EY TechX is a business case competition focused on technology oriented innovation, analytical problem solving skills, and the development of creative solutions. Over the course of the competition, participants are guided by the Management Consulting Group and EY consulting professionals, engaging in workshops that sharpen their analytical and strategic thinking skills. The top four teams will compete in a final round at EY’s US Headquarters in New York City, where they will present their solutions to a panel of EY consulting managers and partners. Open to all majors: School of Management, Watson Engineering, and Harpur College students are all encouraged to register for the competition.
Fall 2024 Case Logistics
You are to assume the role of a consultant hired by global coffee chain, Starbucks Corporation, presenting to their senior management team.
The case centers around Starbucks’ new Reinvention Plan created by interim CEO Howard Schultz. With changing consumer preferences and increased use of technology in the industry, Starbucks leadership must reconsider their business model while employing AI and automation to remain forerunner of consumer personalization, keep up with market trends, and continue to keep their reputation as a “third place”.
Round 1
October 18
10-minute PowerPoint presentation,
4-minute Q&A, 4-minute feedbackJudged by MCG Executive Board
Submission deadline Thursday, October 17th by 11:59pm
Round 2
October 25
8 teams selected, assigned mentor
10-minute PowerPoint presentation to EY professionals on campus
Submission deadline Thursday, October 24th by 11:59pm
NYC Finals
November 15
4 teams selected, 12-minute presentation, 8-minute Q&A
Transportation & food provided
Followed by networking session with consulting alumni
One team member must submit the PowerPoint presentations as a PPTX and a PDF file by email to competitions@mcgbinghamton.com with each of your team members cc’d. The subject of your email and file names should be: F24TechX_[Team #]_[Round #], for example: “F24TechX_Team42_Round1”. Submissions received as Google Slides links or received after the deadline will not be accepted.
For the first two rounds of competition, please bring a laptop with HDMI compatibility to present your slides. Business casual attire is required. Women should wear a conservative blouse or button-up shirt and dress pants with closed-toe flats or heels for shoes, jackets and blazers are optional. For men, a dress shirt with dress pants or khakis is appropriate, and a jacket and tie are optional. Shoes and belts should match, and avoid wearing jeans. During the presentation, competitors will be given time warnings at 5 minutes and 2 minutes.
Workshops
Competition History
MCG's relationship with EY has led to the creation of a recurring annual case competition of growing success, strong connections from EY's consulting professionals, and a pipeline of alumni who have graduated Binghamton University with a position at the world-renowned firm.
In the Fall of 2015, MCG held its first case competition with EY, titled Strategic Insights. This competition focused on the company Volkswagen and saw 125 participants in team of up to five students. The two preliminary rounds were judged by the MCG E-Board, Dean Dhillon, and Dean Bobinski from Binghamton's School of Management. The final round was held at New York City and was judged by professionals from EY.
The second annual EY case competition took a shift towards technology due to its growing prevalence in business. In the Fall of 2016, EY TechX was the largest case competition in Binghamton University history with over 250 student participants. Three teams advanced to the final round which was held at EY in Manhattan. The strength of Binghamton students prevalent in the final round and helped secured the third annual EY case competition to run again in the Fall of 2017.
In the Fall of 2017, the EY TechX Case Competition saw another record-breaking year, with students from all grade levels coming together to participate in a case study of Zulily, an e-commerce company struggling to compete with the rise of Amazon. As in the year prior, the finalist teams had the excellent opportunity to present in EY’s Manhattan office in front of previous MCG alumni and other prestigious EY connections.
In 2018, TechX continued to grow, with over 300 students participating in the competition, totaling 71 teams. These teams attempted to tackle the problems facing Fasten, a ride-sharing company trying to make it in a market saturated by other dominant ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft. In a new twist, the three finalist teams were able to visit and make their final presentations in the brand new EY Hoboken office with scenic views of Manhattan.
In 2020, we held the first virtual TechX Case Competition alongside another record-breaking number of student participants. This case took a look into McDonald’s through a design thinking lens and added elements of data visualization. Students advanced through virtual rounds via Zoom, and some teams presented prototypes of their recommendations to bring their team’s ideas to life.
The Fall 2023 case focused on Marriott International and the challenges of deploying AI across the hospitality brand. The competition welcomed 289 competitors, forming 68 teams with students from across class years and schools.