Through ExecMAP, Michigan Ross Executive MBAs Are Tackling 24 Diverse Business Projects for Companies Around the World

Through the ExecMAP course, students will gain hands-on experience by tackling challenging, real-world problems that companies are facing. The four-month-long course provides students with the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of what it is like to do business in a new culture and navigate specific cross-cultural business challenges. 

There are 24 ExecMAP projects being conducted virtually this semester. The projects span a wide variety of industries and business functions, including technology, healthcare, social impact, and manufacturing.   

Here’s a look at five of the ExecMAPs taking place this year.

HP Inc. 

With their new technology, HP Metal Jet, HP continues to reinvent the design, production, and distribution of 3D-printed parts to drive the digital transformation of manufacturing. Through understanding the current challenges customers face throughout the 3D printing process and analyzing the competitive landscape, HP seeks insights on potential solutions to the metals 3D printing technology. The team of EMBAs will find ways to accelerate the adoption of metal 3D printing technology in the manufacturing world.

Microsoft 

Microsoft views the education segment as a growth opportunity, as they believe that exposure to their products will set students up for eventual career success when they enter the workforce. The company seeks to be the go-to technology provider for higher education, and wants to understand how its first-party hardware can best align with universities. The team of EMBAs will formulate a strategic sales and marketing plan for the Microsoft Surface product line to penetrate the higher education market, with a specific emphasis on the University of Michigan.

PEAK6 

PEAK6’s proprietary digital investment pitch platform, the Ought Engine, is an online submission system where startups can apply to pitch for Strategic Capital investment opportunities. The Chicago-based investment services firm has already created an online form for companies to apply, but is looking for ways to streamline the process of effectively organizing the information and evaluating the submissions. The team of EMBAs will develop a strategic plan for managing and utilizing the data collected through the PEAK6 Ought Engine. 

Riot Games

Riot Games sees an opportunity to refine their business processes by proactively planning for organizational change. The video game developer is seeking assistance on validating and expanding on their existing hypotheses to deliver their services at scale. The EMBAs are benchmarking, assessing, and designing scalable policies, processes, and systems to build a shared services function, along with a support services menu. 

The Othakarhaka Foundation

The Othakarhaka Foundation (OTK) is a Malawi-based nonprofit organization that is committed to transforming their community through different education, food, and health programs with the objective to become self-sustaining. OTK’s project goal is to develop both a short-term strategic plan and a 10-year growth plan for the expansion into neighboring rural villages and districts throughout Malawi. The team of EMBAs will work directly with visionary founder Ida Puliwa and her village leaders.