ESSEC Asia-Pacific

Asian Strategy Project

A Study of Innovative Business Models in Emerging Countries

The ASP is a three-month consulting project provided in partnership with Capgemini Consulting.

It is offered on the ESSEC Asia Pacific campus in Singapore to students of the MSc in Management.

Students are given the opportunity to develop their understanding of new business models in an Asian emerging country by working on a real strategic business issue faced by a company. It was launched in 2010.

As a prerequisite to the ASP, students participate in the Global Manager in Asia (GMA) programme. The GMA is organised around a series of courses that focus on different aspects of doing business in Asia.

Overview of the Asian Strategy Project (ASP)

Asian Strategy Project

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“Innovative Business Models in Emerging Countries”

Who? Groups of ESSEC students

What? Working on an topic raised by the company & writing a case study on the innovative dimension of the business model they have studied

Where? In fast-growing Asian countries, from China to India, and also many South-East Asian countries

2010 - 2014: 5 editions of the program

More than 120 students in 5 years

More than 60 consultants involved in 5 years

A joint initiative of ESSEC and Capgemini Consulting

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The ASP is part of a six-month programme in Asia

July - Sept.

Part 2: October - December

Groups of 4-5 students

Singapore

GMA & ASP -  Location: Singapore -  Overall duration: 6 months -  Students: enrolled in their final year in ESSEC’s Master of

Science in Management

Courses on doing business in Asia

Part 1: July - September Part 2: October - December

Oct. – Dec.

>80 students 35 students

Indonesia

Cambodia

Philippines Laos

Vietnam

India China

Myanmar

Asian Strategy Project

35 students

Components of the ASP

Consulting tools Academic dimension

Practical consulting experience

•  Intensive one-week training on key consulting tools and skills by an experienced Cap Gemini consultant.

•  These tools are used throughout the project.

•  Students assume the role of management consultants on a real case.

•  They work for and along a company or organisation for three months.

•  They are coached by a professional consultants at least once a week.

•  Students are supervised by an ESSEC professor.

•  They are trained on case study writing.

•  Each team drafts a case study. These cases are later used by professors in class as a learning support.

A unique blend of professional and academic training and practical experience

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« Learning-by-Doing »

The ASP is divided into three phases

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Preparation Field work Drafting phase

1 2 3

•  Training on consulting skills and case writing.

•  Students select a project and are grouped in teams.

•  Analysis of the topic and identification of research hypotheses.

•  Initial desk research.

•  Each team finalizes its report presenting recommendations to its client, and its case study.

•  Field research in the office of the client.

•  Interview of key stakeholders.

•  Evaluation and validation of working hypotheses.

Emerging Asian country

One month

Singapour

One month

Singapore

One month

Supervision by ESSEC professors and coaching by Capgemini consultants

Final Jury Pre-departure Jury

A focus on innovative business models

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Innovative Management Model

New Distribution Model

New Customer Segment

New Operating Model, including New Technologies

NGOs

Multinational companies

Local companies

Start-ups

… In what kind of organisation? Which models?

Examples of projects in India Examples of projects in China

How to provide a basic & affordable water service (7/7 and 24/24 water supply) in a slum?

How to reduce the education disparities through an innovative

concept of “Affordable Private Schools”?

How to develop a new business model in the online marketing

industry ?

How to be innovative and premium in automotive communication?

How to launch super-premium medical/spa brand (Skinceuticals)

in top cities of India ?

Which impact of health care system evolution in China within

the 5 next years ?

How to encourage poverty alleviation and local economy

growth through renewable energies with a “Microfinance

Plus” approach?

How to reduce the R&D expenses adopting a “shanzai” strategy?

Examples from the previous editions

Focus on the 2014 edition

Videos on YouTube search words: Asian Strategy project ESSEC Capgemini

Focus on the 2014 edition

Danone Nutricia – Mumbai, India “Design a strategy to revive the brand Farex”

Obeetee – Mirzapur, India “Entry strategy for international business. Focus on Obeetee's expansion in Europe”

Arkadin – New Delhi, India

Michelin – Shanghai, China

Pharma. Lab – Jakarta, Indonesia “Design innovative solutions to finance vaccination programs in Indonesia”

Pour un sourire d’enfants (PSE) – Phnom Penh, Cambodia “How can PSE Institute involve its alumni to achieve financial sustainability ?”

Planet Finance – Kayin State, Myanmar “Value chain analysis of selected enterprises and agri-businesses in Kayin State”

Verbatim from students

The Asian Strategy Project was a perfect way to deepen and experience what I had learned during the Global Manager in Asia program. The GMA gave me a first exposure to Asia’s cultures and societies, geopolitical and sustainable development issues, and enabled me to improve skills such as negotiating business deals in China. During the ASP experience, I helped an organization face one of India’s most pressing social challenges: housing for the poorest parts of Indian society.” ~ Julia HERY

With the Asian Strategy Project we've had the chance to put into practice all this new acquired knowledge, by working for a company located in Asia, as consultants. Through this three-month experience we have learnt to work with Asian counterparts and to deal with the cultural gap. We have moreover strongly reinforced our competencies in project management – we've been coached by professional consultants from Capgemini Consulting – and in team work.” ~Théo TRUMBIC

Verbatim from students

“Working with a small company allowed us to work with the top management of a company and tackle all the different aspects of a consulting project. We had the wonderful opportunity to spend three weeks in the city of Kolkata, alongside a passionate and enthusiastic entrepreneur.” ~ Alice DELLEUR

“The ASP was a great opportunity for me to work and live in an emerging Asian country. I had already seen the modern Asia with Singapore, with Cambodia I was deep in those new countries bustling with activity. The program is a great complement to the classes of the GMA and of the ESSEC curriculum, giving me a great experience to complete the theory.” ~ Balthazar Raguin

Contact in Singapore

Contact ESSEC Asia Pacific campus:   Marie-Laure Caille, Associate Director for Learning Innovation

caille@essec.edu   Tel: +65 9234 6492

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