B.TECH, the leading, most distinguished and rapidly expanding omnichannel Retailer of consumer electronics and home appliances, has recently had the opportunity to host a team of MBA students from Harvard Business School in Cairo for one week as part of a required course called the FIELD Global Capstone. B.TECH was one of 156 FIELD Global Capstone Project Partners spanning 14 cities across 14 countries. Together, these Partners combined to host more than 900 Harvard Business School students in all — and it was one of only 11 companies in Egypt. The project runs on a spam of 8 months starting with the project idea development, preparations and online communications to have an understating of the market and business, then the on-ground exploration and execution.
Long before the students arrived in Cairo, B.TECH had already set a strong foundation for the project through extensive preparation and early engagement. The team worked closely with HBS faculty to shape the project idea and assign a dedicated sponsor to guide the collaboration. This was followed by regular virtual interactions with the team to align on objectives, share market insights, and ensure clarity on the business context. These initial stages played a critical role in paving the way for a productive on-ground immersion and a meaningful exchange of ideas.
Mahmoud Khattab, Chairman and CEO of B.TECH stated “This collaboration and us being the global partner for Harvard Business School’s FIELD Program is a testament to B.TECH’s commitment to innovation and excellence. Partnering with some of the brightest minds in global business education presents an unparalleled opportunity to gain transformative insights and cutting-edge solutions. Together, we aim to stretch the limits, reimagine customer experiences, and set new benchmarks for delivering exceptional value in the retail and consumer electronic sector.”
The FIELD Global Capstone is a course designed to strengthen and develop students’ ability to manage and operate effectively in a variety of business contexts. B.TECH executives had been working with the team remotely in the months leading up to their arrival. While here, the students pitched their ideas to the leadership team, conducted field research with B.TECH’s stores around Cairo, introducing B.TECH’s mylo, the new financial platform and presented their final recommendations to management. The purpose of this immersive experience is to provide students with the opportunity to ‘learn by doing’ through the challenge of introducing a new product, service or customer experience for their Partner company. This requires students to also focus on building contextual intelligence and team effectiveness skills while delivering value in an unfamiliar context.
B.TECH provided industry insights and customer segment data to support the students’ research and testing process. The collaboration will culminate in a week-long immersive visit to Cairo, where the student team will conduct on-ground research, visiting B.TECH’s new concept store “B.TECH MAX” to live the full on experience.
Harvard is quick to acknowledge that this important learning experience would not be possible without the Project Partners.
“We are extremely grateful to B.TECH and all the FIELD Global Capstone Project Partner organizations for all they do on behalf of our students,” said Professor Joe Fuller, Faculty Chair for the FIELD Global Capstone. “The students benefit immeasurably from this experience and we hope the partner organizations do as well.”
