Feasibility Study and Business Plan

Contenu

From brainstorming via a viable idea to a successful business plan

• Feasibility study is a crucial yet often neglected preliminary step in project initiation. When underestimated, a project execution, otherwise well budgeted and well executed, can have disastrous consequences and thus an evaluation of a practicality of the project plan is a key element to a viable long-term outcome.
• During the first part of the course students will analyse case studies of real projects that were implemented successfully using traditional project management measures (budget, time, quality) yet failed over time since the initial idea was not feasible. Using different axes of feasibility study (market, technical and economic) learners will be investigating those projects in depth to understand the complexity of the environments and processes to determine how when and under which circumstances the concepts shall be implemented.
• Furthermore, students will brainstorm over possible products/services and use those primary ideas to determine whether they are feasible or not. Learners will then work on several business models, trying to identify the one suitable for their project. Preparing their business plan, learners will understand how to build a financial projection, identifying the potential size and scope of the business opportunity.
• The outcome of the course will a viable project idea supported by feasibility studies and a well-argumented business plan.

Tools of Feasibility study and business plan

• SWOT analysis
• Feasibility studies- economic; market, technical
• Design thinking using user personas and user journey
• Empathy map
• Business plan

Pedagogical approach and expectations:

Group work:

• analyze previous works
• brainstorm about possible ideas
• create a viable concept
• develop a project plan
• support findings by strong arguments and analysis
• construct business plan
• convince audience

  Individual work

• analyze others’ business plan
• write a reflective report, debrief
• self-presentation and professionality

Discuss with the class and the lecturer

Modalités d'évaluation

The individual and group work required will be detailed during the first session. Any student missing more than 2 sessions will not be assessed.

• In class participation                                                                 
• In class group works and presentations                                        
• Tests                                                                                         
• Final group work and presentation                                             
• Reflective report to analyze other groups                                   

• The evaluation is built on various axes, both individual and group work, to assure students evaluation is as precise as possible. Additionally, the assessments are built in such a way students’ capabilities in speaking, writing, presenting and working with a text are practiced.
• The quality of the final work solely depends on each of the students determination and willingness to learn. Each students must work over the courses in order to deliver a well argued, structured and well thought presentation as well as be convincing, objective and be able to improvise when out of topic.
• It is expected students will be able to organize their time accordingly and will be ready to cope with the considerable density of documents provided as far as a limited time period will be allocated to perform the assigned task.
• Particular attention shall also be granted to the form and layout of the presentations/documents and body language during presentating.