International Consulting in Practice:
Consulting Project Case Study in Stockholm
CLIENT:
ASSIGNMENT:
6-week long Consulting Project with an international component traveling to Stockholm, Sweden | March 17th - 22nd, 2024
28 Masters’ students + 3 faculty members - Students split into 6 groups
CLIENT BRIEF:
This Consulting Project should give students the opportunity to work closely with a company and solve their real-world business challenges. This Project not only allows students to work closely with company representatives but also gives them the chance to collaborate with peers and view businesses from an international perspective, enhancing skills such as teamwork, networking, critical thinking and public speaking, among others.
Our Approach:
Each Consulting Project is uniquely designed to meet the specific needs of our clients. For this project, students were organized into teams and partnered with companies based in Stockholm, Sweden. Over the course of the project, the teams collaborated to develop and deliver fresh insights, different perspectives and possible solutions to their assigned business challenges, culminating in an in-person presentation in Stockholm where students shared their insights and recommendations with clients and peers.
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After meeting with the faculty to understand their academic goals and reviewing the structure of the student teams, the ISP team matches each student group with a Swedish company. Once companies were selected, ISP facilitated communication between company representatives and student groups to align on project goals and business challenges. During this phase, students defined the project scope, established expectations and built rapport with the client.
In this case, the students were matched with a range of organizations, including Husqvarna, Fotografiska, HP Inc., the Nobel Prize Museum, Vattenfall, Volvo and Fjallraven.
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Over several months, student teams collaborated closely with one another and with their company representatives. Their work included rigorous data collection, market analysis and an extensive review of relevant literature, ensuring a well-informed understanding of each business challenge.
Once research was complete, teams moved into the analysis phase, examining their findings to uncover key patterns and actionable insights. Through continued discussion and refinement, students aligned on a tailored, innovative solution designed to address the client’s objectives, constraints and industry best practices.
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After months of preparation, students traveled to Stockholm for the on-the-ground portion of the project, where they met with their partner companies, presented their findings and gained firsthand exposure to Swedish culture.
Throughout the week, the teams visited their respective companies to deliver final presentations, each followed by a Q&A session and direct feedback from their peers and company representatives.
In addition to the consulting work, students explored Stockholm through cultural experiences such as fika (traditional Swedish coffee breaks), enjoying Swedish cuisine, visits to Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town and iconic museums including the ABBA Museum, the Vasa Museum and the Nobel Prize Museum.
On the final full day, students participated in a networking event, connecting with Durham alumni living and working in Stockholm.
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Through this dynamic consulting project, students delivered tailored, research-driven recommendations to their partner organizations aimed at increasing customer engagement and driving sales growth. By combining in-depth market research, data analysis and ongoing collaboration with company stakeholders, each team identified key barriers to engagement and developed actionable strategies grounded in real-world constraints, customer behavior insights and industry best practices.
Please note that this example is drawn from our portfolio to illustrate our capabilities. Every program and project we deliver is fully customized, with each element tailored to align with your unique goals and objectives.
“The students get instant feedback from companies. This is really, really valuable and it’s also a great networking opportunity for them so they can catch up with these companies managers later on. And who knows, maybe they will work for these companies in the future or collaborate with them in different ways. And of course, there’s a strong academic component as well.”
Want to see what a Consulting Project could look like for you?
Feel free to get in touch via the form below or shoot our Consulting Project specialist, Nikola Sohajova, an email - we’d be happy to arrange a short call to discuss your ideal Project!
