FS2012 Presentation Event
Business Presentation
2012 Feedback
Craig Powers
Head Presentation Judge
Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
1
Agenda
 How to approach the Formula Student Event
 Objectives
 How to Prepare ~ what to read
 Choice of Role Play
Common Mistakes and Problems
Selecting Content
This year’s experiences
Improving the world through engineering
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2
Objectives
 What is the Presentation Event?
 A business presentation, a role play, an act…
 Objective
 To convince the judges to invest in your race car proposal
 Convince the judges that…..
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You have a car that is ready for manufacture
you have a sound business case
you have minimised commercial and technical risk
there is profit potential
Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
3
Rules & Source Material
Source Material
o Rules
FSAE Rules
FS UK Supplementary Rules
o Presentation Advice
IMechE website ~ ‘Advice to Students’
FS Judges Blog
o Learn to Win seminars
• Annual event at IMechE London, October
o FS Question Database
Resolve any queries in advance
Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
4
Role Play
• Identify who your Audience is
2 common scenarios
o To Executive of a Manufacturing Company
o To Investors
Make sure that the judges are aware of the role
play and their role
Make sure all topics are addressed no matter what
role play you choose
Objective
Improving the world through engineering
A presentation which is
Focussed & Precise
www.imeche.org/fs
5
FSAE Rules
ARTICLE 4: PRESENTATION EVENT
C4.1 Presentation Event Objective – Business Case
C4.1.1 The objective of the presentation event is to evaluate the
team’s ability to develop and deliver a comprehensive business case
that will convince the executives of a corporation that the team’s
design best meets the demands of the amateur, weekend competition
market, including Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Solo, and that it
can be profitably manufactured and marketed. (See also A.1.2)
C4.1.3 Teams should assume that the “executives” represent different
areas of a corporate organization, including engineering, production,
marketing and finance, and thus may not all be engineers.
Improving the world through engineering
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Common Mistakes (1a)
Mistakes relating to choice of Role Play
Investor Role
 Concentrate on Finance and neglect the following:
 Technical details and development of the car
 Design for Manufacture
 Manufacturing, equipment, skills & staffing
 Neglect to say how the investment will be spent
Manufacturing Role
 Omit to mention Manufacturing because the manufacturing
company are ‘experts’. The manufacturers will want to know:
 Equipment
 Manufacturing processes / skills
 Staffing levels
Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
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Common Mistakes (1b)
Mistakes relating to choice of Role Play
Other overly-complex role plays
 Role plays not centred on the production of a racing car
 Too much time spent explaining the complex scenario
 Hard to score in all Presentation scoring categories
Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
8
Common Mistakes (2)
Poor business case
Failure to identify the customer and the market
 Weak market research
 No customer requirements
 How much is customer prepared to spend ~ lack of target
price (or cost price!)
 Competitors / rival vehicles not identified, including prices
 Market volume not explained
Improving the world through engineering
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9
Common Mistakes (3)
Poor business case
 Unrealistic business case, arising from...
Excessive market volume ~ not tied to market research
Excessive market share (100% ~no rivals !)
Excessive start up costs
Labour costs too high ~ too many managers, not enough
technical manufacturing staff
 Excessive marketing budgets
 Insufficient profit per car
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Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
10
Common Mistakes (4)
Incorrect balance
Too much time spent on one topic
 You have just 10 minutes to cover all topics including
introduction, agenda, summary.
 Spread your time equally between topics, ensure a good
balance.
 Make sure that you use the full 10 minutes
Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
11
Structure
Completing the logical flow,
…. Concept to Prototype, then Production and Profit
Design Goals /
Targets
Design &
Development
Processes
The
Prototype
Car
Market /Customer
Requirements
Business
Proposal
Production
Compromises /
Manufacturability
Finance &
Commercial
Marketing,
Sales,
Support
Improving the world through engineering
Manufacturing
www.imeche.org/fs
12
Minimising Risk (1)
Commercial Risk
 Know the market, identify the customer, identify rivals /
competitors
 Customer Requirements
 Set design goals (weight, performance, cost, etc)
 Ensure design meets the goals and can be manufactured
 Minimise start-up costs & operating costs
 Achieve target cost and selling price
 Can be manufactured at a rate / volume to suit the market
A CAR THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS AND CAN BE
SOLD AT A PROFIT
…. SOUND BUSINESS CASE
Not necessarily a comprehensive list
Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
13
Minimising Risk (2)
Technical Risk
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Design Processes (CAD, FEA, CFD, Simulations, etc)
Validation & Testing of Prototype
Designed to aid manufacture / production compromises
Testing Quality & Inspection
Improving through experience
Objective : A CAR THAT
... WILL PERFORM WELL
... CAN BE EASILY MANUFACTURED
... WILL BE RELIABLE
Not necessarily a comprehensive list
Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
14
This year’s mistakes
Avoiding common mistakes from 2012
 Providing Business and Technical handouts but not
referring to them in the Presentation
 Not stating ‘the deal’ at the start of the presentation
~ include in your opening remarks
 Some overly-complex role plays that are not centred
on the production of racing car. Keep it simple
 Not including Sustainability ~ This is the
environmental sustainability of the car/project rather
than the sustainability of the business.
 No-shows ~ zero points scored
Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
15
Next Year
In 2013 ...
Next year’s scoring may include the Business Logic Plan
(BLP)
Watch for rules changes and new advice on BLPs
Read the FS Blog
Use the FS Question Database to resolve any queries.
Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
16
See you next year!
Thank you for your
hard work
Hope to see you at
Formula Student next
year
Good luck!
Improving the world through engineering
www.imeche.org/fs
17