UW News

April 13, 2011

Global Business Case Competition finals open to public April 16

UW News

  • Watch the “final four”: The public is invited to watch at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16, in Room 192 of  PACCAR Hall. Finalists will be announced at about 1 p.m.

Student participants have come from as far away as Thailand, China, Brazil and New Zealand to compete in the 2011 Global Business Case Competition, April 11 to 16.

The public is invited to watch the “final four” presentations of the competition at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16, in Room 192 of  PACCAR Hall. Finalists will be announced at about 1 p.m.

The participants, from a dozen or more worldwide locations, will have to bring their best game, because this competition gives teams just 48 hours to respond to a business case challenge and create and deliver a professional-quality response. The rules suggest, “It is always an advantage to be educated about current world issues.”

Members of the UWs winning team make their presentation, about Boeings 787 Dreamliner, in the 2010 Global Business Case Competition.

Members of the UWs winning team make their presentation, about Boeings 787 Dreamliner, in the 2010 Global Business Case Competition.Photo courtesy of Global Business Center

“These competitions, what makes them challenging is not only that they give real-world situations, but in lots of cases its real issues a company has faced in the past,” said Alexander Diaz, public relations manager for the competition.

“Its just an overall great experience to view something that is applicable not just to business but to everything else, and its just the way you break it down. … Its so much more than just business,” Diaz said. To make it fair, he said, judges for each round are named at the last moment.

This is the 13th year of the competition, which the UW has won twice, in 2001 and 2010. Last years first-place award was for a case relating to production challenges on Boeings 787 Dreamliner, and identifying future directions for the aerospace company. The UW also placed in the final four in 2002, 2006 and 2008.

Teams this year come from Japan, Thailand, Serbia, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, China and Pakistan as well as the U.S. Participants arrived Monday, April 11, and will leave Sunday, April 17.

The competitions website states, “(T)his weeklong program provides students a chance to build cross-cultural relationships, experience the city of Seattle and most importantly, participate in a real-world case study to analyze and develop a business recommendation within 48 hours.”

The competition is hosted by the Michael G. Foster School of Business and its Global Business Center, and also has a page on Facebook.

“I might add that viewing the ‘final four is an amazing experience,” Diaz said.