Innovative Projects Realized

Customer Value in Market Strategy for Guitar Chord Simulation Training System

This project with 3D Simulation Solutions that is centered around developing a new product
integrating novel hand motion simulation technology to teach guitar playing, and therefore new
customer value creation, this applied research will focus on how this leading edge technology can be
transformed into a market offering with genuine value to customers in order to achieve this and to
develop an effective marketing strategy. methodologies and frameworks that focus on creating new
value will form the foundation of this project. such as the ‘ Customer value Creation: A Practical
Framework.”

Sales Channels & CRM

The purpose of this project is to build out the sales channel/CRM system for Fortune Label. Fortune Label is a family-run industrial label and packaging company that has operated in the Greater Toronto Area since 1995. The company specializes in pressure sensitive labels for industries such as: food & beverage, catering, chemicals, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, among others. With COVID-19, business has grown, with large orders from hand sanitizer and other cleaning supply labels coming through, making up the majority of the windfall. This brings the family business to a crossroads, as a sale process for the company is also being contemplated, with certain parties making multiple inquiries about potentially acquiring it. The company has had no digital presence since its founding, no systematic sales prospecting strategy, with its business almost exclusively coming from word of mouth.

My role will be to build out the sales channel/CRM for the company with the overall goal of the project to set up the company with the tools and resources to maximize sales and profits while maintaining productivity. In the event of a downturn in the windfall, the company aims to be in a position to maximize its valuation in a Merger and Acquisition deal.

RVezy AI & Analytics Research Project

RVezy is a technology company that brings explorers and RV Owners together: Think Airbnb for RV’s. This project will involve two main components, both driven by AI and analytic solutions:

1) Search Optimization: Improving RVezy’s search algorithm to better tailor their customer experiences.
2) Marketing Spend Ratio: Integrating shallow machine learning models to improve return-on-marketing-investment.

Bringing machine learning and AI to the table could create further efficiencies in the company’s supply chain, as well enable more cost-effective business decision making.

“From the Stadium” finance & marketing project

The proposed project will investigate how “From the Stadium” can increase the number of regular users/consumers on their platform, while simultaneously addressing how the company can effectively manage and spend their revenue. The research will be focused on seeing how consumers react to specific trends and articles/podcasts, ultimately highlighting the sources that are the most popular amongst users. The project will hopefully help the company gain more brand awareness, while also providing the company with a spending strategy that will expectantly ensure both short and long-term success.

Austin Laberge- Mitacs Business Strategy Internship Application

This research project will consist of attempting to market and successfully sell M and M Publishing’s new retirement training manual and launch their new retirement coaching service. The main goal of this research project will be to help successfully launch and expand M and M Publishing’s new retirement coaching service for seniors and older adults who are either retired or soon to be entering their retirement. I will be attempting to get into contact with financial advisors and representatives from the “Big 5” major banks and other financial institutions to convince them to adopt Michael’s Drak’s retirement philosophy. The goal will be for these advisors and institutions to agree to promote M and M Publishing’s retirement coaching network and new retirement manual in the process. I will also be responsible for taking over all social media accounts for M and M Publishing in order to improve their online presence, attract possible consumers, and improve their overall brand awareness. This internship will benefit M and M Publishing by promoting the launch of their new products while also attracting prospective business partners to help grow the company.

A Scalable Solution for Sensing and Sorting Orein the Mineral Mining Process

This project intends to research the building of scalable, low-cost and robust alternatives andimprovements to existing systems for mineral sensing and sorting in order to achieve greaterproductivity and efficiency by means of improving speed and accuracy in the process of miningminerals from low grade rocks. The project will combine developments in embedded and streamingsystems, parallel computing and machine-learning to create a more specialized system for thisdomain. The project will be based on an existing platform of MineSense, a leading company in thisarea. This research will provide MineSense with insights into alternative hardware and softwaresystems, as well as useful research data with regards to trade-offs in light of scalability, latency andaccuracy, which should prove beneficial for design and planning for their current and future miningsystems.

Boundless Fitness Marketing and Strategy Intern

Boundless is a small company, in the beginning stages of establishing itself as a go-to destination for functional and sport specific fitness training in the Toronto area. I will get to experience working at a small business and see the challenges entrepreneurs face daily. My job will focus on strategic planning, digital marketing, product management/development and business development. The wide variety of tasks allows me to learn about multiple functional areas of the business, and to be involved in both macro level strategic discussions, as well as detail-oriented project-based work. Not only will my work help them gain in-person membership, I will develop on online training membership program that clients anywhere in the world can sign up for. This is crucial because the in-person training model has been upended due to Covid-19, an especially large challenge compounded by the small size, and relatively young age of the organization. Even before Covid-19, this model presented some challenges. Namely, the difficulty in growing a business when constrained by the size limitations of their facility, and a finite amount of time trainers could spend with clients.

Development of a Fatigue Prediction Model for FiberReinforced Polymer Matrix Composite ComponentsExposed to Elevated Temperatures

The use of composite materials for high temperature aerospace applications requires new studies in
order to better understand the behaviour of these novel materials, and to generate appropriate design
tools. The main goals of this project are to develop a set of numerical tools that will be used to predict
the fatigue behaviour of advanced high temperature composite materials. The first step will be to
complete the development of the tools. Then, the tools will be implemented into existing software
currently used by the industry partner. Finally, the procedures for using the tools will be documented.
The numerical model will be used by the industry partner for the development of new gas turbine
engines that utilize high temperature composite materials. This research is part of a larger
collaborative project and is therefore of considerable interest to the industry partner.

BusPas

BusPas Inc. et ISR Transit veulent innover en développant une plateforme d’applications mobiles utilisant des données pré-mutualisées, intégrant la mobilité 4POINT0 dans la ville intelligente. L’objectif est de permettre aux utilisateurs et aux fournisseurs de services de mobilités de gagner en flexibilité, de limiter les pertes et d’augmenter l’efficience des réseaux de mobilité. Ce type de plateforme technologique se doit de répondre à de nombreuses obligations comme par exemple générer l’adhésion d’un maximum d’écosystèmes, ou encore de permettre à différents acteurs de ces écosystèmes de bénéficier des nouvelles données et promouvoir les applications intersectorielles. C’est la meilleure manière de développer une solution inclusive, à la hauteur des attentes sur le plan de l’efficacité de la mobilité, et permettant un bon partage, une bonne communication entre les acteurs impliqués dans l’écosystème. Par exemple, si la plateforme veut inclure des entreprises sur un territoire avec le potentiel télétravail qui y est lié, elle doit permettre une transmission d’informations efficiente, claire entre les acteurs qui se partagent l’espace publique, permettant justement de se rendre au travail en physique lorsque prévu. Les données qui sont liées aux pratiques de travail sont par exemple un vecteur de fluidification de la mobilité.

Digital Strategy and Sales Project

The Digital Strategy and Sales project will help BizXL Solutions, a boutique management consulting firm, to redefine its strategy for client acquisition. BizXL Solutions is able to help businesses from the COVID-19 impact by redesigning their business processes. The goal of this project is to redefine the company’s strategy to acquire more clients. This will be achieved through creating company-oriented material to communicate the brand’s value proposition. Also, the social media presence of the company will be enhanced. Finally, cold calling and cold emailing will be another task towards achieving the project’s goal.

Workland

Workland est une entreprise qui développe depuis 10 ans des technologies de recrutement de type SaaS qui aide les entreprises à recruter de façon plus efficace à travers l’automatisation des processus. Dans les 12 derniers mois, l’entreprise a constaté un intérêt croissant pour sa technologie ATLAS de la part d’organismes publics et gouvernementaux. Ce résultat est directement relié au fait que Workland a été en mesure d’obtenir comme clientèle de grandes entités dans ces secteurs tels que la Commission scolaire de Montréal (6e plus grand employeur de Montréal), Service Québec, Service Canada, Innovation, Science et Développement Économique Canada, plusieurs villes et tout récemment, la Fédération des Chambres de commerce du Québec pour son projet Un emploi en sol Québécois.

Malgré la pandémie, les demandes d’information de clients issus de ces secteurs ont augmentées de façon significative dans les dernières semaines. De plus, le cycle de vente a passé de 6 à 12 mois, à 4 à 6 semaines.

Business Strategy Internship: Marketing and Communication Strategic Planning

The Edwards School of Business, in partnership with Mitacs, has launched a new summer internship called the “Mitacs Business Strategy Internship” program, to connect our students and faculty with Canadian businesses.

The program will award $10,000 of funding to each interested and eligible student or recent graduate to undertake a four-month project (480 hours) with a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), or not-for-profit organization. Selected students will analyze opportunities and provide strategic support to help organizations adapt and grow their business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Experiential learning: Provide students with the opportunity to apply business concepts to real-world decision-making and build students’ skills in problem solving, innovation, and navigating change.

Support the Business Community: Edwards interns will support businesses who need additional assistance in modifying their business operations to adapt to the new economic reality

Community building: Build and strengthen connections and collaborations between the business community and expand students’ networks