Smart Cart Instructions

Part A

1. Prepare a brief but comprehensive business plan for the SmartCart.  Assume that this plan will be given to whichever party the group decides it will pursue funding from.  The plan should not exceed 3,000 words (10-15 pages before appendices) in total (i.e. including exhibits, executive summary, etc.).  Appendices should not exceed 10 pages in length. 

2. Prepare five separate papers covering all of the relevant issues related to each of the following academic courses that you took: strategy/marketing; operations/technology management; accounting/finance; legal/tax; e-commerce/technology applications.  Each paper should discuss all relevant issues, the alternatives identified to resolve the issue, and the group's recommendation for resolution.  Each paper must not exceed 500 words (2 pages), which is completely separate from the 3,000 for the actual business plan.  Organize the five papers by course pairs in the order provided above.  The papers are to include all of the relevant issues that must be considered by the team, but would not actually appear in a business plan given to outsiders (e.g. ownership of SmartCart). 

3. Submit the written business plan (2 copies) – one copy should be professionally printed and bound; the second copy should be photocopy-ready (i.e., no staples, binding – just a clip).  A copy of the plan must be done in MicroSoft Word and must be e-mailed to cdschole@uwaterloo.ca. Also submit 2 copies of the five course-specific papers.  These must be submitted to Lesley at CBET no later than Monday, December 6^th at noon.  Late penalties will be invoked and will be determined by the nature of the circumstances (in reality, a late business plan may never get read by an investor, and certainly paints a negative picture of the group).
   

Part B

1. Prepare a 20-minute proposal presentation to the party of investors. Presentations will be Wednesday, December 8th.   Be prepared for roughly 15-20 minutes of questions, which can come during and/or following the presentation.  Each group member must present during the 20-minute presentation.

Other Notes:

No faculty or outside assistance will be provided as this is an assessment tool.  Any clarifications necessary can be brought to the attention of Cam Scholey or Geoff Malleck, who will determine if direction is merited. 

Remember to watch daily for current events as the deadline approaches, and be prepared to incorporate these into your business plan and presentation.  You are responsible for incorporating all events into the submissions.

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