ENT 3679 Innovation Consultant Work in Practice

ENT 3679 Innovation Consultant Work in Practice

Course code: 
ENT 3679
Department: 
Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Credits: 
7.5
Course coordinator: 
Nils-Otto Ørjasæter
Course name in Norwegian: 
Innovasjonskonsulent i praksis
Product category: 
Bachelor
Portfolio: 
Bachelor of Business Development and Entrepreneurship - Programme Courses
Semester: 
2025 Spring
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Bachelor
Teaching language: 
Norwegian
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

In this course, the students work with real innovation projects for start-ups or existing organisations. The students are responsible for recruiting a case from an organisation. The lecturer is to approve the case. The course is organized as whole days and attendance is expected in all of these, as well as work between.

The students shall form consulting teams of up to 5 students. The teams are to sign a consultancy contract with the representatives from the organisation, and work on the innovation case between. It must be noted and kept an overview of hours used. The teams will answer the problem by gathering information and using relevant theories and tools for economic, HR, management and organization, strategy and marketing issues. Students will transfer skills from teaching in, for example, accounting and marketing to a business idea. Therefore, it is also included to build models of the company in Excel where one creates scenarios for how the company changes operationally and economically at different strategic choices. A reasoned recommendation is expected in the final report. The course is practically oriented and besides the given syllabus there is a 150-page self-chosen syllabus. 

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

Develop a consultant report with a recommendation to a real client. Students should understand:

  • The consultant role through performing a mission in controlled forms
  • The delivery of a consulting service, including both an offer a contract and an evaluation
  • Knowledge about the delivery process (the dialogue with the customer along the way, at the right time, part deliveries, changes)
Learning outcomes - Skills

After completed course students should be able to:

  • Be able to perform consulting assignments and business consulting for start-ups
  • Obtain critical information, interviews, secondary data as well as surveys as well as carry out relevant analysis
  • Introduction and practical use of declarations of confidentiality (NDA), economic and business modeling, valuation and cash flow, reporting, customer meetings, team work, validation, margins, scaling, and performance ability, innovation process, stagegate model
  • Be able to use theory and tools from all the ENTREP bachelor-courses (Lean, design thinking, business modeling, canvas, growth methodology, economics modeling, market insight, valuation, distribution and strategies)
General Competence
  • The student shall acquire a respectful attitude towards innovation workers and the challenges they meet in the innovation process.
  • The students will develop a realistic attitude towards the challenges and opportunities within commercialization of a business idea and business plan and the role of innovation consultant and external advisor
  • The student will form a professional approach towards the entrepreneurial process
Course content
  • An offer for a contract
  • Negotiations
  • Contract clarification and agreement with the client
  • Process work with the client, innovator / case
  • Consultant report with recommendation
  • Timesheet
  • Individual reflection
Teaching and learning activities

The course includes lectures, guest lectures and student participation related to real case and curricula. 

There may be local variations for implementation so the students are advised to follow the detailed course information from the institution. 

Students must attend all lectures in the process. Furthermore students must be prepared to do presentations in class. 

This course contains 2 exam elements, a team based consultancy report and an individual reflection deliverable.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Qualifications

Higher Education Entrance Qualification

Disclaimer

Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.

Required prerequisite knowledge

The course is based on knowledge students are expected to have acquired during the previous semesters. In particular, students must have acquired knowledge equivalent to ENT 3501 Starting a venture and ENT 3503 Growth strategy for start-ups.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Submission PDF
Exam/hand-in semester: 
First Semester
Weight: 
70
Grouping: 
Group/Individual (3 - 5)
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Consultant report including attachments: the consultancy offer, list of literature and total time consumption.
All exams must be passed to obtain a final grade in the course.
Exam code: 
ENT36792
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination every semester
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Submission PDF
Exam/hand-in semester: 
First Semester
Weight: 
30
Grouping: 
Individual
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Individual reflection note and individual time list, as appendix. Describe the learning and reflect on what you could have done differently. 4-5 pages ex appendix.
All exams must be passed to obtain a final grade in the course.
Exam code: 
ENT36793
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination every semester
Type of Assessment: 
Ordinary examination
All exams must be passed to get a grade in this course.
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
38 Hour(s)
Student's own work with learning resources
52 Hour(s)
Work with the syllabus and preparations for lectures
Group work / Assignments
30 Hour(s)
Prepare presentations and participation
Submission(s)
80 Hour(s)
Work on the case, process and reconciliation along the way
Sum workload: 
200

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 7,5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 200 hours.