Spring 2018 Graduate Experiential Learning Projects
Spring 2018 Projects
Client: Ceramex North American LLC (Part of the SCR Holding Corporation)
Project Summary:
The Spring 2018 engagement focuses on:
A marketing and sales distribution model by determining optimum channels for selling and distributing products to 2nd and 3rd owners of trucks (Trucks that are 15+ years old) and optimum communication strategies and marketing medium for truck dealership parts and service managers focusing on branding.
"By participating in the project based learning course, I feel I grew as a leader. I took what I've learned in the classroom and applied it to help a local company. Each of my group members brought their own expertise to the group and through teamwork and collaboration we created a solution the company was excited to implement. Not only did I grow my skills, I made lasting connections with other students and business leaders in the community." Chloe Shauck
“Participating in the experiential learning project for me was an amazing opportunity to combine the concepts learned in the classroom with the real-life complexity of business. You are given a chance to prove what you have learned during your college experience to a business that is genuinely excited to hear your ideas. It is a unique way to improve your personal and professional skills while also obtaining college credit toward your degree path.” Robert Orr
Client: TransLand Trucking
Project Summary:
TransLand Trucking is a premier transportation company. Located in, the hub of over-the road transportation, Strafford, MO, TransLand is a family business that understands families. From in-house training programs to retirement plans, TransLand offers a lifelong career and a life to go with it.
Always looking to improve their employees’ experiences, TransLand engaged with a group of Missouri State University MBS students to build additional training materials for their Customer Service Department.
The students created a training manual that included interactive, online flowcharts that documented the position’s standard operating procedures.
According to Brian Baremore, Vice President, Operations/Business Systems, “The final manual and documents created are top notch. Each page is sharp, to the point, and professionally presented. The exercise made our employees think more about what they do on a daily and weekly basis. The students were efficient and managed to capture the CSR duties in a very short amount of time. Overall, the experience was great.”
“I had an incredible time during the experiential learning project. My favorite part was getting the opportunity to apply what I've learned from my studies in previous classes to a realistic business environment. Over the course of the semester, our team was able to get a behind-the-scenes look at the discrete operations of the organization and build relationships not only with their top management but also with each other. Once we presented the tools we created for the firm to their executives, they were so ecstatic they wanted to take us all out for lunch and that was a great feeling.” Avrey Droney
Client: Ollis/Akers/Arney Insurance
Project Summary:
In July 2015, two insurance agencies combined. Ollis & Company and Akers & Arney brought together their teams, their knowledge, and their traditions for superior customer service and client success, and became the largest independent insurance agency in southwest Missouri.
With the merging of two companies, software products that perform day to day business functions also merged. The student project focused on developing an implementation strategy, training schedule and application of several software applications.
Today, Ollis/Akers/Arney Insurance services a wide variety of insurance needs from personal benefits, as well as large and small commercial lines, and they also have a business consulting team.
"This experience allowed me to carry out the knowledge I learned in my MBA classes. It sharpened my research and analytical skills, while at the same time enabling me to build my professional networks and to improve my collaboration with outstanding teammates, who contributed their skills and expertise toward the project and the team's success. One critical lesson I learned from the project is that every organizations needs to seek sustainability for good business results through integration, alignment and synchronization. This challenging, yet very rewarding opportunity, broadened my management consulting skills for future business projects." Bao Duong
"The best part about the project was seeing how what I had learned in the class room helped me understand and solve problems in a real world experience." Kayla Nilges
Client: US Sun Solar
Project Summary:
Sun Solar is a local, family-owned business that has enjoyed rapid growth since its inception. Sun Solar was honored to be included in the 2018 Inc. 5000 list, an annual ranking of America’s fastest growing companies, for the 3rd time. According to Solar Power World magazine, the company was ranked as the #1 residential solar installer in Missouri 2014-2018. Sun Solar was ranked #1 as the fastest growing business in Springfield, MO by the Springfield Business Journal’s list for Dynamic Dozen.
In the spring 2018 semester, the Missouri State University MBA student team entered into an engagement to perform market analysis and research recommendations of effective sales strategies, effective marketing campaigns, a social media marketing metric and research on emerging markets.
“Throughout this project, I learned about teamwork and the demands of independent contracting. We did not have much time to build a team rapport, so we had to learn to work with everyone’s natural strengths. With full autonomy to manage and complete the project, I realized my professional abilities and applied years of experience in economics, data analysis, and international business in one semester class. As a first-year MBA student at the time, I worried the project would challenge me to the point I fell behind my older, more experienced teammates; however, we each rose to the occasion in our own right. Teammates that had thrived as independent contractors learned to delegate the smallest tasks that would take one person days to complete. International students had to learn communication skills in America’s business culture that differs in other countries. Whatever the challenge, my team and classmates had to find a way to manage as business professionals. The professor played a role as a team leader instead of a teacher, so we could consult her on our project, but the final deliverable reflected our effort and understanding of the client’s needs. After my team’s live presentation, the clients personally thanked each of the team members because they could see how each role contributed to the report.” Mecca Walker
Client: Label Solutions
Project Summary:
Label Solutions, Inc., based in Marshfield, MO, is one of North America’s largest suppliers of regulatory compliant compressed gas cylinder labels. They also offer unique pressure-sensitive product labels for manufacturers and food producers relating to branding, new label development, fleet signage, efficient multi-SKU printing, nutritional fact box formatting, and Supply Chain planning. Industries they support include: Compressed Gas Cylinders, Industrial, Health & Wellness, Food & Beverage, Electronics, Marine & Trailer, Fire Protection, and Private Labeling.
In the spring of 2018, students worked with Label Solutions to create a digital marketing strategy that would increase lead generation activity with existing client and grow new accounts. The students’ report included:
A visual framework and methodology of how the new strategy would be implemented
Changes to their website to accommodate the new strategy
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) recommendations
Pay Per Click (PPC) opportunities