During the final months of the Full-time MBA programme, we dive into the last of the three live consultancy projects – The International Business project.
The client I worked with was Hai Sia Seafood, a Singapore based leading international wholesale seafood company and the project brief was to enhance its sustainable growth by developing their go-to-market strategy.
The International Business Project, “the jewel in the crown” of the MBA programme at Manchester, brings together a group of five to six students who work to secure a project from a range of clients. The process starts by pitching to senior executives from these companies.
During this project the “Manchester Method” shines through from everything we have learnt through the core courses, electives and other consultancy projects comes together, helping the teams to make the best recommendations for our clients.
The objective of our Hai Sia IB project was to develop four strategies:
- International expansion
- Data
- Risk management
- ESG
We collected data from interviews with industry experts and academic professors across the world to understand good practices for overseas expansion and to strengthen future business operations.
As a team we analysed the market trend and industry insights. We focused on the value chain and evaluated the opportunity to enter a new geographical market in combination with the product portfolio.
It was important for our client to explore data analysis tools suitable for changing business requirements. to formulate risk management framework, and to establish sustainability standard as the global economy is tackling climate change with Net Zero Emissions target.
The main challenge of the project was working in different time zones to the client. All our meetings and interviews were carried out remotely.
We leveraged technology to its full extend while working closely with Hai Sia to identify value proposition and approaching stakeholders to ensure a market fit for our go-to-market strategy. With the implementation roadmap, we delivered the strategic direction for Hai Sia to continue its journey of growth.
I have really enjoyed working on the IB project for the last four months. I applied the knowledge and skills that the school provided throughout the programme.
Our group consisted of representatives from Colombia, Japan, Peru and Thailand. By working in a diverse team for an international client, I learned a lot from exchanging ideas and the different area of expertise of team members.
We were grateful for the support from our supervisor, Erik Beulen, and the positive feedback from the client. Hai Sia is currently building on our growth strategy.
The IB project was certainly the highlight of my MBA. It improved my skills in stakeholder management and navigating multicultural and cross-function project challenges. It is an unforgettable experience which will help me embark on my post-MBA journey with full confidence.
Find out more about our MBA programmes
