The team from City University (CityU) won the championship in the degree category of the ACCA Business Competition 2013 with a proposal for a mobile dental clinic for senior citizens in poor areas.
The "Crescent Moon" project represented a holistic approach, taking care of the physical needs of the elderly and enhancing their mental well-being by addressing their social needs, said Roy Tsang, chairman of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Hong Kong and one of this year's judges.
The mobile clinic would visit different neighbourhoods to provide competitively priced dental services in a relaxing environment. The project also featured a "Social Network Scheme", supported by the clinic's profit, with gatherings organised for the elderly to enjoy food together.
The winning team consisted of: Florence Lee Hoi-ling, a bachelor of business administration in accountancy student; Gordon Leung Kong-sang, who is taking a BBA in marketing information management; Daniel Chan Yuk-leung, a BBA in management science; and Cheng Tsz-kwan, a BBA in marketing, who was chosen "Best Presenter". The team also won the "Best Proposal" award, and was voted "My Favourite Team" by the audience.
The first runner-up was the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) team, which proposed employing senior citizens as tour guides for local heritage sites. The Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) team, whose project centred on memoir books and video production, was second runner-up.
Summing up the judges' comments, Timothy Ma, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Social Enterprises, said they were moved by the efforts invested by the teams. "All the projects demonstrate genuine care and concern for the well-being of the elderly," Ma added.
Janette Yu, another judge, said the finalists showed diligence and dedication. "In terms of areas to be improved, they could have done more thorough research and taken into account practical aspects of a business before putting together budgets," said Yu, a partner of audit at KPMG.
Teresa Tso, partner for financial services at EY, thought that some finalist teams should have clearly defined their target market. "They could have conducted more in-depth research into the characteristics of their target customers. By doing this, they could develop products with more unique features that match their needs precisely," Tso said.
Howard Ling, a senior consultant at HKCSS-HSBC Social Enterprise Business Centre, said the champions were the only finalist team which had spoken with the target customers of their simulated project.
"This is good and shows that they are close to their subject. The video footage of several elderly being interviewed helped engage the audience," Ling said.
The second runner-up also won the "Most Creative Team" award. "The idea of employing senior citizens as tour guides is innovative," noted Johnny Chu, audit partner at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.
The champion project was inspired by the working experience of Cheng Tsz-kwan, an assistant nurse at a dental clinic. "We worked overnight to complete the proposal and were just able to meet the submission deadline," Cheng noted.
Gordon Leung said: "Although we needed to burn the midnight oil for several nights, it was a worthwhile experience and we are thrilled with the great result."
Daniel Chan appreciated the great team spirit fostered in the process. "We have built great mutual understanding. Although we have revised the proposal several times, we have learnt something valuable throughout the process," Chan noted.
Final-year accountancy undergraduate Florence Lee added: "This competition has enabled us to apply practical perspective to a business project, and to enhance teamwork."
