Information Package
4th May 2015 - 8th May 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dean’s Message
What is APEX Business-IT?
What’s New in 2015?
Competition Flow
Case Example
Event Schedule
Registration
Accommodation
Past Partners
Past Case Themes
About Singapore Management University
About School of Information Systems
About Singapore
Contact Us
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dean’s message
Greetings and welcome to the APEX Business-IT Global Case Challenge 2015! This will be our
7th global competition. APEX Business-IT has grown tremendously into an established case
competition with a strong reputation and participation base.
The competition provides several outstanding features that clearly define the APEX Business-IT
experience. These include:
An Eye-Opening Experience
Each year, our ‘live cases’ are based on the latest trends in the economy, and in the world of
infocomm applications. This ensures that our case scenarios are original, interesting and relevant
from business, social, and technology perspectives. In addition, there is always an element of
surprise in our competition to simulate real world challenges.
Professionally Network
We work closely with a strong and diverse network of professionals from a wide range of business
and social organizations. These external professional people play a significant role in the
development of APEX Business-IT. They are involved in many aspects of the competition, including
writing the case, judging, conducting the Thematic Workshop, interacting with participants and
giving feedback and advice.
Ennovative Business-IT Solutions
Our university is renowned for its strength in integrating IT and business. We incorporate this
experience and know-how into the core of the competition. Through our freshly created APEX
Business-IT cases, the related competition workshops, and the competition format itself,
participants explore interesting opportunities and challenges in the Business-IT realm. Our
Thematic Workshops also provide participants with early opportunities to interact with emerging
infocomm applications and solutions.
Xtraordinary Learning Journey
The competition is specially designed to promote a collaborative learning experience for all
participants. Every year, we seek more opportunities for participants to interact with one another.
We also strive to help participants in their professional development through interactions with
influential industry people.
We invite you to join us for the 2015 APEX Business-IT Global Case Challenge!
Steven Miller
Vice Provost (Research) and Dean, School of Information Systems
Singapore Management University
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What is APEX Business-IT?
The APEX Business-IT Global Case Challenge is an annual case competition that highlights the
intertwined nature of business and IT. APEX Business-IT is hosted and supported by the School of
Information Systems, Singapore Management University (SMU). The organising committee
comprises of undergraduate students from the various schools across SMU, reflecting the highly
interdisciplinary nature of the competition.
Since its inception in 2009, APEX Business-IT has achieved its status as a premier global case
competition with the holistic experience offered through the holistic experience offered by the
5-day event. In APEX Business-IT, we pride ourselves on giving you the opportunity to:
EXPLORE
INSPIRE
NETWORK
DESIGN PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING, IT-ENABLED SOLUTIONS FOR
STRATEGIC BUSINESS PROBLEMS
Every year, we craft an original case inspired by emerging trends in IT and
business. The case challenges students to design a solution that enhances the
organisation’s performance while taking into consideration its circumstances.
TRANSFORM BUSINESS VIA TRANSITIONS OVER TIME TO AN
IMPROVED STATE OF PERFORMANCE
Teams are expected to propose a solution design and implementation
strategy that is feasible, economical and compatible with the case
company’s business and competitive needs. Teams are also required to
analyse the risks of the solution they propose.
GET CONNECTED TO A STRONG AND DIVERSE NETWORK OF
INDUSTRY LEADERS
Industry partners play vital roles in APEX Business-IT, including collaborating
on the development of the case, serving as judges, being panelists for the
Thematic Workshop, and interacting with participants.
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what’s new in 2015?
INTRODUCTION OF LIGHTNING
ROUND
To improve the competitiveness of our
competition as well as to provide and
alternative path for both Semifinalists and
Wildcard Round winners, we are introducing
the quickest competition round of APEX 2015
-- the Lightning Round.
PLATE COMPETITION
In APEX Business-IT 2014, we introduces the
Plate Competition to allow teams to showcase
their creativity in selling one best idea from
their solutions. In response to the positive
feedback, we’re bringing back the Plate
Competition -- with a new twist!
OUR ‘LIVE’, ORIGINAL CASE
In partnering with SMU’s Case Writing
Initiative, our APEX Business-IT cases are
written specifically for our competition -- tuned
and designed intentionally to provide an
intellectually stimulating experience for your
team to mull over in the course of the
lockdown!
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COMPETITION FLOW
semifinal
round
LIGHTNING ROUND
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case example
2014 Case:
How IT solutions can play a key role in enabling Sustainable Supply Chains
Case Partner: Green Freight Asia
Green Freight Asia, a not-for-profit organisation made up of key industrial players, was seeking a
collaboration to create an IT solution partnership that would support GFA’s programme for the
adoption of green freight practices in the Asia Pacific region.
Notables:
1. Participating teams took part in a panelist discussion pertaining to sustainable supply chain
practices. Issues discussed included the problems faced by firms in their attempts to curb
emissions, as well as demonstrations of current IT projects that aid firms in the resolution of these
problems.
2. In a unique twist to the competition, teams were not only provided with the Cases for their
deliberation, they were also introduced to the Live Feed. This allowed for two way ‘live’
communication between the teams and the ‘case partner’, where teams can pose questions to the
‘case partner’ and receive their replies in a short time.
3. The competition was split into three phases. The first phase comprised of the preliminary round,
where teams were expected to address the technology aspect of their proposed solutions.
Winning teams from the first phase progressed onto the Semifinal Round; the other teams
proceeded to the Wildcard Round – where participants had to present their business solutions
through an A1 poster.
4. In the final phase, teams who did not make it to the Grand Finals took part in the Plate
Competition, where participants were given less than 18 hours to highlight the most creative idea
within their solution to a panel of judges. They were provided with a $20 budget to purchase any
items that would form their presentation material. Even with the short preparation time, the
participating teams gave a pleasant surprise to the judges with their creative presentations and
unique styles of highlighting their best ideas. With the closure of the Plate Competition, the Grand
Finalists then took the stage to present their business and IT solutions in a 12-minute presentation.
Thematic Workshop:
The panel discussion included representatives from Green Freight Asia, DHL, UPS, Infineon and
the Logistics Institute Asia Pacific.
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event schedule
DAY 1
Registration
Welcome Dinner
DAY 2
Thematic Workshop
Competition Briefing
DAY 3
Case Distribution
24 Hour Lockdown Session
DAY 4
Preliminary Round
Semifinal/Wildcard Round
Lightning Round
DAY 5
Plate Competition
Grand Finals
Gala Dinner
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Registration
ELIGIBILITY
A team of 3 undergraduate students in their 3rd or 4th year of study
(It is recommended that at least 1 team member be pursuing a major in Information Systems
Management or a related field)
•Each team must be accompanied by at least 1 team coach/observer
•More than 1 coach/observer is allowed per team
•The team coach cannot be part of the team of 3
Each university can send a maximum of 1 team. The registration fee stated below
includes meals and transportation for all official events during the competition period,
including the Welcome Dinner and Gala Dinner.
Please note that this sum does not include accommodation charges, which will be paid directly to
the hotel at the end of your stay.
FEES & PAYMENTS
•Team fee: S$725 Nett per team of 3 students
•Coach/Observer fee: S$275 Nett per person
Payments will be processed through RegOnline
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AWAIT YOUR
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We will contact you within 48 hours
upon registration with follow-up details.
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YOUR GUIDE TO
MAKE YOUR
PAYMENT
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TEAM DETAILS
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REGISTRATION IS
COMPLETE!
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Create an account in RegOnline
and make payment by 1st February
to confirm your registration place.
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Registration
CRITICAL DATES
15th March 2015
Deadline for Cancellation & Full
Refund of Registration
10th November 2014
Start of Pre-Registration
1st February 2015
Deadline for Full Payment
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Teams can pre-register at any time to indicate their interest in APEX Business-IT 2015; no
commitment is required. To pre-register, please fill up the registration form at
http://apex.smu.edu.sg/registration/. The University Relations department will follow up by
email within 48 hours.
Please note the 1st February 2015 deadline for registration and full payment. Teams will receive
a confirmation email after they complete the online registration process (via RegOnline) and
payment is received.
Kindly note that a full refund will only be issued if a cancellation is made before 15th March
2015. There will be no refund after this date, unless the cancellation is triggered by the APEX
Business-IT Organising Committee.
(If the event is over-subscribed, we may regrettably need to limit the number of teams. Past
participation in APEX Business-IT and order of registration will be considered in the final selection
process. Teams that are not selected will be notified by 1st March 2015 and will receive a full
refund.)
We look forward to receiving your application!
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ACCOMmODATION
The Organising Committee is still working to secure the best rates for the event. The estimated
range for the room rates per night is as follows:
• S$275 – 325 Nett (Single)
• S$300 – 350 Nett (Double)
• S$400 – 450 Nett (Triple)
Please note that accommodation at the official competition hotel is mandatory for all participants
during the 5-day event, from 4th to 8th May 2015. In addition, team coaches are not allowed to
share a room with any of the participants as communication between both parties during the
24-hour lockdown is strictly prohibited. We seek your kind understanding on this matter.
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PAST PARTNERS
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past case themes
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About Singapore
Management University
Singapore Management University (SMU) is a leading university in Asia and is recognised both
locally and abroad for its world-class research and illustrious teaching. SMU is currently home to
over 8,300 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Established in 2000, SMU’s mission is to generate leading-edge research with global impact and
produce broad-based, creative and entrepreneurial leaders for the knowledge-based economy. It
is known for its interactive and technologically enabled pedagogy of seminar-style teaching in
small class sizes.
Located in the heart of the city, SMU’s city campus is a state-of-the art facility that comprises six
schools: School of Accountancy, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, School of Economics,
School of Information Systems, School of Law and School of Social Sciences.
With an emphasis on generating rigorous, high-impact, multi-disciplinary research that addresses
Asian issues of global relevance, SMU faculty members collaborate with leading international
researchers and universities in the USA, Europe, China and India as well as with partners in the
business community and public sector through its research institutes and centres.
Besides being renowned for its academia, SMU is also known for its vibrant student community.
Co-curricular activities, which exist at both recreational and competitive levels, are supported
mainly by student clubs, while customised excellence programmes in the arts and sports are
pursued through the support of the Office of Student Life. Special interests like debating, animal
welfare advocacy, and community service (e.g., serving the Red Cross) are also encouraged for
students to broaden their interests and play a bigger role in society.
For more information about SMU, please visit www.smu.edu.sg.
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About the school of
information systems
The SMU School of Information Systems (SIS) was founded in 2003 to extend SMU’s research
and education efforts into the areas of Information Systems Technology, Information Systems
Management, and issues at the intersection of IS technology and management.
SIS possesses deep technology-based research and project capabilities in five strategically
selected areas:
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Data Management & Analytics
Information Security & Trust
Intelligent Systems & Decision Analytics
Software Systems
Information Systems & Management
In the fifth area, Information Systems & Management, the school investigates a range of issues
related to the managerial and business impacts of IT within firms, across industry networks and
value chains, as well as across markets and industries. Since its inception, SIS has had a strategic
partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, which has allowed for the collaborative launch of
the Living Analytics Research Centre (larc.smu.edu.sg) between the two universities. Other
significant research initiatives include the LiveLabs Urban Lifestyle Innovation Platform, the iCity Lab
(with Tata Consulting Services), the Green Transformation Lab (with DHL), the Pinnacle Lab for
Analytics (with Ping An Insurance Group), and the Urban Management & Analytics Lab.
For more information about SMU SIS, please visit sis.smu.edu.sg.
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about singapore
Located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore is an island country that is
recognised as one of the leading business hubs in Asia. Though physically small, Singapore is an
economic giant. It has been Southeast Asia’s most modern city for over a century and was ranked
as the third wealthiest nation in the world. Because of its efficient and determined government,
Singapore has become a flourishing country that excels in trade and tourism and is a model to
developing nations.
Singapore is poised to be an information and technology hub which continues to attract
multinational infocomm giants like Microsoft, Oracle, Google, IBM, in addition to international
start-ups and exciting user organisations and also, to ultimately achieve productivity led growth.
Standing at the forefront of maximising opportunities in IT to froster quality growth, Singapore’s
effective use of IT has produced widespread economic and social benefits for its economy.
Singapore’s excellent infrastructure enables visitors to enjoy its many sites and attractions in a safe,
clean and green environment. In the city, there is no need for a car. Public transportation is
excellent and walking is a good way to explore the city. Popular tourist attractions in Singapore
include Universal Studios Singapore, Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands, Sentosa, and not
forgetting the icon of Singapore, the Merlion Park.
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contact us
Enquires
If you wish to contact us, do drop us an email at [email protected] and we’ll reply to you witthin
48 hours! The APEX Business-IT Organising Committee would be happy to provide additional
information or answer any questions you may have about the event.
APEX Business-IT Website
Visit our website at apex.smu.edu.sg or facebook.com/SMUAPEX for more details, photos and
videos of our previous events.
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