A Project Proposal consists of three required sections:

Background - Provide an overview of the company, the nature

and size of the primary products)/service(s) and operations, and a
brief description of the department/function/product that is the
main focus of the study.
The Project To Be Studied - Describe the situation to be
studied, and if possible, identify the specific issue(s)/problem(s)
to focus on.
Outputs Desired - What specific results are expected, e.g.
reports, recommendations, etc.
Optional sections may be added to provide information on unique
aspects of the project, the available or required resources, or
particular methodologies to be applied. For example:
Methodology employ.

Possible

strategies

and

analytical tools

Required/Available Resources - Special or

software, personnel, etc. required, or available.

unique

to

data,

Another optional element is the addition of summary and key

word information on the project. This information is useful to the
Wake Forest Business Solutions director when projects are posted
for students to review.
Students use those postings as their
basis for bidding on project(s) they want to work on.
Note: Students are not permitted to make contact with client
firms who submit a Project Proposal until a team has formally
been assigned to a project. Thus, all identifying information is
omitted from a Project Proposal before it is posted for student
review. Projects are posted for review on the Schools of
Business Intranet, which is password protected to restrict access
to faculty and those students who are enrolled in the program.

value by offering a high-quality embroidery look at prices

comparable to regular screen-printed products with quick
turnaround on short notice.
The Project To Be Studied
At Comfort, ordering, scheduling, invoicing, inventory control and
shipping are done manually. Management decided to switch to an
electronic system because of frequent and often unanticipated
surges in volume, as well as recent overall growth. Several of
Comforts accounts have requested EDI systems and other
electronic media, including use of the Internet, to process orders
and shipping. The study group will be responsible for determining
what system could capitalize on emerging technology and be
most appropriate for the company and how best to implement
the system. The study will look at three main operating areas:
Information systems between Comfort and our manufacturing
operations
Information systems between Comfort and our customers
Information systems between Comfort and our suppliers
The team must propose whether members will focus on one, two
or all of the above applications.
Outputs Desired
Provide Comfort with a list of information systems that capitalize
on the latest technology and that could be installed and
implemented, along with pros and cons of each
Propose a schematic design and determine the costs and benefits
of each alternative
Recommend the best alternative and provide a plan for
implementation

The following Sample Project Proposals are available to assist

you in preparing one of your own:
SAMPLE 2
SAMPLE 1
[The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with
a firm's permission.]
[The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with
a firm's permission.]
Company:
Comfort
Apparel
Contact
Person:
Sam
Talbott
Title:
Marketing
Manager
Telephone:
336.555.1234
Fax:
336.555.1234
Fax:
(336)
745-7025
Address: 1234 Comfort Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27123
Background
Comfort Apparel manufactures and markets high-quality, highvalue apparel using screen printing and embroidery. Comfort
holds exclusive contracts with several boards of education in the
Southeast to provide shirts, hats and sweatshirts with school
logos for state championships in all major sports. Other boards
are being pursued for contracts. A significant volume of business
is obtained through short-term contracts with colleges,
universities and sports associations to provide logo apparel for
ceremonies and sporting events. Comfort provides consumer

Company:
Mountain
Broadcasting
Contact
Person:
Ms.
I.
M.
Title:
Telephone:
(910)
Fax:
(910)
Address: 4321 Galaxy Boulevard, Mt. Airy, NC 27411

Company
Astarr
President
253-7827
253-1329

Background
- Provide an overview of the company, the nature and size of the
primary product(s)/service(s) and operations, and a brief
description of the department/function/product that is the main
focus of the study.
Mountain Broadcasting Company is a locally-owned radio
company which operates under the call letters of WMBC (FM) and
WNCB (AM). It employs 17 people, including 6 salespeople.
The Project To Be Studied

- Describe the situation to be studied, and if possible, identify the

specific issue(s)/problem(s) to focus on.

description of the department/function/product that is the main

focus of the study.

Mountain Broadcasting contacted the Schools of Business to

conduct a survey and analyze the results to determine what
factors are critical when current and prospective advertisers
make the decision to use radio as an advertising medium.
Mountain Broadcasting also wanted to learn how effective its
salespeople were compared to the competition, be it radio
stations, television stations, or magazines and newspapers.
Mountain Broadcast hoped to learn what it could to ultimately
leading to an improvement in the company's profitability.

Gourmet House Software Services is a relatively small "software

house" that specializes in software for restaurants and wholesale
food distributors. The purpose of this type of software is to allow
the user to better and more efficiently purchase and utilize their
inventory and delivery systems. Gourmet House System is going
into its twelfth year of business, and they estimate that they have
roughly 160 users of their specialized software.

Outputs Desired

Describe the situation to be studied, and if possible, identify the

specific issue(s)/problem(s) to focus on.

- What specific results

recommendations, etc.

would

be

expected,

e.g.

The Project To Be Studied

reports,

Outputs desired from this practicum include:

(1) Which local sales staffs within the industry are perceived as
most competent/least competent?
(2) What affect do program formats and program contents have
on advertisers' decisions to buy?
(3) How do the rates charged by WMBC and WNCB compare with
other stations and how are they perceived by their customers
with respect to the value received?

The current computer system software being sold by Gourmet

House is a third generation software component. They feel it is
necessary to upgrade their software to a fourth generation, but
want to make sure they can successfully market this new product
to existing customers, as well as to other potential markets. The
study group should concentrate on the following areas:
(1) The various methods that could be used to market this new
product to current market segments, while maintaining support
and customer satisfaction for older products;
(2) Identify any other feasible markets for this new product.
Outputs Desired

(4) What affect do promotional support, purchase incentives, and

the buying procedure have on the purchasing decision?

What specific results

recommendations, etc.

would

be

expected,

e.g.

reports,

(5) Which stations are perceived as most effective for reaching

specific demographic targets?

The outputs desired from this project would be as follows:

(6) How do stations'

advertising rates?

(1) A list of options and an action plan for the introduction of the
new software component

production

capabilities

affect

their

Methodology

(2) A risk analysis of the planned introduction, complete with

benefits and drawbacks.

- Possible strategies and analytical tools to employ.

(3) Financial considerations involved (ROI, etc).
The data for this study will be generated by telephone interviews
of approximately 100-200 prospective advertisers. The prospects
will include current radio and non-radio advertisers, current
customers, and non-customers of the stations, and direct
advertisers and agencies and/or media brokers. The team will be
supplied by the client with the list of prospects.
SAMPLE 3

[The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with
a firm's permission.]
Company:
Gourmet
House
Software
Services
Contact
Person:
Rachel
Benedict
Title:
Director
of
Development
Telephone:
(910)
277
2347
Fax:
(910)
277
9547
Address: 1600 Watley Plaza, Winston-Salem, NC 27011
Background
Provide an overview of the company, the nature and size of the
primary product(s)/service(s) and operations, and a brief

Summary/Key Word Information:

Estimated
team
size:
2-3
person
team
How was project obtained?: Wilson Thomas, Alum
Previous
Project?:
No
Project Focus - Primary: Marketing, Strategic Planning
Other
areas:
New
Ventures,
Business
Strategy
Keywords:
Marketing
and
identifying
new
niches
Brief Abstract: Recommend a marketing plan for a fourth
generation of a software package and identify new markets the
firm might enter in order to increase revenues and profits.

[The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with
a firm's permission.]
Company:
Bentonville
Medical
Clinic
Contact
Person:
George
Hendrichs
Title:
Business
Manager/Administrator
Telephone:
(910)
273
8457
Fax:
(910)
273
5419
Address: 413 Harmon Place, Greensboro, NC 27412

Background
Provide an overview of the company, the nature and size of the
primary product(s)/service(s) and operations, and a brief
description of the department/function/product that is the main
focus of the study.
Bentonville Medical Clinic is a 12 year old medical firm
specializing in the practice of obstetrics and gynecologic services.
The main office, located in Greensboro, is where the primary
administrative functions such as coordination, billing, insurance
claims, etc. are carried out, but the firm is also comprised of two
satellite offices located in Reidsville and Eden. The firm employs
1 administrator, 7 clinical personnel, 9 clerical workers, and 5
physicians, who rotate through each of the three offices on a
regular basis.
Gross revenues for 1991 were roughly $3.1 million, as a result of
37,000 patient encounters. The bulk of the revenues are taken in
by the Greensboro office, which accounted for 72% of all receipts.
Revenues grew regularly through 1990, but have leveled off since
then as a result of the efforts of the government and other
agencies to control health care expenses.
Some primary points of emphasis for Bentonville Medical Clinic
are: (1) maintenance of high quality of patient care, through the
regular and efficient assimilation of new technologies, (2)
continuous improvement of business efficiencies and cost
reductions, and (3) provision of a reasonable return on
investment for the firm's partners.
The Project To Be Studied
Describe the situation to be studied, and if possible, identify the
specific issue(s)/problem(s) to focus on.
One of the basic problems with health care today is the
government wishes to control health costs, yet demands the
highest quality of service available. Often, the government
wishes only to pay amounts for these services that barely exceed
the cost a medical firm incurs in providing them.
The focus of the group will be to evaluate the costs of various
types of patient visits versus the payment plans instituted by the

government (the RBRVS system that calculates costs for

medicare, for example), and determine how these plans affect
Bentonville Medical Clinic's cash flows and revenues.
Outputs Desired
What specific results
recommendations, etc.

would

be

expected,

e.g.

reports,

Outputs desired from this study include:

(1) Determination of the amount of medicare volume that can be
profitably handled;
(2) Identification of the various costs involved in particular types
of patient encounters (which types of visits are most/least
profitable for the firm)
(3) Determination of how cash flows being affected by programs
such Medicare's RBRVS cost conversion factors
(4) Suggestions for some possible alternatives/strategies through
which Bentonville Medical Clinic can maximize revenues in the
current environment.
Required/Available Resources
- (List special or unique data, software, personnel, etc. required,
or available):
Summary/Key Word Information:
Estimated
team
size:
2-3
person
team
How was project obtained?: Referred by John Adams, Alum
Previous
Project?:
No
Project
Focus
Primary:
Accounting/Finance
Other
areas:
Strategy,
Health
Administration
Keywords:
Costing,
and
cash
flow
analysis
Brief Abstract: Contrast patient visits with reimbursement plans
to assess the equity of payments received and determine their
affect on overall cash flows and revenues.