Ychallenge is a premier case competition focusing on Vietnamese businesses. Participants from different countries will challenge themselves in extensive case studies from Vietnamese companies, undergo rigorous case-cracking training and company field trips, as well as being exposed to networking opportunities and panel discussions.

Goals

– Engage Vietnamese businesses and young talents globally in an active platform that fosters the exchange of resources, ideas and expertise.

– Enhance Vietnamese business competitiveness in local and international markets, through leveraging on a diverse pool of talents around the world (regardless of locations, nationalities or backgrounds).

– Provide Vietnamese businesses with quality business consultancy from high-caliber students and working professionals worldwide.

– Enable and empower young talents both local and overseas to challenge themselves and sharpen their business acumen while contributing their parts to the economic development of Vietnam.

Target Audience

– Excellent students and young working professionals regardless of locations, nationalities, expertises or backgrounds, with an aspiration of uplifting Vietnamese businesses on the global playground.

– Vietnamese businesses with strong ambition in expanding their global profiles and markets, and with openness to creative ideas/solutions from the youth.

Board of Judges

– Esteemed Professors from leading universities in Singapore and other countries

-Top management and expert consultants from leading corporations in Vietnam and worldwide

– Business leaders from case partners

– Advisors of prime economics movements in Vietnam

Benefits for Participants

– 1000 SGD cash prize for the winning team of each case

– Field trips to partner companies in Vietnam (in the final round)

– Presenting to Senior Management of leading companies in Vietnam

– Coaching/mentorship from consulting professionals (e.g. McKinsey)

– Workshops on case solving and presentation skills

– Employment opportunities from partner companies

– Networking with companies’ management, judges and other high-caliber participants

– Interaction with like-minded young talents locally and internationally

– And above that, friendship, intellectual challenges, and a chance to impact the direction of the goods and greats of Vietnam.

Benefits for Companies

– High quality business consultation

– Case studies tailor-made to the companies

– Access to high-caliber young talents in Vietnam, Singapore and other countries

– Networking with international experts and potential partners

– Brand awareness: Let the world know about your products (especially through multinational competition participants, professors, business leaders, academic institutions, etc.)

– Heightened visibility in the media

– Corporate social responsibility: Developing the young generation of Vietnam

Timeline

Benefits for Participants

In the  Sharing Session by NUS Case Consulting Group (having achieved highest recognition from many international case competitions since 2009), they will be pleased to share with Ychallenge participants about their journey as well as crucial case analyzing and cracking techniques.

Beyond that, you will also receive expertise guidance from our distinguished board of judges and mentors through three rounds of the competition. That coupled with the invaluable business insights delivered through our case studies will give you a clear picture on the dynamics of Vietnamese businesses.

Practical hands-on experience is the key to learning. With that in mind, we have prepared a 4-day sponsored field trip to Vietnam for the 8 finalist teams where they will be exposed to a range of factual managerial issues facing our partner companies (accommodation & transport provided, air tickets subsidized). Each of the top 4 teams will also receive a cash prize of 1,000 SGD. At the end of the competition, a Grand Finale will be held in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) for the winning teams to present their cases to and network with local enterprises.

Compete to contribute. Join us as a participant, have fun learning and adding your own value to the competitiveness of Vietnamese brands on global market!

Competition Format

Registration period: 15^th – 30^th October 2011.

We welcome all Vietnamese, Singaporean and international students to take part in the competition.

Participants currently residing in Vietnam (or other countries) please be prepared to cover your airfares & accommodation for your trip to Singapore to participate in 24-hour Challenge in early December. However, we’re working hard on sponsorship to subsidize you the costs.

Participants will take part in the Main Challenge as a team. Each team can have 3- 4 members.

The Main Challenge will consist of three rounds: the preliminary round, Semi Final round, and the Final round. In these rounds, each team will be given a case and will be required to come up with their analysis and recommendations.

Registration period (15 Oct – 30 Oct) – Please form teams of 3 or 4 and register via this link. A notification will be sent to you upon successful registration.

Preliminary Round (01 Nov – 08 Nov) – For the preliminary round, all participating teams will be given a brief case and 8 days for preparation. 16 best teams with outstanding proposals will be selected to the next round. 

Semi-Final Round (24-hour Challenge) (03 Dec – 04 Dec) – For the semi-final round, each team will be given the real case of our partner companies and 24 hours for preparation.

Field Trip & Grand Finale (15 Dec – 18 Dec) – 08 selected teams will participate in the field trip in Vietnam and have opportunities to work with people who have involved in the projects of partner companies (Vinamilk, PNJ, VNG Corporation, Becamex IDC). On the 3rd day, they have to present and defend their solutions once more with the new information gained from the trip to the management to determine 4 winning teams.

The Grand Finale and Networking Dinner will be held on the 4th day in Ho Chi Minh City and open by invitation to managements of related companies and working professionals in Vietnam.

Rules & Regulations

Eligibility

–       Vietnamese students/young working professionals in Singapore

–       Singaporean/international students/young working professionals in Singapore

–       Students/working professionals from Vietnam (or other countries) are welcome but you need to be prepared to bear the airfare to Singapore if chosen for 24-hour challenge to be held on 03-04 December 2011

–       All teams must have at least 1 Vietnamese member

–       Age from 16-30 years old

Preliminary round

In the preliminary round, each team will be given one brief case, which may not be related to the main cases provided later in subsequent rounds, and have 8 days to prepare and submit proposals to address the question posed in the case. Participants can refer to all sources of referenced materials as long as it is properly documented. Please follow the American Psychological (APA) style of referencing. This round will be conducted online and test analytical skills as well as creative and critical thinking abilities of participants.

Submission guideline:

1) Writing format requirements:

1) Comprehensiveness of the analysis: does your analysis cover comprehensive issues and constraints demonstrated through provided case materials as well as additional research on external and internal factors that affect your recommendations?

24-hour Challenge (Semi-Final Round)

The TOP 20 selected teams from Preliminary Round are to proceed to the 24-hour Challenge and assigned to a case on a partner company. The Board of Judges will select eight (8) teams (2 best teams for each case) to proceed to the Final Round (field trip and Grand Finale) in Vietnam (15^th-18^th December 2011).

The focus of this Semi-Final Round (24-hour Challenge) is on contestants’ capabilities in teamwork, analytical skills and critical problem solving under time pressure, and the ability to eloquently pitch their proposals to the Board of Judges.

Time:

• 24-hour Challenge: 9:20am 3^rd Dec to 9:20am 4^th Dec
• Case Presentation Day: 9:40am 4^th Dec to 8:00pm 4^th Dec

Language: English

Location: NUS Business School, 1 Business Link, Singapore 117592

Rules & Regulations:

1. Each team is allowed to bring an unlimited number of textbooks, reference materials to the designated premises in NUS Business School. Reference materials are defined as any forms of notes, compendiums/readers, collections of articles and the like.
2. Internet access is allowed. However, all forms of communication (including but not limited to email, instant messaging, teleconference, facebook, etc.) between the team and any other third parties are strictly prohibited.
3. The teams are strictly not allowed to discuss the case or their presentation with any outsiders during the 24-hour period designated. Staying out of the designated room except for personal or emergency matters is not allowed, and would require official approval from the organizing committee.
4. The content of all case-related materials are confidential. Teams are not allowed to distribute the materials without official written permission from the organizing committee and the case partner company.
5. The case should be prepared in the designated room. During the preparation, all case materials must remain in the room. All case materials include the case itself, the Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, and all reference materials.
6. You are recommended to bring your own computers/laptops/tablets.
7. No report is required.
8. Presentation will consist of a 15-minute presentation and a 5-minute Q&A session with the Board of Judges. The timing shall be strictly observed.
9. Standard presentation format is Microsoft Office PowerPoint. Keynotes for Apple’s products or any other products are not allowed.
10. The sequence of presentation will be determined just right before the presentation of the case.

We take it seriously against cheating and/or violating the rules & regulations. Any team found cheating and/or violating the rules & regulations will be disqualified immediately.

Field Trip & Grand Finale (Vietnam)

The 8 teams (The Eight) having been selected from 24-hour Challenge will proceed to the final round with a couple of activities to fine tune their proposal produced in the previous round. This round tests participants on problem solving skills under a closer-to-real-life situation as well as communication skills with various stakeholders in respective companies to do a reality-check for their proposals.

The Eight will be given access to a full version of the cases developed with partner companies so as to be required to solve the problems from more angles with more constraints. During two weeks between end of 24-hour Challenge and Field Trip, The Eight are required to communicate offline with relevant stakeholders in their respective cases and go through one workshop conducted by one of our advisors who are experienced management consultants. In this intensive period, each team will also be assigned to one mentor who is senior working professionals in related fields.

On 15 December 2011, The Eight will embark on their field trips to respective partner companies in Vietnam and interact directly with relevant stakeholders to their case proposals during 02 working days. These activities serve as final check to their proposals, to be presented in private to the management of respective companies in the language of choice (either Vietnamese or English) from the management. The management (from each partner company) will decide one wining team for each case, who is to present their proposals, with some level of information shield as requested from partnered companies, to the public at Grand Finale & Networking in Ho Chi Minh City on 17 December 2011.

The Eight are required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement to make sure that the materials as well as information provided to The Eight are to remain strictly within the team. Materials and information include all content provided in the written case as well as verbal and written conversations between the teams and relevant stakeholders in respective partner companies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why Ychallenge?

Ychallenge provides a good opportunity for your thoughts to be heard and for you to grow into a full person through many levels of interaction with peers and with our distinguished judges and partner companies.

The Competition will give you exclusive opportunities to attend our enrichment workshops to sharpen your analytical skills through in-depth discussion with industry experts as well as the management board of the 4 partner companies.

On top of that, through participating in Ychallenge, you can contribute to Vietnam by taking concrete actions towards firms in need while enjoying a fun and memorable experience.

2. Is Ychallenge for the Vietnamese/Vietnamese-speaking community only?

Definitely not! We also welcome those who are not Vietnamese but hold strong interest in Vietnam’s development.

3. How to take part?

It’s really simple. Please register as teams of 3 or 4 OR register as individuals and we will help you find your team mates based on your background and preferences. Kindly ensure that your/ your team’s CVs are ready for submission.

4. What should I do if I want to join the organizing team of the event?

We have received enquiries from enthusiastic folks who are so interested that they want to join the organizing team (Yay!). Since the organizing team for this event has been fixed, we would take note of your interest for our line-up events after this Ychallenge (Did we mention that we have a whole host of events in the pipeline waiting for awesome individuals like you to contribute and shine?). If you are interested to know more about us or hope to contribute in any way to our Yplatform, please drop us an email at join@yplatform.vn

5. Will Ychallenge be in English or Vietnamese?

The main language will be English. However, there may be some original reading materials of partner companies written and discussions with the management boards held in Vietnamese. Hence, if you do not have a Vietnamese participant in the team, we may be able to help you with the translaation to overcome the potential communication difficulties.

6. I want to attend the competition but I don’t stay in Singapore. Will there be any help from the organizers’ side?

Financially, overseas participants will need to prepare for their flight to Singapore, as well as all related costs incurred during their stay in Singapore. Other than that, the organizers do have a dedicated team to guide foreign audience through the entire stay in Singapore. Furthermore, if you don’t mind, we can try to arrange for you to stay with our organizers (we are students) so that you can further save the accommodation cost. Eight finalist teams attending the field trip and the Finale organized in Vietnam in mid December 2011 will receive financial and operational support from Ychallenge (accommodation and transportation provided, air tickets largely subsidized).

Results

Finale

Team Real Deal has impressed the management from Becamex IDC with their comprehensive critiques of the current innovative master plan of Binh Duong New City together with their recommendation PERM to ensure the city grow sustainabily in the future.

Team IIPA has successfully convinced the management from PNJ with their detailed implementation plan to improve the launch campaign of Yabling including utilizing mobile apps for more interactions among end users of the products.

DARTeam has left the meeting room at Vinamilk headquarter in District 7 with a clear plan to bring Vfresh fruit juice to kids supported by hard figures and carefull considerations together with a lovely and colorful commercial ads, ready for implementation.

Giành Chiến Thắng has truly won the hearts of the management at VNG with their engaging presentation on their proposed I square strategy with the suggestion to deploy tag to improve features for Zing Ads, making the service more relevant to users. 

24hr Challenge

VNG Case: VMA + Giành Chiến Thắng

Vinamilk Case: Apex Consulting Group  DARTeam

PNJ Case: Lee Consultancy + IIPA

Becamex Case: Real Deal + Chilling Chili Blondies

Preliminary Round

1. Team UP, HCMC – Team leader: Vo Le Hoang Long

2. Team 4U, HCMC – Team leader: Lu Nguyen Phuc Thinh

3. Team POTATO, HCMC – Team leader: Nguyen Hoang Duong

4. Team AS ONE, HCMC – Team leader: Truong Minh Hieu

5. Team PUZZLE, HCMC – Team leader: Tran Thanh Bao Ngoc

6. Team BKA2, Hanoi – Team leader: Vu Phung Hung

7. Team INNOVATIVE, Hanoi – Team leader: Nguyen Manh Thi

8. Team DARTeam, Singapore – Team leader: Tran Anh Tuan, Daniel

9. Team CHILLING CHILI BLONDIE, Singapore – Team leader: Tran Anh Son

10. Team ACTION!, Singapore – Team leader: Trang Thi Hai Linh

11. Team IIPA, Singapore – Team leader: Nguyen Hoai Anh

12. Team BeBe, Singapore – Team leader: Nguyen Thanh Long Jake

13. Team VMA, Singapore – Team leader: Phan Thuy Duong

14. Team VIRTUOSA, Singapore – Team leader: Dang Thi Huong

15. Team LEE CONSULTANCY, Singapore – Team leader: Lee Han Cheng Edric

16. Team TAKE.OFF, Singapore – Team leader: Nguyen Thi Nguyet Minh

17. Team REAL DEAL, Singapore – Team leader: Tran Dinh Hoang

18.  Team APEX CONSULTING GROUP, Singapore – Team leader: Jovin Loh Run Wen

19. Team GIÀNH CHIẾN THẮNG, Singapore – Team leader: Ooi Kang Hao

20. Team THE JELLICLES, Singapore/HCMC – Team leader: Jason Nguyen

Benefits for Participants

• 1,000 SGD for the winning team of each case
• Coaching from McKinsey & Company consultants
• Employment opportunities with case partner companies
• Field trips to case partner companies in the final round
• Networking sessions with companies’ management, judges and fellow participants
• Exclusive workshops on case solving and presentation skills
• Interaction with like-minded youths locally and regionally

Timeline and Format

Registration

• Team of 3-4 members. All nationalities and locations are welcomed!

• For each team, one online registration form as a team and resumes of all members are required. Deadline for submission is August 29, 2012, 11.59pm (GMT+8).
• Upon successful registration, team members will receive a confirmation email

Preliminary round (online)

• Format: Online submission
• A short case with formatting guideline and judging criteria will be sent out via email on August 30, 2012.
• Answers should be emailed to ychallenge2012.submit@yplatform.vn by September 3, 2012, 11.59pm (GMT+8).

Semi-final round (Singapore)

• Team building activities and workshop (September 28 evening – September 29 morning)
• 24 hour challenge (September 29 noon -September 30 noon)
• Multiple cases from different industries will be solved in the competition. Each team will only work on 1 case within 24 hours.
• Presentation and Q&A section of total 20 minutes (September 30 afternoon) is expected.
• Top 2 teams of each case will advance to the next round (Finale)

Final round (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

• 2-day field trip to the case-partner companies
• Networking sessions with managers
• Presentation to company’s managers
• Showcase of Grand Finale’s solutions

Rules and Regulations

Eligibility

• Students and working professionals aged from 16 to 30
• All nationalities are welcomed. No geographic restrictions
• English proficiency *

 * English is the official language of Ychallenge 2012. A presentation in Vietnamese to company’s management might be requested during the Final Round. Should you need assistance with communication in Vietnamese, please let Ychallenge Organizing Committee know in advance so that we can address the matter promptly.

How to register

• Form a team of 3-4 members
• Submit an online registration form as a team
• Résumes of all team members are required

Confidentiality

•  Audio, photos, video recordings and any other materials regarding the competition are meant for Ychallenge’s use and competition’s promotion purposes, and will not be circulated to other parties without prior written consent from Yplatform.
• All the case studies are the intellectual properties of SMU Case Writing Initiative as well as Case partners and strictly meant to be used in Ychallenge 2012 Business Case Competition only. By no means are they disclosed to other parties without the owner’s written permission.
• The team’s solutions and participants’ résumes for Ychallenge 2012 Business Case Competition will only be disclosed to the related parties such as judges and our business case partners, for reference and/or employment purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General Information

 1. What is Ychallenge?

Ychallenge is a premier case competition focusing on Vietnamese businesses.

Participants from different countries will challenge themselves in extensive case studies from Vietnamese companies, undergo rigorous case-cracking training and company field trips, as well as being exposed to networking opportunities and panel discussions.

 2. What are the structure and activities of Ychallenge 2012?

Ychallenge consists of:

• Online preliminary round (August 30 – September 03)
• Two-day semi-final round in Singapore (September 29 – September 30)
• Four-day final round in Vietnam (October 11 – October 14). Finalists will participate in rigorous company field trips, various networking and panel discussion opportunities.

3. What are the benefits of joining Ychallenge?

Various benefits for Ychallenge’s participants include:

• 1000 SGD for the winning team of each case
• Coaching from McKinsey & Company consultants
• Employment opportunities from case-partner companies
• Field trips to case-partner companies in the final round
• Networking sessions with companies’ management, judges and fellow participants
• Exclusive workshops on case solving and presentation skills
• Interaction with like-minded youths locally and regionally.

 4. Which language is used in Ychallenge?

English is the official language of Ychallenge 2012.

A presentation in Vietnamese to company’s managers might be requested during the Finale. Should you need assistance with communication in Vietnamese, please let the organizers know in advance so that we could have proper arrangement for Vietnamese interpreter to assist you.

Registration

 1. Who is eligible for the competition?

Any team of 3-4 students or working professionals, aged from 16 to 30, is eligible for this competition.

 2. Can I still participate without having any prior experience in a business case competition?

Don’t panic. We have the “Resources” sections available online on our website http://www.yplatform.vn

The resources cover basic knowledge on the following topics:

• Case solving
• Presentation skills
• Insights into Vietnamese business and economic landscape

If you are selected for the semi-final round, you will be invited for an exclusive workshop about case solving and presentation skills before the 24-hour challenge.

 3. What kind of cases will be featured?

Real business cases from various industries in Vietnam will be featured.

 4. What’s the timeline of the competition?

Ychallenge 2012 consists of three rounds:

• Preliminary round (online): Aug 30 – Sep 9, 2012
• Semi-final (Singapore): Sep 30 – Sep 31, 2012
• Grand Finale (HCMC): Oct 11 –  Oct 14, 2012

5. How could I register for Ychallenge 2012?

Below are the steps to register for Ychallenge 2012:

Form a team of 3-4 persons

Submit an online registration form as a team. Resumes of all team members are required.

6. If I want to ask for more experience in the competition, who should I contact?

We have many past participants from Ychallenge 2011 and from other prestigious case competitions in the organizing committee.

Please drop us an email at info@yplatform.vn or post your questions on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Ychallenge. We would be more than happy to share our experience with you!