Consulting Project

llsms2901  2024-2025  Louvain-la-Neuve

Consulting Project
10.00 credits
60.0 h + 15.0 h
Q1
Language
English
Prerequisites
None
Main themes
In this course, the students work in teams on a real-life managerial question proposed by a business unit of a given company/organization.
Content
In this course, the students work in teams on a real-life managerial question proposed by a business unit of a given company/organization.
The managerial question proposed by a business unit (BU) of a company/organization is answered in two phases.
Phase 1 in Q1P1.
Assessment of the context of the business unit. This includes, among others, the detailed understanding of the product/service delivered by the BU; the detailed analysis of its current and potential markets; its current positioning with respect to the competition; its financial situation, etc. Phase 1 should provide all the context data necessary to tackle the managerial question that is dealt with.
Phase 2 in Q1P2.
This phase aims at identifying all the possible answers to the managerial question. We assume here that primary or secondary data will be collected in order for the various potential answers to be assessed. Given the collected data and the Phase 1 analysis, a solid recommendation will be drawn.
In addition to the recommendation, other additional deliverable could be required, such as an implementation plan, a potential risk analysis.
In parallel to these two phases, the project itself constitutes the basis on which project management techniques and skills will be learned and applied.
Lectures in this class will be split into two groups and taught in Q1P1:
  • Tools and techniques for company analysis and decision making;
  • Tools and techniques for project and team management.
Teaching methods
The class is organized in classical lectures, guest lectures and group presentations. These sessions are mandatory for all students.

A course on presentation & reporting skills is proposed to support the students in their presentation and communication skills in English. This course is mandatory for all students throughout the semester. Attendance will be strictly monitored.
All sessions are qualified as mandatory and require the student’s active participation.
Evaluation methods
A written exam covers the content of the courses of Q1P1.
Phase 1 and 2 lead to an oral presentation and a written in English report.
A post-mortem written report summarizes the debrief of the team operations after the presentation of the Phase 2 presentation. 
The students provide a peer-evaluation of their collaboration during the semester.
The total grade will be defined by the course coordinator, based on the grades submitted by the coach, the language teacher and the students (peer-review). Phase 1, 2 and the post-mortem report constitute 60% of the final grade. The grade on the Q1P1 courses constitutes 20%. The final grade for the course on Report & Presentation Skills (ILV) constitutes 20% of the final grade and is weighted in function of the student's attendance to the Report & Presentation Skills course. The Reporting & Presentation Skills teachers will evaluate the two reports and presentations.
If the student fails the course in Q1, s/he will have to retake the failed part. This means that: (i) If the Report & Presentation Skills course is failed, the student has to re-write the reports and provide one video based on the final report. The report and video will have to be sent to the ILV teacher. The grade of the ILV course remains weighted in function of the student's attendance to the ILV course in Q1 of the academic year. (ii) If the exam based on the course taught in the first six weeks is failed, the student will have to retake it. (iii) If Report 1 and/or 2 are failed, the student will have to find a new company by her/himself (a company not involved in the consulting project of the same academic year), analyze a new managerial question and provide a final report to the course coordinator. The grade for the post-mortem report is kept for the next academic year.
Online resources
Students must acknowledge the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the text for the parts where they have used it. They must clearly cite the paragraphs/parts where AI has been used. A failure to acknowledge the use of AI is considered fraud if detected by the similarity detection tools used by the instructor.
The group members are all jointly responsible for the work that they hand in on Moodle and are informed that this work is part of the formal examination of the course.  
Faculty or entity


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in Management

Master [120] : Business Engineering [CEMS Programme]