unit 2 assignment one

a team of students that engage in experiential learning using applied research, leadership, critical thinking, analysis, reasoning abilities, desktop publishing, and teamwork professional competencies. Such business competencies are demonstrated through the execution of real world management consulting projects. If you choose to pursue the 490Retail.com Project as your experiential learning journey to culminate the course outcomes, you will work on a small team that meets regularly to produce the business communications so that you may demonstrate your expertise in the business discipline related to each of the course outcomes.

As part of this experiential learning journey, your team is part of an organization named 490Retail.com. All of the work your team develops over the next 10 weeks will be in the name of the 490Retail.com organization. The following project manual will explain the requirements you are obligated to meet over the next 10 weeks. If you have any questions, work with your team to communicate them to your course instructor. Since this is a team project, you must work cohesively to communicate with the course instructor each week to ensure the success of the project, your team, and your own interests. The following manual will explain what you must do to earn grades for each course outcome. A chart outlines the deliverables due in each dropbox each week for this team project.

INTRODUCTION

You are reading this handbook because you are registered for the MT490: Experiential Learning course. By this time in your academic journey, you have taken and passed the majority of required core and elective courses in your degree plan. All that you have learned throughout your academic journey has prepared you to thrive in the professional business environment. Here, in this course, is where you will be required to demonstrate the professional competencies you have developed in a reality based work setting. This handbook has been designed by the faculty and administration of the University, in conjunction with business and industry partners, to help guide your experiential learning journey throughout this course.

What is your role as an experiential learner? Your role is to actualize what you know, what you think you know, and to realize what you still need to learn; which is entirely different from the traditional classroom experience where students are dictated what they should know, and how to learn it.

· The experiential learner uses current knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors and applies them in specific practical situations to solve problems and/or to capitalize on opportunities.

· Experiential learners use field research abilities to analyze and evaluate the organization from varying perspectives (like the course outcome topics).

· Experiential learners behave as leaders to positively effect change and add value to the organizational culture via contributions and collaborative efforts.

· Experiential learners practice professional competencies in real-time.

· Experiential learners develop professional competencies that enable entrepreneurship!

· Experiential learners develop strong professional communication, problem solving, critical thinking, and research abilities.

The 490Retail.com requires a team of students to work together to develop, produce, and present deliverables related to the six (6) course outcomes found in the syllabus:

MT490-1: Evaluate information management, planning, and control in business environments.

MT490-2: Analyze organizational processes and procedures in a variety of business settings.

MT490-3: Synthesize appropriate principles, concepts, and frameworks for making ethical decisions.

MT490-4: Assess the roles that structure, management, and leadership play in organizational performance.

MT490-5: Evaluate how economics, government, and law affect value creation in the global context.

MT490-6: Evaluate career skills in the field of business and management.

As a student preparing to graduate with a Bachelors degree, you must demonstrate your expertise in each topic of each course outcome. You will demonstrate these abilities using the following deliverable schedule each week. Be sure to pay close attention to this schedule. Every team member will be required to submit the content and documentation as follows:

Project Deliverable Schedule

DISCUSSION BOARD DELIVERABLES

Unit 1 Introduction :

Each individual student is required to follow the instructions to fulfill the unit 1-discussion board requirements. Be sure you are reading the correct project manual for the option you chose.

Unit 1 Discussion :

Each individual student is required to follow the instructions to fulfill the unit 1-discussion board requirements. Work with your team to determine the best research resources needed to develop Course Outcome 4 deliverables in Unit 2.

Unit 3 Discussion :

Each individual student is required to follow the instructions to fulfill the unit 3-discussion board requirements. Work with your team to determine the best research resources needed to develop Course Outcome 1 deliverables in Unit 4.

Unit 5 Discussion :

Each individual student is required to follow the instructions to fulfill the unit 5 discussion board requirements. Work with your team to determine the best research resources needed to develop Course Outcome 2 deliverables in Unit 6.

Unit 7 Discussion :

Each individual student is required to follow the instructions to fulfill the unit 7-discussion board requirements. Work with your team to determine the best research resources needed to develop Course Outcome 3 deliverables in unit 8.

Unit 9 Discussion :

Each individual student is required to follow the instructions to fulfill the unit 9-discussion board requirements. Work with your team to determine the best research resources needed to develop Course Outcome 5 deliverables in Unit 10.

ASSIGNMENT 1 DROPBOX WEEKLY DELIVERABLES

On a weekly basis, you will develop a Professional Development Plan based on the topics in the course outcomes. You will engage in self-assessment activities to understand the current status of your professional competencies related to the course outcomes, and to plan for future growth and development in each critical area pertaining to the course outcome topics. Engage in the Assignment 2 requirements by reading and following through with the instructions on a weekly basis.

ASSIGNMENT 2 DROPBOX WEEKLY DELIVERABLES

Using the team evaluation rubric found in Doc Sharing, each individual student should fill out and submit the evaluation to the dropbox in each unit for grading purposes. Your instructor will average the submissions for a final Assignment 3 grade. The evaluation form can be found in Virtual Office in the course room.

490Retail.com

Track A – Project Guide

Assignment 3: Online Retail Store: Dual Channel, Drop Shipment Strategy

This project is operating under simulation. The 490Retail.com Team will be under guidance by 490Retail.com (Fictitious organization created for project simulation). The reality basis of this project is predicated on 490Retail.com simulation being as close to reality operation as any online company without actually entering the commercial market.

490Retail.com teams will develop a “business product operating plan” for the commercialization of a single product. The strategic direction is to make the product available for consumers to purchase through an online store using a single product (line) as basis for store. The business operating plan must be designed to attract specific target segments of the product market to the online store and become customers. The products will use a drop-shipment strategy.

There are 3 major entities within the channel for the project:

· Supplier (for Drop Shipment Strategy – These are real companies)

· 490Retail.com (Consulting Company)

· Store Owners (Teams act as Store Owner)

· Consumers (Potential Buyers from Store Owners)

The business product operating plan will be written in 3rd person writing style as the teams will be a Consulting team for 490Retail.com.

The final deliverable will be a complete plan for an online store selling a product using drop shipment from a supplier.

Project Deliverables:

Unit 2 Assignment 3 Deliverable:

MT490-04 Assess the roles that structure, management, and leadership play in organizational performance.

In unit 1 & 2, your team will develop and explain a strategic framework to establish your 490Retail.com team in relation to course outcome 4 topics: MT490-4: Assess the roles that structure, management, and leadership play in organizational performance.

490Retail.com is a student run consulting firm that engages in management consulting practices for small and medium sized public, private, and non-profit professional business and organizations. Your team will operate as a management consulting team to help these businesses and organizations solve problems, overcome challenges, or to capitalize on opportunities. Establish your team identity by executing this exercise. This exercise should prepare your management consulting team to carry forward and tackle four very important tasks between units 3-10.

In this assignment for unit 1 and 2, your team will develop two deliverables due by the end of Unit 2, including a Strategic Framework Document and a Narrated PowerPoint Presentation.

To successfully complete this assignment, your team should execute the following requirements:

· Work amicably to develop a strategic framework to present your team strategy and value proposition.

· As a 490Retail.com team, you will work to develop a strategy that establishes an identity for your team. Explain your team identity by negotiating the following ideas with your team members to ensure a vision, operating policy, procedures, philosophy, etc… is established:

· Team Name: Remember, you are a management consulting team working for 490Retail.com.

· Team Vision: Explain the vision of your team, and explain why.

· Team Mission: Explain the mission of your team, and explain why.

· Team Values: Explain the values of your team, and explain why.

· Team Structure: Design and explain the team structure your team will follow (hierarchical, flat, matrix, agile, etc…)

· The following Consulting Specialist Roles are to be assigned (If more than 4 members on a team, then either create a new role – or assign 2 people to same role for maximum coverage.

· Product Manager

· Market Researcher

· Marketing Communications Manager

· Financial Manager

· Team Philosophy: Explain the philosophy by which your team will operate. Apply ethical principles and consider overarching themes to establish a culture, including ideological theories (e.g. UBUNTU political movement, Democracy, Dictatorship, etc…), span of control and accountability, etc…

· Explain Leadership and Management philosophy (including accountability and controls) based on your individual role in the team structure.

· Team Policies: Formulate policies your team will abide by throughout the next 10 weeks.

· Team Procedures: Establish standard operating procedures your team will need to follow.

· Create a future meeting schedule, an agenda, and take meeting minutes.

Team Decision on a Product for the Course Project

· Create a 5-8 slide audio narrated, professionally designed PowerPoint Presentation assessing the roles that structure; management, and leadership will play in team performance.

· Your presentation should present your teams strategic framework.

· Demonstrate the use of critical thinking, decision-making, problem solving, and team work skills

· Each member of the team should contribute a minimum of 18 hours per week in Unit 1 and Unit 2 on this project.

· Each team member should proofread the assignment deliverable prior to submitting document to the Unit 2 dropbox for grading. Your team will be graded as follows:

*** Note: if you fail to participate with your team on the development of this deliverable, you will automatically fail this unit assignment. If you fail to fully participate with your team on the development of this deliverable, you will automatically earn half credit for this assignment. Research and APA style referencing is required in all of your work. Be sure to substantiate any thoughts, ideas, opinions, information, etc… with viable research resources from the Kaplan University library.

Unit 4 Assignment 3 Deliverable

MT490 -01 Evaluate information management, planning and control in business environments

Unit 3 & 4 will require the teams to analyze the business environment situation in which a decision was made to enter the market with a business product. Information gathered will be analyzed by management to help plan, implement, and control operations.

In this assignment, your team will have two deliverables due by the end of Unit 4. To successfully complete this assignment, your team should execute the following requirements:

· Analyze the market of online retailing and various strategies used by different companies. Provide examples and evaluation of different online stores considering their delivery strategy and communications with consumers.

· Differentiate how drop shipment strategy differs from other organizational delivery structures. Describe how this strategy differ from non-online retailing?

· Analysis of the Product Market through completion of a SWOT analysis.

· Using inductive reasoning, provide evidence that explains the background and contemporary tactics used to develop each element of the SWOT.

· Demonstrate the use of critical thinking, decision-making, problem solving, and team work skills

· Each member of the team should contribute a minimum of 18 hours per week in Unit 3 and Unit 4 on this project.

· Each team member should proofread the assignment deliverables prior to submitting documents to the Unit 4 dropbox for grading. Your team will be graded as follows:

2.0 Situation Analysis

(Online Retailing Market)

(Some suggested Areas to write about)

What is Online Retailing

What various strategies are used in online retailing?

What are some of the largest online retailers, how do they operate?

How does the team product and strategy fit within online retailing for the future?

3.0 Market Analysis (SWOT)

(This is for the Product Market)

(Some suggested Areas to write about)

Complete a SWOT analysis for the product and market approach strategy.

Provide a minimum of 3 statements for each SWOT category. Each statement must be relative to the product and the market approach strategy. Assumption for store owners is minimal financial resources.

*** Note: if you fail to participate with your team on the development of this deliverable, you will automatically fail this unit assignment. If you fail to fully participate with your team on the development of this deliverable, you will automatically earn half credit for this assignment. Research and APA style referencing is required in all of your work. Be sure to substantiate any thoughts, ideas, opinions, information, etc… with viable research resources from the Kaplan University library.

Unit 6 Assignment 3 Deliverable

MT490 -03 Synthesize appropriate principles, concepts, and frameworks for making ethical decisions

The Unit 6 deliverable requires the 490Retail.com team to use judgement on decisions about choosing a supplier, and the structures of communication using appropriate communication channels and messages. Ethical decisions are made to provide appropriate information that does not mislead the market, or channel members.

In this assignment, your team will have two deliverables due by the end of Unit 6. To successfully complete this assignment, your team should execute the following requirements:

· Students will analyze the supplier market and decide on a specific supplier. The teams will negotiate an agreement with the supplier for drop shipment throughout the United States per orders received. Teams will evaluate additional product options available for Store owners to offer consumers. These might be: Individual Branding on Packaging, Inserts with shipments, specific information on packaging materials. The teams will negotiate fixed pricing for all items.

· Evaluate possible Positioning Strategies for Store Owners, and suggest potential Positioning Strategies for Store owners to meet consumer’s needs. These differentiation strategies will help store owners determine how best to design their websites based on options allowed.

· Evaluation and suggestion for the most effective communication channels, based on suggested positioning strategies, to communicate with potential consumers.

· Using inductive reasoning, provide evidence that explains the background and contemporary tactics used to develop each element of the product description and channel strategy.

· Using inductive reasoning, provide evidence that explains the background and contemporary tactics used to develop each element of the Positioning strategies and communication mediums.

· Demonstrate the use of critical thinking, decision-making, problem solving, and team work skills

· Each member of the team should contribute a minimum of 18 hours per week in Unit 7 and Unit 8 on this project.

· Each team member should proofread the assignment deliverables prior to submitting documents to the Unit 6 dropbox for grading. Your team will be graded as follows:

4.0 Product Description

4.1 Manufacturer Source Profile

4.2 Cost Analysis for Drop Shipment and other services offered

5.0 Marketing Communications Strategy Overview

5.1 Positioning the product for the market

5.2 Differentiation ideas for product and store

5.3 Marketing Communication Tools to be used

5.3 Social Media Marketing options

*** Note: if you fail to participate with your team on the development of this deliverable, you will automatically fail this unit assignment. If you fail to fully participate with your team on the development of this deliverable, you will automatically earn half credit for this assignment. Research and APA style referencing is required in all of your work. Be sure to substantiate any thoughts, ideas, opinions, information, etc… with viable research resources from the Kaplan University library.

Unit 8 Assignment 3 Deliverable

MT490 -02 Analyze organizational processes and procedures in a variety of business settings

Now that you have the marketing strategy information organized for your product, it is time to analyze the organization structure and financial resources needed to carry out the strategy.

In Unit 7 & 8, your team will develop an analysis of the operational management plans based on the strategy decisions made. To successfully complete this assignment, your team should execute the following requirements:

Operations

· For the Operational Management planning, your team must analyze the task functions of personnel and provide recommendations. Are these employed or contracted?

· For the Operational Management planning, your team must analyze the technology required to effectively operate as a 490Retail.com store owner.

· Describe the various applications required for the “Store”

· Evaluate and suggest additional technology applications “Store Owners” should consider for their store operations.

· Evaluate and discuss the additional purchase options the “Store Owners” may select beyond the product basics. (What else is offered by the same Supplier)

· Design the Fufillment Channel, include listing the reports determined in last deliverable. This would be discussed and designed in a Graphic view.

· Analyze potential issues that might occur within the fulfillment channel.

· Analyze and chart the various communications within the fulfillment channel, and provide how these communications will be taking place.

Financial

· Evaluate the cost structure to offer the product, providing an annual forecast and break even analysis.

· Prepare analysis of suggested cost requirements for Store Owners.

· Considering the SWOT analysis, evaluate a sales forecast and break even for an individual store owner.

· Evaluate Tax implications in offering this product.

· Evaluate Tax implications to provide recommendations for Store Owners.

· Using inductive reasoning, provide evidence that explains the background and contemporary tactics used to develop each element of the legal analysis.

· Demonstrate the use of critical thinking, decision-making, problem solving, and team work skills

· Each member of the team should contribute a minimum of 18 hours per week in Unit 9 and Unit 10 on this project.

· Each team member should proofread the assignment deliverables prior to submitting documents to the Unit 10 dropbox for grading. Your team will be graded as follows:

6.0 Operational Management Plans Overview

6.1 Technology Requirements for Store Owners

6.2 Website Design Requirements

6.3 Fulfillment Operations

6.4 Operational Storyboard/Chart

7.0 Financial Planning Overview

7.1 Financial Requirements for Store Owners

7.2 Sample Sales Forecast & Break Even Analysis for Product Operations

7.3 Tax Management requirements for Store Owners

*** Note: if you fail to participate with your team on the development of this deliverable, you will automatically fail this unit assignment. If you fail to fully participate with your team on the development of this deliverable, you will automatically earn half credit for this assignment. Research and APA style referencing is required in all of your work. Be sure to substantiate any thoughts, ideas, opinions, information, etc… with viable research resources from the Kaplan University library.

Unit 10 Assignment 3 Deliverable

MT490 -05 Evaluate how economics, government, and law affect value creation in the global context.

In Unit 9 & 10, your team will develop an analysis of the legal and potential global operations. To successfully complete this assignment, your team should execute the following requirements:

· Evaluate and present the legal issues related to the operational strategy.

· Analyze potential for Global operations of the product and distributions.

· Evaluate and create all agreements necessary for legal operations between all entities.

· Evaluate Options and legal issues with Store Owner.

· Evaluate how Economic changes might affect operations and provide contingencies.

· Review all prior deliverables and write the Executive Summary and product a final Completed Plan including all edits for faculty feedback during the course.

· Presentation to 490Retail.com Management: Maximum 10 minute Persuasion audio presentation for the yes/no decision to incorporate the product store.

8.0 Legal Considerations Overview

8.1 Required Legal Contracts with Manufacturer

8.2 Required Legal Contracts with Customers

8.2.1 Global Restrictions

8.3 Economic Environment Contingencies

1.0 Executive Summary (and Final Plan)

*** Note: if you fail to participate with your team on the development of this deliverable, you will automatically fail this unit assignment. If you fail to fully participate with your team on the development of this deliverable, you will automatically earn half credit for this assignment. Research and APA style referencing is required in all of your work. Be sure to substantiate any thoughts, ideas, opinions, information, etc… with viable research resources from the Kaplan University library.