Subject Code: BUSM2585
Subject Name: Business Graduate Folio
Lecturer: Dr. Tuan Chu
Title of Assignment: Assignment 3
Student name: Nguyễn Nhi
Student Number s4134316
Time of Tutorial
Assignment due date: 23th May 2025
Number of pages including 11
this one:
Word Count: 2148
Part 1: Individual Report
1. Business Problem Analysis
The AXIS Marina office, established in March 2024, serves key regional accounts in apparel
and manufacturing, including Fabulous Shoes, Cool Apparel, Diamond Silk, and Superstar.
AXIS generated total revenue of $10.104 million, of which $9.599 million (95%) from “Main”
label products and $0.505 million (5%) from “Embellishment & Intelligent” solutions (RMIT
2025). Despite this strong performance, the office faced multiple operational challenges:
- Overdependence on Contractors: Marina operated with 31 permanent staff and relied
entirely on contract labor for production, leading to contractor fees of $1.506 million
versus permanent-staff costs of $0.691 million (68.5% of total labor spend) (RMIT
2025). Also, quality control suffered due to inconsistent contractor oversight, and profit
margins were eroded by high contractor rates (Lee 2025).
- Supply-Chain Delays and Cost Overruns: Weak vendor governance and lack of
secondary suppliers resulted in frequent delays, especially during Marina’s wet season,
when logistics are disrupted by flooding. Also, project economics were undermined by
unbudgeted transportation costs and material shortages, pushing some contracts into
negative profitability (e.g., -7.27% margin on the Diamond Silk brand-protection project)
(RMIT 2025).
- Low Digital & ESG Maturity: Intelligent‐solution revenues comprised just 5% of total
income, despite high-margin potential. By contrast, leading digital labs in APAC had
already moved 20–30% of revenue into RFID and AI-driven services. Also, an ESG audit
of twelve suppliers revealed only three met circular-economy standards (just 28% of
volume), far below the 40% target set for 2030 (RMIT 2025). This exposed Marina to
reputational risk and potential loss of European clients demanding sustainable sourcing
(PlanBe n.d).
- Client Concentration Risk: Four anchor accounts accounted for over 90% of Marina’s
revenue, making the office highly vulnerable if a single client negotiated more favorable
terms or shifted volumes to competitors (RMIT 2025).
Our team approached these issues holistically using standard strategy frameworks. We
conducted a SWOT analysis (e.g., Marina has strong local demand and global support but suffers
weaknesses in operations and sustainability) and a Business Model Canvas to map key activities
and partners. We also performed a competitive/environmental scan: for instance, we noted
competitors were patenting sustainable labeling and digital tracking, threatening Marina’s market
share. Lastly, we used Fishbone (Ishikawa) Analysis to isolate root causes—inefficient project
management, lack of permanent talent, environmental risks, and inconsistent contractor
oversight—that led to delays and low margins.
Based on this analysis, we recommended solutions targeting each problem. We proposed
investing in SmartLabel AI (an intelligent label system combining NFC/QR tags with an AI
cloud platform) to modernize Marina’s offerings. This aligns with Avery Dennison’s digital
strategy – for example, their RFID-based atma.io platform now uses AI to automate supply-chain
tasks and RFID labels already “unlock vast possibilities for digitally empowered retail” (RMIT
2025). SmartLabel would give Marina a competitive edge in personalization and data-rich
consumer engagement. Also, the financial viability also contributed to our decision. Investing
$200 K in the SmartLabel AI pilot (plus $50 K for integration) is projected to generate $300 K in
incremental Year-1 sales (about $180 K gross profit) and expand to $360 K gross profit in Year-
2, reaching breakeven in 15 months and delivering roughly a 2× ROI over two years. By
increasing our Intelligent-solutions mix from 5 % to 15 % of revenue, we expect a ~1.5
percentage-point lift in operating margin—enough to hit the 12 % target—while creating
reusable AI-driven IP for future growth (RMIT 2025).
By contrast, our team believes the ESG solution is not viable. This is because upgrading nine
“Potential” suppliers to full ESG compliance would cost at least $210–300 K and take 18–24
months of training, audits and process overhauls—with payback only through modest margin
improvements—tying up scarce budget and management bandwidth. It delivers little near-term
revenue uplift and distracts from higher-impact digital initiatives like SmartLabel AI, which
promise faster, more measurable returns.
2. Application of Knowledge, Skill, and Teamwork
2.1. Strategic Frameworks & Data Synthesis
In our SWOT analysis, by mapping Marina’s strengths (robust anchor clients, rapid digital
adoption) and weaknesses (thin intelligent-solution revenue, contractor dependence), we saw that
SmartLabel AI would leverage our technological backbone and drive high-margin growth—with
projected ROI in 18 months and immediate differentiation via AI-powered consumer
engagement—whereas the ESG initiative carried high upfront costs, long lead times, and
minimal short-term impact on profitability or delivery performance.
Alongside that, I was also responsible for the competitor analysis to pinpoint exactly where
Marina could outflank rivals. I researched top competitors in the field and catalogued direct
competitors (e.g., CCL/Checkpoint Systems, Zebra Technologies) and indirect players (e.g.,
blockchain traceability platforms Eon and TrusTrace), then highlighted emerging disruptors such
as Qode’s AI analytics for mid-market apparel. By overlaying their offerings, go-to-market
approaches, and pricing models onto our Business Model Canvas, we identified gaps so that our
SmartLabel AI proposal not only beat the ESG plan on speed and ROI but also directly
countered competitor strengths.
2.2. Technical & Analytical Thinking
Drawing on my minor in Artificial Intelligence, I approached SmartLabel AI as more than a
marketing innovation—it was a strategic data-collection system that could feed machine-learning
algorithms to deliver truly personalized recommendations. I led the development of detailed
scenario analyses, constructing “what-if” models to compare the projected ROI of two R&D
paths: a $200 K investment in SmartLabel AI versus a $1 million acquisition of sustainable-
manufacturing technology. By quantifying payback periods, margin improvements, and risk
profiles for each option, my team and I came up with clear, data-driven insights into capital-
allocation trade-offs. These analyses helped our group confidently prioritize initiatives that
balanced short-term gains with long-term strategic value.
2.3. Communication & Collaboration
Effective communication and collaboration were central to driving our project forward,
especially when preparing for the whole case study in a brief morning. In preparing for the
Avery Dennison case, my team and I recognized early on that our prior frameworks—SWOT,
Business Model Canvas, and fishbone analyses—were built around Avery’s global operations
and sustainability focus, not AXIS’s Marina context. I remembered having to explain to a
teammate for half an hour what we needed to do as she did not understand the case study and
insisted we follow the prior preparation we had made at home. With only a single morning to
pivot, we had to quickly align on what truly mattered: identifying transferable lessons from
Avery Dennison and mapping them onto AXIS’s unique challenges. This led to heated debates—
some teammates argued we should double down on ESG supplier upgrades, while others pushed
for technology-led solutions—but we managed to reconcile our views by breaking into rapid
subgroups, each drafting pros-and-cons summaries. By noon, we emerged with a clear, shared
framework tailored to AXIS Marina: emphasize SmartLabel AI and ERP integration over
lengthy ESG rollouts. In the last minutes before our pitch, I led rehearsal sessions and gave
feedback back into the presentation. The result was a unified, impactful pitch that reflected our
collective effort and resonated strongly with the senior-management audience.
3. Career Aspirations and Professional Development
This micro-internship experience deepened my understanding of strategic leadership and
bridged directly to my career goals. As a Business & Technology major aspiring to become an
AI Product Manager or launch an edtech startup, I found parallels in every task.
More specifically, my immediate aspiration is to become an AI Product Manager at a global
technology firm. My takeaway from this internship is how to build a compelling business case,
including crafting ROI models for SmartLabel AI that PMs typically perform, and how to justify
funding requests by quantifying value (e.g. a $500K payoff in 18 months with a 25% return-rate
reduction). Also, I learned to balance innovation and feasibility by evaluating multiple R&D
proposals (e.g. AI labeling vs sustainable-tech acquisition), especially how to weigh novelty
against budget constraints.
For longer-term goals, I aspire to found an AI-drivenn education technology startup. I
learned from this micro-internship that rapid scaling (like Marina being set up in 13 months) can
lead to staffing and process gaps. This is especially important for my future edtech venture to
appreciate building scalable systems (e.g. automated dashboards, clear SOPs) before taking on
too many clients. Furthermore, ethics and sustainability should always be a priority,
underscoring that responsible tech is not optional. In edtech, ethical considerations – data
privacy, algorithmic fairness, accessibility—must be woven into product design from day one
(Data Bridge Market Research 2024). Lastly, I learn how to create real-world pilots. The Marina
case’s government pilot program with Fabulous Shoes demonstrated the power of pilot projects
in de-risking innovation. Similarly, I plan to pilot my AI tutoring app with a small cohort of
underserved students, iterating quickly before wider launch.
On a personal level, the teamwork and leadership aspects of the internship were formative.
Presenting to senior managers and answering tough questions improved my communication and
confidence. I learned to lead by listening and synthesizing others’ views – for example, our team
pooled diverse expertise (marketing, operations, finance) to refine our plan. These experiences
reinforced my strengths in analytical problem-solving, while highlighting areas for growth like
cross-cultural communication (given Marina’s regional context) and adaptive thinking. Overall,
the internship helped me connect strategic leadership in business with my passion for AI and
education technology, underscoring that future roles (whether as a product manager at a tech
firm or as an edtech founder) will require both technical insight and holistic management skills.
Part 2. Professional Networking Plan
1. The value of building a network
Building a strong professional network is crucial for a career in AI and tech product
management. In fast-moving fields, many opportunities arise through connections rather than
formal job postings (Gino et al. 2016). Networking is more than just exchanging contacts; it
provides mentorship, industry knowledge, and visibility. Engaging with peers and experts helps
one stay informed on emerging AI/tech trends and best practices (Vorecol 2024). For an aspiring
AI product manager, meeting other practitioners (e.g. at conferences like NeurIPS or local AI
meetups) can accelerate learning – indeed (Conference on Neural Information Processing
Systems 2024).
First, networking accelerates learning and skill development. By engaging with peers and
mentors, I gain early exposure to emerging best practices, toolkits, and frameworks that might
otherwise take months to discover on my own. For example, participating in Women in AI
meetups introduced me to new methodologies for responsible machine-learning deployment and
helped me adopt ethical-AI guidelines before they became mainstream. These insights directly
inform my work on the micro internship and strengthen my capacity to design data-driven, user-
centric products.
Second, a strong network amplifies career visibility and credibility. In technology
industries, roles—especially at leading firms—are often filled through referrals or internal
champions. Cultivating genuine relationships with AI product managers at companies like
Google, Microsoft, Coursera or Duolingo positions me to learn about unpublicized openings and
gain introductions that fast-track the hiring process. Similarly, sharing my own project outcomes
(for instance, a blog post on my prior research experience) on LinkedIn attracts attention from
recruiters and thought leaders, building my personal brand and demonstrating tangible expertise.
Third, networking fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration, which is vital for both product
management and entrepreneurship. My aspiration to launch an AI-powered education platform
hinges on combining technical AI skills with insights from UX designers, instructional
psychologists, and data scientists. Through connections made at hackathons, I have already
partnered with a UX designer to prototype user journeys for an adaptive tutoring app. These
collaborations broaden my perspective and help me create more holistic, impactful solutions.
In linking these insights to my career goals, I see that:
• As an aspiring AI Product Manager, I must stay at the forefront of both AI innovations
and product-management frameworks. Networking ensures I continually update my
toolkit, learn from real-world case studies, and cultivate sponsors who can vouch for my
capabilities when I apply for roles.
• As an eventual edtech entrepreneur, I require a network that spans not only AI and
business domains but also educational research and policy circles. Connections with
instructional designers, school-district technology leads, and policy advocates will help
me validate my product with diverse stakeholders and align it with real classroom needs.
2. Networking Maps
2.1. Current professional network
This map captures the practical support ecosystem I’ve built through university,
internships, hackathons, and personal friendships. It shows how I tap into academic mentors for
business-tech integration, leverage internship peers for technical feedback, and rely on close
friends for design and event insights.
2.1. Revised network map
My aspirational map outlines the strategic mentorship and industry bridges I’m
cultivating in AI product management, UX research for edtech, and sustainable-business
leadership. It highlights targeted roles—from global AI-product teams to leading voices in
educational technology and sustainability—whose expertise will guide my longer-term growth.
Although many of these connections are yet to be formally established, identifying them now
helps me plan outreach, tailor my learning goals, and align future collaborations with my career
ambitions.
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