Examples of completed business projects

Aalto University has solid experience of carrying out Student Business Projects. All in all, our students have completed well over a hundred projects. These collaboration projects have resulted in impressive documents, including process descriptions on using new technology, market and competitor analyses and studies on the employer image of companies.

Below you will find some examples of completed projects including comments from company representatives. Ask for more examples and information on implementing projects from Project Coordinator Tommi Vihervaara.

• Finavia - The effect of Helsinki-Vantaa airport on Finnish economy
• Ministry of Finance - eServices project
• Nokia - Contactless ticketing
• Nordea - Virtual meeting
• Lindex - Research for customer loyalty
• ITAB Shop Concept Finland - Anniversary publication
• Burkina Faso - Well for an elementary school

Finavia - The effect of Helsinki-Vantaa airport on Finnish economy

Student Business Projects investigated the effects of an international airport on the Finnish economy. The effects were estimated by concentrating on the employment impact of the Helsinki Airport, thus estimating the total economic impact of air traffic. At the same time, a scenario analysis was conducted on the growth forecasts for Helsinki Airport and their impact on the national economy. Finance, logistics and economics students were involved in the project.                     

“We had been thinking about this issue for a while internally, and when the School of Business was able to provide us with a way of implementing it that was suitable with regard to the schedules and costs, then the decision was made. Co-operation with the whole project group worked well and the student’s attitude was positive. Two of the three students who carried out the project did their theses on the subject after the project was completed as a kind of continuation project.                     

Of these, the final work dealing with the profitability calculations of the new terminal has complemented our calculation models and also usefully challenged us to think about them. I see the supervisor’s role as valuable, because they keep the project on track and at the same time open the way to academic knowledge and possible final project work.                     

The greatest benefit of the project was that now we have a clear figure for the impact of Helsinki Airport on GNP and a credible model for calculating it. The data is used in all communications and arguments whenever the issue arises. ”

Pekka Hurtola
SVP in Corporate Development and Strategy
Finavia Corporation

Ministry of Finance - eServices project

Aalto University School of Business Student Business Projects received a commission from the Public Management Department of the Ministry of Finance for an eServices marketing communications project. The project dealt with different marketing communications channels and their application in the marketing of eServices. The project also presented example campaigns created for two different budgets.                     

“The project went well. The work was completed on time and the contents were really comprehensive. I already had a positive impression of Aalto University School of Business services, which was further reinforced after the project. Full utilisation of the project results will be seen once the project gets to the implementation stage. The price-quality ratio of the work was very high. I would recommend that other people also consider the viability of using Student Business Projects”.                     

Marjukka Ala-Harja
Senior Advisor
State IT Management Unit
Public Management Department
Ministry of Finance

NOKIA - Contactless ticketing

The NFC Solutions-department of Nokia Ventures Organisation wanted Aalto University School of Business study the system of contactless ticketing and its value chain and interest groups in Europe. A value chain model was created and applied to environments in different countries. The study also interviewed parties responsible for ticketing solutions and their implementation from various European countries.

“Aalto School of Business assembled a team of three students and managed its guidance and co-ordination. The controlling researchers were experienced and made sure the students made the right choices. All we had to do was to define the project and its goals.

The project gave us the results we wanted. It has bolstered sales and strategic positioning, and we have also been able to increase efficiency by reorganizing resources. In a way, the study opened our eyes to see what we had already suspected.

I’m sure many companies have people thinking about similar problems that could be solved with the expertise of Aalto’s Student Business Projects. Based on our experience, I can recommend the concept as a prominent option.”

Sirpa Nordlund
Head of Operations
NFC Solutions
Nokia

Nordea - Virtual meetings

The School of Business Student Business Projects investigated how Nordea’s staff felt about meeting people virtually. The areas that were the subject of the study were Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland and the Baltic countries. The School put together a group for the project that was made up of three students from the School of Business, one from the School of Technology and a supervisor for the group.                      

“We were very satisfied with the projects overall, and the recommendations made will be adopted. The students, who had no preconceptions, somehow had a fresher and clearer approach to issues than those who had worked with them for years. It was also refreshing that they did not try to sell us some concept, but concentrated on the problem given.

The students did not try to come across as being smarter than they were, which made them a lot more receptive to new information. However, as everything depends on the nature of the problem to be solved, the selection of a student group for this project was precisely the right decision. The price-quality ratio was excellent. “                     

Anni Kuva
CIO Office
Nordea

Lindex - Research for customer loyalty

Lindex Oy ordered Student Business Projects to carry out market research aimed at determining the consumer response to a new customer loyalty card.

“The project was completed on time and the results were useful, helping us to create a more focused marketing message. What was most important, however, was the speed of the project. It was completed in two months, which was crucial to us. A comparable project with the same flexibility and the same price would be hard to find.”

Ari Isohella
Managing Director
Lindex Oy

ITAB-Shop Concept Finland - Anniversary publication

ITAB-Shop Concept Finland used Student Business Projects to produce its anniversary publication. The work was completed in co-operation with the University of Art and Design Helsinki, which created the layout, while School of Business focused on content. Material was gathered both internally and externally, and by interviewing ITAB personnel. The end result was a 100 pages long financial history publication called ITAB Furniture - 50 years of shop furnishing history 1954-2004.

“The work was completed very successfully; nothing could have been done better. The professor and faculty of Aalto University School of Business, as well the University of Art and Design, supported the author well. From a cost-effectiveness standpoint, the end result was excellent. Compared to commercially available research it was even cheap. A comparable project could have taken much longer and cost much more, as I know from experience.

We also valued customizability. Regular firms deliver quick, but commoditized services; customization is usually very expensive. With Student Business Projects the customer has influence over the end result through the initial briefing and continuous participation. This does require the company to know what it wants, however. Now that I know what’s available and how well things work, I can comfortably praise Aalto’s Student Business Projects in any situation.”

Martti J. Kangas
Managing Director
ITAB-Shop Concept Finland

Burkina Faso – Building a well for for an elementary school 

The customized project concept of the Aalto University School of Business showed its versatility in a concrete way in the case of Burkina Faso. The challenging task was to provide better circumstances for everyday life for a poor community. A well was established near an elementary school situated in the city of Dedougou in Burkina Faso. The well brought clean drinking water to the school and local inhabitants and enabled the practice of agriculture.

Watch a video of the project: