By Laura O’ Donovan, Researcher, MTU Cork

As part of the SME Cluster Growth project, Munster Technological University (MTU) reached out to engineering SMEs for a challenge to growth for a Student Consultancy project. Stephen and Declan Bracken of DesignWise Automation in Co. Limerick answered that call and generously gave their time to work with Michael Falahee, a lecturer in the Department of Marketing and International Business in MTU. Michael and Steven defined a ‘problem’ for six groups of four part-time Organisational Sales Strategy students to work on for the company.

The issue at hand was designing a sales strategy for the company and the students got to work. The project took an international best practice framework for strategic sales and analysed DesignWises’ current situation, providing Steven and Declan with a plan of where the company is performing well and where they can focus next in order to develop the sales side of their business.

Michael believes MTU could be a huge resource to Irish SMEs in this area as many SMEs are unable to access the expertise or time to clearly consider their sales strategy.

DesignWise Automation presented a growth challenge to the students, and they delivered. Steven said that the project, “Proved to be a great help in providing a clear path for our company’s growth through sales and marketing techniques”. The students loved having a real SME come in and say this is my problem. “That’s gold dust.”