Client Profile

The client is widely recognised as one of the most innovative and influential among the world's top-tier business schools. Founded 45 years ago, it was aiming to make its concept of "lifelong learning" a reality by creating a state-of-the-art, interactive communication network for international business education. This would enable its alumni worldwide to profit fully from knowledge sharing.

The client has a unique global network, with thriving campuses at Fontainebleau, France and Singapore. It has more than 30,000 alumni spread globally, who are part of the Alumni Association.

Business Challenge

• The client in 2002, had a huge database containing details of the entrepreneurship-related activities of its alumni, but with no mechanism to enable the alumni to access and/or update this information, or for new alumni to key in their details.
• The need of the hour was a networking portal to provide the above functionalities, along with a medium for the school to communicate with its entrepreneurial alumni and for them to communicate amongst themselves.
• The client chose Emerio to innovate and design a user-friendly portal that rectified the existing glitches while at the same time providing extra features that enhanced ease-of-use.

Solution

Database - build, modify and query

Using a questionnaire format, all new users are required to provide details of their entrepreneurship-related activities. Users are guided along different paths depending on the specified activity that they key in. Existing members can modify their details at any time and there is also a mechanism that ensures that this is done within a pre-determined time frame.

Thanks to this double mechanism, the database is being constantly updated and populated. Querying the database is possible using a series of criteria which enables the user to refine the search based on parameters that interest him.

Information sharing

Information can be shared by members through:

• A theme section, which invites members’ contributions on a specific theme that changes every month
• A bulletin board for any hot topics
• A matchmaking section that enables entrepreneurs to hunt for investors, partners, managerial talent, etc.