New Employee Training Development
Our company has complex and detailed training requirements due to the sensitive and highly technical nature of financial services. Manually executing onboarding tasks with each new employee is an inefficient use of resources. We need an online program that will introduce employees to their new roles, take employees through all start-up resources, and provide our HR personnel with standardized feedback and data about employee progress. This project should focus on: Gathering relevant course design and content information from interviews with key stakeholders. Onboarding plans for individuals in the branch delivery system Ensuring new employees complete specific onboarding tasks and the ability to track progress Reducing new employee’s adjustment period. Research and recommendation of potential Learning Management Systems. Automation of our onboarding process and reduction of redundancies Virtual onboarding Role of the mentor in virtual onboarding
Optimize Retail Layout
We would like to re-scope our retail locations. In light of COVID-19 and consumers using digital banking tools over in-branch services, bank branches require far less space for client interactions. We believe that changing the layout of our retail locations could lead to more productivity and better interactions with clients. We would like Engineering students to develop a system, which utilizes statistical analysis and optimization techniques to generate the safest and most profitable layouts for our branches. We believe this project scope will include: Tracking current customer movement and purchase patterns. Identifying areas that could be altered for more ideal outcomes. Creating a program based on your gathered data, which will generate ideal layouts.
Cyber Security/Disaster Recovery Plans
SCCU is developing and updating its incident response process, including its Disaster Recovery Plan and Business Continuity Plan. SCCU would like students to review its current processes, existing best practices, and provide recommendations on the optimal structure, workflow, and ownership model that will work best.
Future of the Canadian Credit Union System
In 2012, Deloitte published a paper titled " 21st Century Co-operative: Rewrite the Rules of Collaboration " which provocatively stated that credit unions with less than $5 billion in assets were unlikely to survive the transformational changes in the financial services sector. In this project, we would like students to explore the notion of "size to survive," examining international examples of success in small financial and non-financial organizations. The research should include: Strategies and methods small organizations have applied to compete with large organizations; A critical reflection of the Deloitte paper, considering why a diverse credit union system might be beneficial to consumers; Consideration of different collaboration models (i.e. federation, integration, back office collaboration). The goal of the project is for students to submit a critical analysis between 2500 - 3000 words.
Cyber Security/Disaster Recovery Plans
SCCU is developing and updating its incident response process, including its Disaster Recovery Plan and Business Continuity Plan. SCCU would like students to review its current processes, existing best practices, and provide recommendations on the optimal structure, workflow, and ownership model that will work best.
Design a Loyalty Program
Sunshine Coast Credit Union would like to partner with or create a loyalty program that reflects its three strategic pillars (Member Centricity, Financial Wellness, and Social Impact) and creates added value for credit union members. SCCU wants to understand what currently exists in the market, which existing programs might align to our strategy, and which emerging or new features might bring value. Successful Project Submissions will: Assess existing loyalty programs and determine reasons for success; Present best practices for loyalty programs where the goal is to increase primary & exclusive members; Recommend options for SCCU (either existing or to customize); Scope the financial impact (Investment & Return on Investment) of the recommended options; Additional Criteria: Suggestions must be automated - manual programs will not be accepted. Suggestions must connect to SCCU's strategic goals of Financial Wellness and Social Impact. Suggestions cannot be tied into SCCU's credit card - suggestions must take this into account. Students may be authorized to contact existing members to gain feedback.
Financial Podcast Production
Podcasting is a rapidly growing content medium, with a highly localized consumership. Working with students, we would like to take advantage of the trend and create a season of our own podcast. We would like for students to deliver a 5-episode podcast series, based on our outcome objectives. Students could accomplish the following: Script each podcast episode in alignment with SCCU's strategic pillars (Member Centricity, Financial Wellness, and Social Impact) Edit the recorded audio for final publication. Coach participants for success on the microphone. Provide recommendations on increasing listenership.
Create An Innovation Hub
Sunshine Coast Credit Union is on a journey to become more innovative in support of its three strategic pillars: Member Centricity, Financial Wellness, and Social Impact. To facilitate this transformation, we would like to explore the creation of an Innovation Hub, where employees, vendors, and community partners could work together to solve problems and explore opportunities in a collaborative way. Successful projects will include: Recommended structure for the Innovation Hub (i.e. subsidiary, shareholder, internal business unit, etc.). 2-3 year business strategy for startup and initial growth stage, including leadership structure, harvesting of membership & ideas, etc. Recommended key performance indicators for the Hub. Suggested funding strategies. Suggestions for collaborative approaches between SCCU and other businesses/credit unions.
Board Governance Modernization
The goal of this project is to research and recommend a modern governance framework that enables agility, innovation, and strategic risk management at the Board level. Sunshine Coast Credit Union's Board of Directors would like to understand emerging governance frameworks (particularly in high tech media/telecom) to align its own governance philosophies and structures in a more modern way. The successful project would include: Recommended approaches to director recruitment Recommended committee structure (including regulatory required committees) Recommended frequency and structure of meetings to maximize time and focus discussions on strategically-impactful outcomes.
Decision Making Strategy
Sunshine Coast Credit Union is embarking on a new strategic plan, and its executive team wants to ensure its decision making for annual plans, projects, initiatives, etc. is rooted in quanititative and qualitative metrics that ensures the strategy is at the forefront. In addition, the executive team wants to increase empowered decision-making, reducing consensus and improving agility. Project submissions should include: A clear methodology/process for decision making; Key metrics that drive alignment with the strategic plan; Thresholds for decision-making authority based on positions/team authority; and Change management suggestions for moving from current decision-making process to the proposed process.
Future of the Canadian Credit Union System
In 2012, Deloitte published a paper titled " 21st Century Co-operative: Rewrite the Rules of Collaboration " which provocatively stated that credit unions with less than $5 billion in assets were unlikely to survive the transformational changes in the financial services sector. In this project, we would like students to explore the notion of "size to survive," examining international examples of success in small financial and non-financial organizations. The research should include: Strategies and methods small organizations have applied to compete with large organizations; A critical reflection of the Deloitte paper, considering why a diverse credit union system might be beneficial to consumers; Consideration of different collaboration models (i.e. federation, integration, back office collaboration). The goal of the project is for students to submit a critical analysis between 2500 - 3000 words.
Innovating Employee & Organization Scorecards
As our organization continues to grow, it is important for us to stay up to date with our tools and processes for employee management. We have a desire to focus specifically on our organization and individual balanced scorecardsl. The goal is for scorecards to be interactive, user-friendly and relevant to our staff to assist with adoption. We want to use this opportunity to create a preliminary redesign of scorecards to ensure targets, goals and performance issues are clearly documented and have strategic relevance. Through this collaboration, we would like to develop a plan that addresses three key areas: The needs and challenges of effective performance management/evaluation Research and identify scorecard options available that might suit the needs of our team A rollout/pilot plan that identifying what our team needs to consider in adopting a new scorecard
New Market Expansion
We are ready to take our business to the next level. Presently we only exist in one market but it’s time to grow! Our company requires some assistance is assessing our customer landscape outside of our current territory. We want to learn more about customer’s expectations and behaviours in suggested new geographic and affinity-based regions. It is important for us to stay up to date on industry standards to ensure that we research new strategies fully and completely before choosing to enter. We have some ideas of where we would like to go but we need to make sure that we consider all available options before making a decision. Our specific need is an outline of our industry’s expansion opportunities through a strategic analysis of aquisitions vs. mergers. This report should include an optimal strategy recommendation list. To consider: which strategies align with our current one? What markets could we reach with new strategies and partnerships? What are the pros and cons to expanding our operations? What potential competitors exist under these new strategies? What legal protocol will need to be considered?
Values Based Decision Making
We would like students to focus on the cooperative values and assess how they could be applied to help an organization be more relevant to consumers, and more profitable.
Innovating Employee & Organization Scorecards
As our organization continues to grow, it is important for us to stay up to date with our tools and processes for employee management. We have a desire to focus specifically on our organization and individual balanced scorecardsl. The goal is for scorecards to be interactive, user-friendly and relevant to our staff to assist with adoption. We want to use this opportunity to create a preliminary redesign of scorecards to ensure targets, goals and performance issues are clearly documented and have strategic relevance. Through this collaboration, we would like to develop a plan that addresses three key areas: The needs and challenges of effective performance management/evaluation Research and identify scorecard options available that might suit the needs of our team A rollout/pilot plan that identifying what our team needs to consider in adopting a new scorecard
Workspace Optimization Plan
We want to develop a physical workspace that will excite employees and help our people consistently perform at their highest level. Based on best practices and the information that we provide, we would like students to develop a workspace strategy that will encourage innovation, collaboration, and amazing communication. To accomplish this, we anticipate students will need to: Perform an audit of our current workspace approach. Propose effective strategies to engage employees in their workspace. Determine how to link business goals to individual performance and workspace. Developing tools for implementing the plan (i.e.., overarching strategy, implementation plan, etc.). Provide overall recommendations to improve our current workspace.
Market Validation Study
We are looking to gain a better understanding of our target market to ensure we are positioning ourselves in the right segment, offering effective benefits, and creating the best marketing messages. To accomplish this, you could focus on providing: A complete analysis of our current offerings, our target market, and the positioning of our brand. Conducting empirical interviews and/or questionnaires for feedback on our brand, product, service, etc. Executing further market research to develop a comprehensive report of our target market. We will provide you with access to organizational assets that support the project, including personnel, marketing strategies, marketing and sales collateral, etc. We hope to gain a comprehensive understanding of our target market and how we can better satisfy their needs. We would like recommendations on how to improve our positioning, brand, and products to better suit the market.
Market Validation Study
We are looking to gain a better understanding of out target market to ensure we are positioning ourselves in the right segment, offering effective benefits, and creating the best marketing messages. To accomplish this, you could focus on providing: A complete analysis of our current offerings, our target market, and the positioning of our brand. Conducting empirical interviews and/or questionnaires for feedback on our brand, product, service, etc. Executing further market research to develop a comprehensive report of our target market. We will provide you with access to organizational assets that support the project, including personnel, marketing strategies, marketing and sales collateral, etc. We hope to gain a comprehensive understanding of our target market and how we can better satisfy their needs. We would like recommendations on how to improve our positioning, brand, and products to better suit the market.