Innovation & Creativity Labs – designed and carried out in cooperation with global companies that represent excellence in innovation, business performance and organizational culture – are an unrepeatable and impactful experience in the learning process, and a distinctive feature of the International MBA at CUOA Business School. Students, through a fast-track and full-immersion teamwork, in close contact with companies’ management, are guided through a process boosting their analysis, creativity, organizational, leadership and communication skills. At the same time, Innovation & Creativity Labs represent, for the companies, a unique opportunity to receive a fresh and independent contribution, from a team of talented students, to priority and innovative projects.
Innovation & Creativity Lab in illy
2017, 6-8 March. International MBA students were in Trieste for a memorable Innovation & Creativity Lab at illy Caffé!
A remarkable experience at a leading and constantly innovating company, with a worldwide reach and global supply chain. Here are some impressions and take home from the students.
“Our stay in illy was a wonderful experience. We were introduced to a company that strives to delight its customers by supplying a premium quality coffee. illy is a company with a rich history, which is yet to be communicated even more to the world with the implementation of a new marketing strategy. We had the opportunity to use the marketing methods we learned during the classes of CUOA by collaborating with illy in a project work about brick and click strategy. It was really interesting! I would like to thank CUOA Business School and illy for giving us this opportunity”.
Kidus K. Bekele
“Our Creativity & Innovation Lab in illy was an eye-opening experience. I loved the way they treated us and the fact that they opened their doors to share their rich experience in the coffee industry made it more interesting. In addition, I appreciated their attention on listening to our ideas for improving the brick and click strategy. Overall, the trip was a nice experience for me to see how a world-renowned coffee company works”.
Michael K. Bekele
“The experience in illy was a great opportunity to see and understand how a company of that size works. It was particularly interesting to have the opportunity to analyse its different problematics, being them regarding the CRM or the management of the suppliers. Moreover, it was highly motivating trying to solve some of these issues through our knowledge and external point of view, seeing illy’s management prone to accept every constructive advice with an open mind”.
Andrea Forner
“The Innovation & Creativity Lab in illy was definitely amazing. illy surprised me for the excellent level and efficiency of the process, but especially for the value of quality that they guarantee from the producer to the final customer. The university of coffee was really well structured and organized, this contributed a lot to made our experience useful and pleasant”.
Mattia Trevisiol
“Project Work: How to evolve the illy global brick and click model? Writing this article makes me feel pleasant for the three amazing days spent in the company. An unforgettable experience..!!
Day 1 – When we arrived, the staff of illy was waiting for us in the company’s coffee bar with the unfailingly cup of illy-coffee; we then visited the illy-shop to see the complete range of products and machines illy sells worldwide. During the morning, we attended a lesson at the University of coffee, let me say that we almost didn’t know anything about how hard is all the process to get a cup of coffee with a recognize quality and all the variables to take into consideration.
In the afternoon, we visited the company, the production line, from the selection of beens to the packaging area. illy also has a special and specific department called scientific lab where samples, aromas, flavors quality are studied; furthermore, geneticists are also involved in studying the DNA of coffee beens. I think this is unbelievable!!
Day 2 – On the second day, we had a lecture about the actual coffee market and we started a “real” project work. The project work was related to provide the company with ideas for the current strategy, in order to reach new positions in the market and improve the Brick & Click model strategy.
Day 3 – The following day we had a practical lesson and a tasting session, in other to differentiate all the parameters needed when you want to prepare or have a good cup of coffee. This point is very important, because if the bartender or the customer at home don’t know the correct process to prepare a good cup of coffee, all the process is in vane.
At the end of the day we had the opportunity to present ours ideas to the company managers, they seemed to be very satisfied giving us positive feedback.
As personal conclusion, I can say that this work experience was one of the most important and enjoyable in my life. As a team, we handled and developed a successful project, quite challenging, in a very short time, but we felt extremely motivated working all together with passion day and night, to accomplish the approval of the company.
Moreover, I think that everyone would be grateful to work for illy. It’s a fantastic company with a sense of care and trust in everyone in the work environment. You can feel the positive energy of the company and also the fact that everyone shares the same corporate culture and believes.
Thanks Cuoa Business School and illy for such a nice week!”
Leandro Antonio Costa
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