leeway for the team to come up with interesting ideas. The competition's team selection process was very much internal via an application procedure.

Ericsson Beijing was visited slightly after lunch and were "full and happy". Their preparation involved "talking to last year's participating team" and dividing up the team to research on the background and financials of the company. The team did somewhat anticipate the case question but similarly with Ericsson Stockholm expressed how last year's case was a little more specific and detailed. Team members conveyed that they needed to "build more momentum" and "pull together their ideas". The team comprised of a scientist, another from consumer electronics and 2 from a tech background.

Ericsson Zageab was the team with the most ideas, every inch on the 4 flipcharts and boards were covered with ideas, diagrams and illustrations. The team was certainly in the thick of discussion and engrossed with formulating their approach.

Comments from Prof Venkat

2009-03-27T11:46:00.005-04:00

CaseComp2009: Now, Professor Venkat, you've been involved in the competition for 2 years running, what are the major differences comparing the case last year and this year?
Prof Venkat: This year's case is definitely more challenging and the major difference is that the case presented this year relates directly to the hearts and minds of top Ericsson executives. Last year's case revolved around strategies for a specific Ericsson client. The fact that 25 executives from Ericsson, including the President and CEO, Ericsson, Carl-Hendric flying in from Stockholm are judging the competition is a clear indication of the importance of this competition to Ericsson.

Participants have been informed to set up the issues and recommendations for Hans Vestberg, CFO to present to Carl-Henric, President and CEO over the course of the next few weeks. (Management team of Ericsson, http://www.ericsson.com/ericsson/corpinfo/management/index.shtml). Adding to that, a convention in Las Vegas next week where Ercisson's executives will discuss the issues facing the company; what the participants have to say during these 2 days will impact conversations within Ericsson in one way or another.

CaseComp2009: What are the top of the mind challenges facing the competitors early on in the game?
Prof Venkat: I think the participants would have done their homework before the start of this competition but how much more analysis has to be done within the next 24 hours remains to be seen. How the teams strategize and divide up the work between them and make the best use of their time will make a difference to the team's performance. I certainly look forward to the presentations tomorrow.

An all IP Convergence World

2009-03-27T10:01:00.010-04:00

All 15 teams have finally been briefed in detail about Ericsson's requirements and desired outcomes for this competition. Professor Venkat (below) articulated the guidelines, resources and criteria for the competition. And boy, am I glad that I am not a participant because the teams definitely have their work cut out for them in the next gruelling 24 hours.

The world of internet protocol (IP) is becoming increasingly complex with the arrival of the convergence of voice, video and data on a common, flexible IP platform. These issues are at the forefront of Ericsson's executives' mind and this competition will confront this core group of creme de la crème to frame the opportunities and challenges facing Ericsson, identify the risks and vulnerabilities and of course, provide sound recommendations.

The theme for this year's annual international Tech Strategy Case Competition titled "Ericsson moves to win in the all IP Convergence World". Ericsson's stellar past performance with recent wins in the industry and solid financial performance presents a company not to be triffled with, but how well is Ericsson poised for the future?

Case briefing begins

2009-03-27T09:37:00.002-04:00

As the teams trickle in and grab their coffees, Prof Venkat is gearing up to brief them on this year's case - which we know nothing about yet. Teams are being shown around the building at the moment - the first thing I show anyone is the Starbucks, not like that is a novelty anymore. It seems like all the teams love their hotel, the Buckminster, which is right across the street from the SMG building. There is one thing we did right!
Time to show the next group around SMG, keep watching this space for interesting trivia on the teams.

The night before the storm

2009-03-26T22:59:00.013-04:00

This evening, the 14 participating schools minus Wharton were in high spirits, meeting each other for the first time before the start of the competition. Wharton was unfortunate with a delayed flight and will be due to arrive tomorrow morning.

But for the rest of the crowd, the night was filled with drinks, appetizers and interaction between the participants and the organizing committee. The reception sponsored by Chevron was a prelude for things to come.

The teams that I spoke with generally had no initial strategy in place but the 2 teams that I spoke with, the Marshall School of Business said their "only strategy was to win". On the other extreme, Queen's School of Business was "hoping for 7 hours of sleep".

As I scanned the room, the teams were formed by people from different nationalities. I asked HKUST what the science was for picking team members. I was introduced to a very organized, intense, internal competition at HKUST to select only the best to participate in this competition at BU. Students who wished to participate in case competitions are required to take a 2 month course where students are exposed to the case method solving, and only students with an A minus and above can participate in case competitions. Team members must further satisfy the requirement of having 1 team member from the People's Republic of China, 1 non PRC Asian team member and 1 American or American educated team member.

Many of the schools I spoke with also received full support from their schools. In particular, Beatriz Guzman Gonzales, Associate Director, was a chaperone to the IPADE team, providing support in person to the team.

Stephen Newman, Ericsson (left) commented that Ericsson is extremely pleased to be involved with Boston University and the Case Competition for the 2nd year running. He expects the participants to take the issues in the case seriously and suggest new perspectives and approaches. It is also a wonderful opportunity for Ericsson to pick up on the issues that are important to young people and find out what do "students pick up and we don't".

Dean Mike Lawson (above) expects to see lots of technical analysis this year and is ready to sit back and enjoy the presentations. During his speech, he emphasized on the "globalized" environment that we live in and how IT can make the world a better place. He was delighted to see so many students from countries all over the world and noted in his 35th year at BU that no other event offers greater pleasure.

The evening ended with a few brave individuals ready for their 1oth (I mean, 3rd drink) at Cornwall's

A Mini United Nations

2009-03-26T16:02:00.005-04:00

Tonight, students from around the world representing 23 nationalities from countries, India, China, Russia, Iran, Spain, Germany, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, Colombia, Netherlands, Italy, Canada, the United Kingdom, Philippines, Kenya and of course, the United States will let themselves loose before the gruelling 24 hour competition begins tomorrow morning.

I do hope these guys take advantage of the night and enjoy another round of drinks before tomorrow!

Last but not least - Boston University School of Management

2009-03-26T15:45:00.008-04:00

And of course, the hosts of the competition - Boston University School of Management.

At Boston University School of Management, our greatest distinction arises from this fusing of the art, science, and technology of business, a comprehensive approach essential for effective organizational leadership.

The Science of Business where the quantitative disciplines of finance, accounting, statistics, operations, etc. are combined with the subtley of doing business “think horizontally”, anticipating consequences and an ability to envision possibilities. This is further integrated with the technology of how business is conducted. The 3-dimensional approach gives students an integrated view of the business environment.

Boston University School of Management Website: http://management.bu.edu/

Sloan School of Management - MIT

2009-03-26T15:38:00.006-04:00

Flying in from across Charles River, MIT is the last remaining team participating in the competition to arrive.

Like MIT itself, MIT Sloan draws its power from a paradox: it is a place for visionary pragmatists, for hands-on thinkers, for people who dream of changing the world and have the plan and the passion to make it happen. Will MIT's motto of mens et manus (“mind and hand”), where combining theory and practical application lead MIT to even greater glory?

Sloan School of Management, MIT Website: http://mitsloan.mit.edu/

The Wharton School - University of Pennsylvania

2009-03-26T15:29:00.007-04:00

Wharton has led curricular development in business education through a rigorous core, an interdisciplinary approach, and hundreds of electives. Globally recognized coordinated dual-degree programs include the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology for undergraduates and the Lauder/Wharton MBA/MA program — both firsts of their kind.

But will the team's rigorous intellect outshine the rest of the participants and prove to be the winning factor?

Wharton School of Business Website: http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/

McCombs School of Business - University of Texas

2009-03-26T15:22:00.005-04:00

The culture at McCombs School of Business is decidedly future-focused. Students, faculty and staff are known for their propensity to adapt and embrace change in the pursuit of career excellence. To put it briefly, this isn’t a stuffy place. Yet an appreciation of the history and traditions of one of the country’s oldest business schools and most distinguished public universities certainly exists.

McCombs School of Business Website: http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/

Kenan-Flagler Business School - University of North Carolina

2009-03-26T15:13:00.006-04:00

UNC Kenan-Flagler was one of the first top business schools to place students in teams and help you develop abilities to work with and through others, a skill that is key to effective leadership. The school has been doing it since the 1970's before it was popular, and is still among the best at it according to hiring companies.

Will UNC's spirit of teamwork give its team an edge in this competition? We are all too eager to find out!

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Website: http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/

Kellogg School of Management - Northwestern University

2009-03-24T23:23:00.005-04:00

Student culture at Kellogg is rich and multi-faceted, but a single principle ties it all together: teamwork. Kelloggs' students collaborate in the classroom (and outside) to the cirriculum's challenges. Will Kellogg's spirit of teamwork provide a strong front in this competition? We wait with baited anticipation!

Marshall School of Business - University of Southern California

2009-03-24T23:04:00.011-04:00

The Marshall School of Business arrived shortly after the IESE team

Marshall's foundation for success offers a business education that balances theory with real-world application. The hallmarks of its program are its emphasis on entrepreneurial spirit, its global perspective, its incorporation of technological advances to expedite business practices, and recognition of new areas of specialization in the business world.

Will Marshall's focus on the entrepreneurial spirit put its team in good stead in the competition - stay tuned.

Marshall School of Business Website: http://www.marshall.usc.edu/

IESE Business School - University of Navarra, Spain

2009-03-24T22:52:00.006-04:00

Teams are arriving at breakneck speed, I certainly hope my colleagues at Logan International are able to hold down the fortress.

The values of IESE today can be traced back to the first program: an excellent faculty attuned to the needs of companies, who share IESE’s ambition to help business leaders and executives improve their professional These guiding principles have been consistently upheld by
IESE since it was first established as the business school of the University of Navarra, which was founded by Opus Dei, an institution of the Roman Catholic Church. Based on a Christian perspective of people and society, IESE programs underscore the key role of each person in the corporate world.

IESE Business School Website: http://www.iese.edu/en/

Eller College of Management - University of Arizona

2009-03-24T22:38:00.008-04:00

Eller, located in Tuscan, Arizona enjoys a 5:1 student-faculty ratio. The small class size offers the benefit of personalized attention from both the University's faculty and staff. The benefits of a small, cohesive community within a highly regarded public research university is one of Eller's many strengths. Students also have access to the top ranked McGuire Entrepreneurship Program, http://entrepreneurship.eller.arizona.edu/

Eller College of Management Website: http://mba.eller.arizona.edu/

London Business School

2009-03-24T22:14:00.003-04:00

The second member flying into Logan International touched down at 2.10pm joining the rest of the team who arrived in Boston earlier.

London Business School's vision is clear - "to the the pre-eminent business school". Its program is truly international with students from 130 countries competing in a highly acclaimed environment. "Being in central London has a huge influence on what we do. It is a city which provides an ideal environment for our focus on pre-eminence and internationalism. This is true not only of the City as a financial centre, but of London as a vibrant community." - Dean Liekierman

London Business School Website: http://www.london.edu/index.html

Queen's School of Business, Queen's University, Canada

2009-03-24T21:58:00.004-04:00

The first team to arrive Thursday morning is from Queen's University, Canada.

Addressing the question of whether Queen's University is changing its cirriculum as a result of the economic crisis, Dean Saunders, Queen's University responded "Whether the economy is booming or busting, our first priority is to teach tomorrow’s business leaders the fundamentals of business -- including risk management, ethics and judgement -- and help them develop a global perspective".

Queen's School of Business Website: http://business.queensu.ca/

2nd day of Team Arrivals

2009-03-24T21:24:00.001-04:00

It's just one day before the official start of the 4th Annual Tech Strategy Case Competition 2009. 2 more teams arrived today, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and IPADE Business School, Mexico.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

With its committment to the integration of technology, management and entrepreneurship, aimed particularly at the creation of value in the context of the development of Hong Kong and the region around the Pearl River Delta, HKUST remains an important piece of business education in the Asian region.

As China develops into one of the world's economic superpowers, Hong Kong will be one of the world's leading centers for business education and research, HKUST remains poised to take advantage of its strategic location and implementation of its plans.

HKUST Website: http://www.ust.hk/eng/index.htm

IPADE Business School, Mexico

"A distinctive factor of the MBA Program at IPADE, is its focus on the human factor"
- Juan Carlos Rojo
IPADE MBA Class 2010

Besides IPADE's humanistic approach to doing business, IPADE's program is structured in 6 academic terms and a practical quarter called “Summer Internship” during which the candidate develops a business or entrepreneurial project.

IPADE's website: http://www.ipade.mx/html/home.html

Another 11 teams are due to arrive tomorrow - the air is buzzing with anticipation!

Source: http://www.ust.hk/strategy/e_3_5.html
http://www.ipade.mx/html/home.html

The first teams to arrive

2009-03-24T15:59:00.002-04:00

Seoul National University, Korea and 3/4s of Fudan University, China are the first of the 15 teams to arrive in Boston today. The remaining member of Fudan University will arrive tomorrow.

To provide a better understanding of the various teams, a short introduction to the competing schools will follow in the next few blog posts.

Fudan University, China

Fudan University located in Shanghai, China is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China. Fudan University's belief in school-enterprise collaboration has cemented ties with leading industry enterprises, providing students and the faculty opportunities of co-operation on an extensive scale.

Fudan University School of Management Website: http://www.fdms.fudan.edu.cn/en

Seoul National University, Korea

Seoul National University located in the exciting city of Seoul, Korea is the undisputed leader of advanced educated in Korea. Established in 1964, the Seoul National University Graduate School of Business cirriculum centres around corporate needs.

Seoul National University Website: http://gsb.snu.ac.kr/Eng/main.aspx

Source:
Fudan University emblem: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Fudan_logo.jpg
Seoul National University emblem: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6a/Seoul_national_university_emblem.png

The countdown begins!

2009-03-17T22:39:00.000-04:00

The case competition committee here at the BU School of Management is super excited to be organizing the 4th International Tech Strategy case competition - we are especially looking forward to seeing new faces & talent coming in top b-schools from around the world.
That is the first sentence-paragraph I ever wrote. On a more serious note, we want our readers to keep coming back to this blog, to read about our teams for this year's competition and how they will formulate their strategies in a grueling 24-hour competition, right here, in the heart of bustling Boston.
We greatly love and appreciate your comments, suggestions and support, so keep them coming!