Consulting League
Diagnose. Advise. Defend.
The HERA Nexus Consulting League transforms students into competing advisory teams. Participants receive a real-world-style organisational, business, technology, branding or expansion case and must investigate the problem, build an evidence-based recommendation and defend their strategy before an evaluation panel.
6 Challenges. Choose Yours.
Grab opportunities worth $5000 USD
Prizes & value additions await our Champions, Winners, and Best Presenters
Digital Transformation League
Reimagine how an organisation works through technology. Teams act as digital transformation consultants for an organisation facing technology, experience, process or data challenges.
Participant Profile:
Technology | IT | Management | Analytics | Information Systems | AI | Operations
Case May Include
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Legacy technology
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Customer/student experience
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ERP/CRM
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AI adoption
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Cloud
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Data integration
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Cybersecurity
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Automation
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Analytics
Core Deliverables
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Current-state diagnosis
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Digital maturity assessment
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Gap analysis
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Proposed target state
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Technology priorities
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Transformation roadmap
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Change strategy
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Governance/risk considerations
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KPIs
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Executive pitch
Evaluation
Diagnosis | Digital Strategy | Business Alignment | Feasibility | Transformation Roadmap | Impact | Governance | Defence
Automation Strategy Pitch
Automate what should be automated - not everything that can be. Teams investigate organisational processes and recommend an intelligent automation strategy.
Participant Profile – Area of Interest
AI | Technology | Operations | Business Analytics | Management | Process Engineering
Core Requirement
Teams must demonstrate an understanding of the existing process before proposing automation.
Core Deliverables
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Current process map
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Bottleneck analysis
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Automation opportunity matrix
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Recommended technology
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Human-versus-automation model
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Cost-benefit analysis
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Risk/governance considerations
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Implementation roadmap
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Management pitch
Evaluation
Process Understanding | Automation Logic | Business Value | Feasibility | Governance | Implementation | Pitch
Institutional Growth Case
Build the next stage of institutional growth. Teams advise an education, knowledge or related institution on achieving sustainable growth while protecting quality and differentiation.
Participant Profile – Area of Interest
Management | Education | Strategy | Marketing | Finance | Analytics | Public Policy
Case Areas May Include
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Enrolment
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Academic portfolio
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Research
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Internationalisation
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Industry partnerships
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Graduate outcomes
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Digital education
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Reputation
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Revenue diversification
Core Deliverables
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Institutional diagnosis
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Market/competitor assessment
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Growth opportunities
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Priority initiatives
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Strategic growth model
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KPIs
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Financial/operational assumptions
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Three-year roadmap
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Risk analysis
Evaluation
Institutional Understanding | Research | Growth Strategy | Differentiation | Feasibility | Measurement | Presentation
Global Expansion Advisory
Choose the market - Design the entry - Manage the risk.
Participants advise a company, educational institution or service organisation planning international expansion.
Participant Profile – Area of Interest
International Business | Strategy | Finance | Management | Marketing | Law | Economics
Core Deliverables
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Country prioritisation
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Market attractiveness analysis
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Competition analysis
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Entry mode recommendation
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Partnership model
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Localisation strategy
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Regulatory/risk review
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Financial assumptions
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Three-year expansion roadmap
Evaluation
Market Intelligence | Country Selection | Entry Strategy | Commercial Logic | Localisation | Risk | Implementation | Defence
Brand Identity League
Build a brand before building a logo. Teams act as brand consultants and create or reposition the strategic identity of an organisation, product or initiative.
Participant Profile – Area of Interest
Branding | Marketing | Design | Communication | Psychology | Business | Media
Core Deliverables
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Brand audit
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Audience insight
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Positioning
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Brand promise
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Brand personality
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Brand narrative
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Tagline
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Visual identity direction
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Sample brand applications
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Launch strategy
Evaluation
Strategic Positioning | Audience Insight | Narrative | Distinctiveness | Visual Direction | Applicability | Pitch
The Cultural Marketing Case
Marketing changes when culture changes. Teams develop a marketing strategy for a brand operating across culturally distinct markets or communities.
Participant Profile – Area of Interest
Marketing | Communication | International Business | Sociology | Culture | Media | Branding
Core Deliverables
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Cultural market analysis
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Audience/personas
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Consumer insight
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Cultural opportunity/risk map
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Localised brand strategy
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Campaign concept
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Communication channels
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Community engagement approach
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Measurement framework
Evaluation
Cultural Intelligence | Strategy | Local Relevance | Creativity | Sensitivity | Commercial Potential | Pitch
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Case Confidentiality - Where HERA provides confidential, restricted or simulated client information, participants must use it solely for the competition.
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Evidence - Important factual claims should be based on credible sources. Fabricated market statistics, interviews, financial data or research may lead to disqualification.
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AI Use and External Consultants - AI may support research, analysis and presentation development where permitted. Outsourcing substantive work to professional consultants, agencies or external experts is prohibited.
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Evaluation framework - Assesses participants across three core areas: thorough research and strategic recommendations (60%), execution feasibility and impact (25%), and communication through presentation and jury defence (15%).