NANYANG PROFESSIONAL MBA

How to Succeed at Strategy Projects At Nanyang (SPAN)

6 minute read.

Strategy Projects at Nanyang (SPAN), a highlight of the Nanyang Professional MBA (PMBA), provides participants a unique opportunity to put classroom learnings into action and stretch themselves in diverse industries as they work in groups on a real-life consulting project for a sponsor company. Our PMBA Class of 2022 recently concluded SPAN. We invited a few groups to share their insights on this enriching experience.

Ziyi’s Group

Be clear about the project scope

Wang Ziyi’s group jumped at the chance to work on a sustainability-related issue with Johnson Controls, a global, diversified technology firm and provider of integrated smart green building systems and solutions. The project involved market research to help Johnson Controls understand what sustainability means to different customers as well as how their customers view sustainability ROI.

One of the major learnings of the experience came early on – the need to clearly define the project scope. “We realised that it is important to understand who the decision-makers are and align with their expectations before kicking off any work. We spent a few weeks pinning down the project scope with our sponsor,” said Ziyi, an exercise that provided valuable insight into the thinking process of senior management.

This clarity paid off when all their efforts came together in a well-received final presentation, and Ziyi can already see how the SPAN experience will benefit her career moving forward. “As my own company is now exploring new areas for sustainability, the knowledge I gained on this project will definitely help.”

Cayden’s Group

Always keep an open mind

Be ready to take up any challenges, even if you are unfamiliar with the topic or industry, advises Cayden Pang, whose group delved into the study of human behaviour on their project for the Southeast Asia Life & Health business unit of SCOR, the world’s fourth largest reinsurer. The goal was to investigate customers’ perceptions and inherent biases when disclosing their medical and lifestyle information during the purchase of life or health insurance.

While they applied a substantial amount of business knowledge and skills from all the PMBA courses they had attended, the courses on Cultural Intelligence, Marketing, and MarTech proved particularly helpful in understanding what drives human behaviour and decision-making. Being exposed to new concepts and applications within the industry also meant that the learning opportunities were constant. “By challenging ourselves, it was possible to build on our competencies and achieve great results even without prior knowledge or experience in the subject matter.” As a testament to this, SCOR went on to publish an industry white paper based on the group’s research work, a truly rewarding outcome.

Sherice’s Group

Make the most of mentor support

Sherice Wang and her teammates were engaged to do market research for Mobile Industrial Robots, a leading manufacturer of collaborative mobile robots, in preparation for a go-to-market plan for expansion into the hospitality segment. “None of our team had any prior experience of consulting or dealing with autonomous robots, so it was challenging at times to understand the pain points that the industry is facing,” shared Sherice. However, coming from unrelated industries trained the team to think out of the box and enabled them to gain invaluable experience that is not easily available in their routine jobs.

“Our mentor, AJ Boelens, was a great help. With his wealth of experience in the consulting industry, he was able to guide us on the consulting process and assist whenever we encountered a roadblock.” In preparation for the final presentation, the group appreciated the presentation warm-up with other mentors that NBS arranged. “This cross-mentor presentation and feedback session gave us fresh perspectives and raised questions that we had not thought of, which allowed us to further enhance our presentation.”

Wahidin’s Group

Foster positive team dynamics

SPAN provides an amazing opportunity to learn from each other, be it for career or personal growth.

Having five members of different nationalities – Canadian, Chinese, Indonesian, South Korean and Singaporean – from diverse industries, including automotive, semiconductors and pharmaceutical, contributed greatly to discussions in Wahidin’s group. They were tasked with recommending go-to-market strategies for Pureland Global Venture, a med-tech venture capital company, for business model innovation in the Singapore market and beyond. “We all got to share our own unique perspectives. At the same time, despite our differences, we were able to learn from each other’s skills and experiences.”

As with all of the groups, time management was an ever-present challenge, having to manage SPAN alongside full-time jobs, ongoing PMBA classes and assignments, and family commitments. So being able to get along in harmony and have an element of fun can make all the difference, Wahidin believes. “I think it is important to not underestimate the value of fun. Our group’s fun nature and atmosphere made the late-night meetings much more enjoyable as we tackled problems and adversities together.”

Deepa’s Group

Be prepared for the unexpected

Deepa’s group worked with NVC International, a company specialising in lighting solutions with a strong brand presence in China. Their role was to develop a strategic business model for the company to become a leading solutions provider for B2B and B2C consumer and commercial segments in Vietnam’s Tier-1 cities.

The group got to experience how a company approaches entry into an emerging market, collaborating closely with NVCI’s small Vietnam team to learn more about their products and the challenges faced. Having a Vietnamese in their group was a great plus in providing first-hand knowledge and insights, and is one example of how they leveraged each other’s strengths. Just a few weeks before their final presentation came their biggest challenge – an unexpected expansion of the project scope. “Though it was a curveball, we took it in our stride, working doubly hard within a short span of time to propose additional strategies. It’s important to be nimble and agile, adapting to the customer along the way,” Deepa learnt.

For future participants, Deepa adds: “SPAN is a really great learning experience and the team bonding was something I never expected. So, look forward to the camaraderie, and go in with an open mind because there’s so much to learn and contribute.”