Researched Proposal Topic Ideas BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCHED PROPOSAL TOPIC IDEAS Updated January 2017 Table of Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Neighborhood Watch is an Effective Way to Reduce Crime ................................................................ 2 Recycling Oyster Shells.......................................................................................................................... 2 Expansion of New Bus Routes............................................................................................................... 2 Promoting Accountability with a New Policy Contract ......................................................................... 2 Going Green .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Should Wappo Services Bring Marketing In-House? ............................................................................ 3 Training Support Staff Personnel .......................................................................................................... 3 State Farm Recycling Program Proposal ............................................................................................... 3 High Point Townhouses Crime Reduction Proposal.............................................................................. 4 Study of the Benefits and Drawbacks to Building a Permanent Stage for Community Theatre .......... 4 The Buddy Attick Lake Restoration Project........................................................................................... 4 Rectifying the Employee and Client Parking Issue ................................................................................ 4 Streamlining Magazine Design Proposal............................................................................................... 4 Parking Solution Proposal ..................................................................................................................... 5 Implementing an Electronic Billing System ........................................................................................... 5 Emergency Readiness ........................................................................................................................... 5 Improving Potomac Valley Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation’s Medical Terminology System............ 6 Curbing the Curb Problem .................................................................................................................... 6 Strategies for Accommodating Employees with Disabilities ................................................................ 7 Proposal to Update Church Facilities to Accommodate Parishioners with Disabilities ........................ 7 Proposal to Light Up Vegas Community and Add Some Bumps to the Road ....................................... 7 “Bring the Meeting to Me with VTC” .................................................................................................... 8 Charity Matching Proposal.................................................................................................................... 8 Promoting Education for Employees .................................................................................................... 8 Proposal for Poop Pick Up in Imperial Beach........................................................................................ 9 Moving to a Paperless Medical Office ................................................................................................ 10 Go Green: Book Exchange Program Proposal ..................................................................................... 10 Retraining for Safety ........................................................................................................................... 10 Recycling in an Apartment Complex ................................................................................................... 11 1 Researched Proposal Topic Ideas Introduction Students – the following blurbs were taken from researched proposals written by previous students in this course. All the ideas are good ones and lent themselves well to the assignment. Please use these as ideas/jumping off spots for your own researched proposal assignment. Consider the sorts of problems being addressed and think about how you could arrive at your own researched proposal topic idea. These are only suggestions – you are not required to choose from this list. However, should you find a topic on this list that appeals to you, feel free to use it. Recycling Oyster Shells I currently work at a seafood restaurant that specializes in serving raw oysters. I would estimate that in an average week, the restaurant accumulates about 50 pounds of oyster shells. Currently, these oyster shells go to the trash. My proposal, which I would present to the restaurant owner, develops a strategy for making better use of the old oyster shells. At the moment, I think it would be plausible to find an organization that replants oyster shells into the Chesapeake Bay. This is a small change that can be made to benefit the local environment and reflect positively on the restaurant. Expansion of New Bus Routes Recently our Institute moved from 2416 21st Ave South to 1500 Briley Parkway. This move allowed our school to provide a higher quality of education to our students. We are able to provide a bigger facility and state of art classrooms for our students. There were drawbacks to this move however, and one of the biggest was the lack of public transportation available at our new location. During the 5 years we were at our previous location, the growth of our student population had a direct correlation to public transportation. I propose expansion of a new route for Metro Transit Authority (MTA) to include the local community and our school around Briley Parkway. The closest bus route to our school is currently over 2 miles away. This not only affects the school, but the businesses and homes around it. Promoting Accountability with a New Policy Contract At Mac’s incorporated there needs to be a well-developed policy contract that is signed to stress the importance of the policy manual. I have researched the importance of a policy contract when there is a well-established policy manual already in place like we have in our company. Our policy manual does an excellent job anticipating problems that may arise in our business and being proactive in determining how to handle them. Though this manual is given to all new employees there is no contract to be signed to have the employees acknowledge that they have read and understood the manual. I propose that we create a policy contract to be signed on the date of hire that forms a commitment of the employee to follow the guidelines set forth in the policy manual. The policy contract will also be given to all current employees to sign. I also propose that any changes made and the manual itself will also be placed on the company’s training website for easier accessibility when the employees have a question regarding the policy. Employees will need to comply monthly and sign in to the training website to update themselves on changes and training. The employee’s activity on the website will be tracked by our HR department. This compliance will be mandatory and will ensure that everyone is reading and understanding the policy manual and changes that are made to that manual. 2 Researched Proposal Topic Ideas Going Green As an organization that prides itself on meeting the community’s needs, this association must respond to the growing concerns about pollution, its effect on health and lifestyle, and the pressures on local business to sustain the environment for future generations. The YMCA of Central Ohio can achieve this by modifying computer and paper usages, office supply policies, methods of transportation, and building modifications. If we fall short in responding to environmental concerns within our community we will not fulfill our mission to keep families healthy and strong. Should Wappo Services Bring Marketing In-House? I propose that we bring the marketing in-house. Currently we are using an outside source to do the marketing for the company. Although this may have been a good idea in the beginning, it has turned out to be not so good for the company. Research indicates in-house marketing provides greater flexibility and control. The main question is, should we keep our marketing outsourced, or should we bring the marketing in-house? This proposal will address this question. Training Support Staff Personnel Our mission at MidAtlantic Farm Credit is to be customer-owned and customer-focused. In order to ensure that we are meeting that mission we need to make sure that our support staff has the skills necessary to remain customer-focused. The benefit of this research is that MidAtlantic will have the information needed to design an official program to meet the training needs of our support staff. This will result in reduced costs and increased profit to the association. State Farm Recycling Program Proposal State Farm prides itself on its “Good Neighbor” service and image. Since 1922 our focus has been on customer needs and company integrity, and we wish to continue in this direction. As stated in our website, “Our vision for the future is to be the customer’s first and best choice in the products and services we provide.” We will continue to be the leader in the insurance industry and we will become a leader in the financial services arena. While State Farm has not been as affected by the recession as some other insurance names such as AIG, it is still essential to ensure our financial security. Our earnings are at a standstill; our website describes our $10.4 billion decrease in net worth last year. If we cannot maintain financial stability, we cannot offer the low prices we must in order to stay ahead in the trade. In short, we must explore any options which will lead to more efficient business practices or increased sales. One way of addressing this issue is through the implementation of a nationwide recycling program. Research shows that recycling can help a business save money by eliminating waste disposal fees, and earn income due to a more satisfied customer base. This proposal includes your domain only, Shoreline Branch of the AFO on the Eastern Shore, but our success would surely inspire other AFO’s to follow in our footsteps. Specifically, this proposal aims to build on our Good Neighbor image while increasing revenue and establishing responsible, effective business practices. The foundation for this proposal revolves around substantial research and meetings with specialists in the field. 3 Researched Proposal Topic Ideas High Point Townhouses Crime Reduction Proposal This proposal outlines potential solutions to address the increasing crime in our neighborhood. It has been brought to the attention of residents in the High Point Townhouses community that there has been an influx of crime in our neighborhood. The crimes consist of burglary, assaults, thefts, loitering, littering, etc. Many people hanging around the neighborhood are not residents of High Point Townhouses Community. The loitering and littering alone is bringing the property value down in our neighborhood. Senior citizens in our community are afraid to walk within their neighborhood because of the teenagers and young adults that are loitering in the neighborhood. The common area near the playground on the far end of the fourth court is inviting the wrong crowd of people. Parents are afraid to send their children to the playground near the fourth court because there are teenagers and young adults sitting around drinking, playing loud music, and using foul language. Neighbors will come home and are forced to park in the visitors’ parking area because visitors are ignoring the assigned parking spaces for the residents. This proposal outlines strategies for addressing these issues. Study of the Benefits and Drawbacks to Building a Permanent Stage for Community Theatre The purpose of this study is to determine the benefits and drawbacks of the Avon Grove Community Theatre (ACT) building its own stage. ACT’s needs in a stage will be outlined in the course of the study. The proposed location of the building will be examined for proximity of means of support and potential competition. The information gathered will be weighed to make a final recommendation to the Board of ACT. The Buddy Attick Lake Restoration Project The Buddy Attick Park Lake in the Greenbelt Historic District has not been properly maintained and due to this it no longer serves its intended functions in the community, primarily for community gatherings and water sports. Restoration of the lake will provide a place for fishing, water sports, and other community-oriented activities. An improved lake will promote community interaction, improve the local economy, and attract interest to the Greenbelt Recreational programs. Rectifying the Employee and Client Parking Issue This proposal will bring to light the severity of the parking issue for our law firm, and provide a solution to remedy the problem. The continual postponement of this issue has cost the firm $34,500 over the last year. This figure was calculated after the accounting department combined all the elements in relative to the parking issue. There is a domino effect that has been set in motion because of this issue. The domino effect combines the cost of several variables affected by this problem. The end result, as provided above, is an expense that spans far beyond the actual parking factor. Streamlining Magazine Design Proposal The Marine Corps News office has struggled to meet its mission and put out any product on a consistent basis for several years. It even reached an all-time low in 2007 with only two issues making it to the printer during the calendar year. While we could blame this trend on the previous staff setting us up for failure, our personnel shortage, or all of the side projects thrown at this section each month that still does not excuse us for following in the footsteps of our predecessors and constantly pushing back our deadlines. We have all worked very hard to make it to this point and are almost back to producing an 4 Researched Proposal Topic Ideas issue each quarter with one additional theme-driven magazine every four months. However, if we follow the same outdated standard operating procedures, it is very likely that we will fall behind schedule once again. Therefore, for the past month, I have been working with Bates Creative Group, the Government Printing Office, and Universal Printing to develop a streamlined magazine production system that will bring our print and online publication into the 21st Century. Parking Solution Proposal Lures Bar and Grille has been suffering a loss in profits and a decline in customer satisfaction due to a lack of parking during our peak hours. We added a second lot to help with this issue, but we have yet to file the proper paperwork with the Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits. This minor detail has cost us money in fines and time lost. I have researched specific solutions to our parking concerns, as well as received the proper paperwork to ensure we are within county ordinance regulations. Our options are limited to the utilization of neighboring parking lots, valet services, and modified carpooling for Lures employees. An immediate, cost effective, and easy to implement solution is necessary for us to consider any suggestion viable. The conclusion that would best be suited for Lures is to employ a modified carpooling system for staff members which would make use of the parking lot at St. Paul’s Anglican Church. Implementing an Electronic Billing System This report evaluates United Health Group’s current billing and invoicing process and recommends a more time and cost efficient solution. United Health Group is dedicated to offering and providing the best healthcare packages to each of their clients. This company wants to provide the best packages and services but is currently using a manual invoice process that is inefficient to the client as well as the company. The current invoice/billing process consists of several employees printing out over 2,900 invoices. After the printing is completed each employee physically places them in envelopes to be sent down to the mailroom. This is usually a two day process that occupies time that could be focused towards more important projects. The printing of each invoice is completed on one centralized printer that is used by several different departments. This forces other departments to delay their duties until all billing is completed. United Health Group is now aware of how beneficial a new efficient billing process would be for the company. Due to the declining economy it is more important than ever to cut cost as well as retain and gain new business. A more efficient billing process will cut the costs associated with manual billing and provide a better service to the client. Emergency Readiness I am planning to do my topic on emergency preparedness within the base housing community. Since I live on Guam, the recent typhoon in the Philippines got me worried by the thought of that happening here. Apart from this I do not feel we are well prepared with information and lines of communication in base housing. To support the miscommunications and unpreparedness here, there was a recent incident where there was some road working being done in the area and we received e-mailed information about evacuation for the entire weekend because we were in a danger zone. In the area, there was an undisturbed WWII war head detected. In this event we evacuated (got hotel rooms and spent 5 Researched Proposal Topic Ideas unnecessary money) for the entire weekend only to find the construction was canceled. Therefore, it was not necessary to leave our homes or spend money and we though I did not expect it were not reimbursed for the charges. Improving Potomac Valley Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation’s Medical Terminology System There has been a need to improve the medical and exercise lingo used within the Columbia clinic for quite some time. We want to provide our patients with the safest and most effective care for their injuries or disabilities while also increasing the ability of the staff to communicate more proficiently with one another. We want to provide all doctors and surgeons with correct documentation regarding the treatment received by the patients while they are in our clinic. In updating the medical terminology used within Potomac Valley Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Columbia, we will be improving the patients’ overall experience while they are in our care and we will be bringing our staff and our clinic up-to-date regarding the terminology which is being taught to physical therapy students today and is being used in the newest, most state-of-the art physical therapy practices in the country. Team Building Activities for Kaiser Permanente Hospital Morale, pride, and spirit are important when working as a team. People with high morale tend to possess positive and cooperative attitudes. People with pride respect themselves and their team members. They work together successfully and are collectively joyful when goals are achieved. An encouraging spirit among team members can be quite contagious and motivational. When morale, pride, and spirit are present in teams, productivity is high and relationships are strong. Shared experiences and communication are two key factors that help build morale, pride, and spirit within teams. Communication should be open and honest, allowing team members to feel comfortable when speaking to one another. Shared experiences, such as investing quality time in team building activities, will help improve communication and relationships among team members. Team building activities are beneficial because problem solving is improved, productive ways of working in a team are established, and strengths and weaknesses are identified within the team. Lack of high morale and teamwork has been an ongoing issue within departments at Kaiser Permanente Hospital. As a result, a stressful and uncomfortable work environment has been created, which has led to employee dissatisfaction and errors. This proposal will research various options of team building activities and why they are so important. Finding sufficient sources that will help develop a plan for incorporating team building activities in my department is the focus for the project. Curbing the Curb Problem In our community, specifically in our cul-de-sac, the curb aprons from the street to the driveways are exceptionally steep and vehicles with lower ground clearances tend to scrape when approaching from head-on (one tire at a time from an angle seems to be a work around). I purchased a pricey rubber “curb ramp” which solves the problem with our sedan. The curb ramp, which is marketed toward owners of exotic class sports cars, does tend to collect debris off the curb from wind and runoff. Although we have an HOA, the county owns the street and is responsible for the maintenance. Recently a rumor surfaced that the asphalt surface did not contain all necessary layers. I plan on researching this issue. 6 Researched Proposal Topic Ideas Options for Closed School Buildings in Mattawamkeag, Maine Due to school consolidations, new schools being built, or a variety of other reasons, many school buildings are becoming vacant. School districts in Maine have the ability to turn the school buildings over to the respective municipality, if that is what the school board decides. Some communities have decided that the best option for their building(s) is to turn them into housing for senior citizens or the disabled. Maine’s population is aging quickly and the enrollment in schools is declining. The combination of these factors make the idea of senior housing a popular and necessary decision. However, that isn’t the case for all communities. Some towns decide that selling the property or using it for municipal offices is the best idea. My community is facing this dilemma now. A new community school has been built and we have taken ownership of our elementary school. This is a decision that a lot of towns in Maine have faced, are facing, or will face in the future. I will research options and come up with some viable options for not only my community but other towns in the area. Strategies for Accommodating Employees with Disabilities My topic will focus on employers providing (EAP) Employee assistance programs for employees with disabilities in efforts to minimize the absentee rate of employees with chronic illnesses. This program will provide workers with chronic illnesses the ability to telecommute to work, provide them with flexible schedules and employer covered health insurance where the employees would only be responsible for paying co pays. If employees receive adequate care for their illnesses this could cut down on the call outs by using preventive care options to help ensure the employee health is maintained. I would address this to the Human Resource Department. Specifically, I will use the following sources: data from the U.S. Department of Labor, Americans with Disabilities Act website, EEOC, and business magazines like Forbes to compare and contrast other company’s policies and their success rate with implementing this type of program. Proposal to Update Church Facilities to Accommodate Parishioners with Disabilities The purpose of this proposal is to inform of the benefits of making the church facilities of Holy Ghost Catholic Church accessible to all parish members regardless of their handicap restrictions. I have gathered information in regards to making Holy Ghost Church, Rectory, and Hall handicap accessible according to disability rights laws. My research is an effort to make all church facilities easily accessible to all parish members. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, religious organizations are exempt from requirements of the public accommodations laws, but in upgrading the church facilities with the proposed changes the church will be able to accommodate all current and potential church members and keep up with an aging congregation. Proposal to Light Up Vegas Community and Add Some Bumps to the Road Parkside Village is a private, gated community located in Las Vegas. The community appeals to many families with children due to its close proximity to some of the better schools in the area. The community has good amenities, but Parkside residents have been outspoken about their desire to step up safety and security measures. 7 Researched Proposal Topic Ideas Parkside has recently experienced numerous car break-ins, as well as acts of vandalism to the park. The community is lacking in visibility at the park and gate entrances. Additionally, residents are concerned with drivers not observing the speed limit. My proposed solution is to provide additional lighting to the park and entrances, as well as installing speed bumps either side of the park. The benefits would include safer roads for the children; increased visibility; increased community pride; and initial research suggests lower vandalism and crime rates. “Bring the Meeting to Me with VTC” Currently at my place of employment, we have seen a significant increase in Government Travel Regulations limiting local travel. This puts undue stress on our conference facilities to try and hold meetings, and conference calls while supporting our sponsors. My proposed solution would be to develop VTC (video teleconference) carts to bring meetings to your office or common space. This would solve the overcrowding of conference facilities and the new travel limitations, while still offering the face-to-face interaction for brainstorming sessions and critical mission meetings. "Bring the Meeting to Me with VTC" is my slogan. Charity Matching Proposal I would like to get my company to begin a charity-matching program. I have seen companies already offering such a program, though the matching amounts tend to vary from $50 to unlimited.  I want our company to match up to $1000 per year, per employee.  I would like the donation package to show as one of the company’s benefits, such as we offer health, dental, 401k, tuition assistance, and charity matches up to $1000.  This is going to benefit the company since they showed an interest this year to offer a donation to your favorite charity in lieu of the certificates normally handed out for holiday hams that they say have a tendency to go unused. I spend a few months every year raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society (LLS), while training for a marathon with TnT (team in training) and would love knowing that my company has a program to match my contributions. Promoting Education for Employees I have been in the information technology field for over 20 years. Six years ago the company that I was working for was acquired by a large accounting firm. The firm was aware that I did not have my degree but they hired me anyway (my experience outweighed the education requirement). Currently my salary is on the managerial level and I have been performing managerial duties, however I have been in the same position for six years. I found out 3 years ago that I cannot be promoted into management because I lack my degree. HR never told me this when I was hired. My proposal will address the following:  Provisions are made in firm policy to address the education requirements for new employees that come aboard via acquisitions.  Financial support for undergraduates. This number will be extremely low because the firm policy requires a college degree therefore it would only impact employees that are part of acquisitions. 8 Researched Proposal Topic Ideas In addition, my firm does campus recruiting for all internships and new hires therefore they have their degrees prior to becoming a full-time employee.  Education track is developed to help the employee reach their goal(s) in a timely manner.  Time is allowed for employees to take exams. This perk is already in place for employees studying for the CPA exam. However, no provisions are made for IT employees studying for CCISP, CSISM, CSIA or college exams (undergrad or graduate).  Consider this group diverse because the members of this group are older adults that have successful careers. In the past employers considered work experience to be more valuable than college education (especially in IT) so if a candidate like me had a strong IT background it outweighed the education requirements. In addition, my firm provides financial support for graduate students however they do not support undergraduate students. Moving to Automated Calling System This proposal will outline the benefits of advancing the current automated system at Allstate Insurance that members call through to get to a representative. Specifically, I will focus on the type of technology that is used when members call in to improve the voice recognition technology and improve make it more of a good experience for the member. These solutions will improve member satisfaction rates and also improve the member service representatives’ stats, when making sure they are getting the correct member in the correct departments. Call centers use the automated system to cut costs. Speaking to a live member service representative can cost upwards of $9.00 per call, compared to the automated system costing as low as $0.05. Seeing the difference between the two is obvious and corporate reasoning in choosing the automated system is clear. Now improving it is the next step. Taking the time out and working with technicians to improve the quality of the service given to get the members will really help improve this process. Also, changing the voice technology to a different sounding voice would enhance the automated system and make it a more pleasant experience for the member. Implementing an automated system where it is faster and more accurate getting the members to the correct department would improve 'world class customer service,' which is one of the company's many mottos, to create a better environment for our members. This will not only improve Member Satisfaction but it will also improve the service representatives’ accuracy when receiving the call and not having as many misdirected calls. Proposal for Poop Pick Up in Imperial Beach I live in a beautiful beachside community. That being said, this quintessential southern California town is plagued by animal feces. It is a very pet-friendly area, which being a dog owner myself, I completely appreciate. But the downside is the residual waste that is literally on every sidewalk, corner, and yard. I have lived in pet friendly areas in the past and have never come across anything like this. I would propose three solutions to this issue. Number one: Deploy pet waste stations in public areas. Number two: Create, or if one already exists, better enforce a fine for irresponsible pet owners who do not clean 9 Researched Proposal Topic Ideas up after their pets. My third solution would be to increase the presence of animal control in the area. We seem to have an abnormally high number of strays that no one cares for. Moving to a Paperless Medical Office My company uses paper medical records for all our patients. I think it would be beneficial to transition into paperless medical records. I would like to propose that my company invests in a program that can maintain patient's medical records. Many companies use computerized records and it is time that my company does the same. Benefits of paperless medical records: 1. Save space within the office because we will not need lockable filing cabinets anymore (save money from having to buy more cabinets as we continue to grow). 2. Risks of damage such as spills and tears to papers will be eliminated. 3. Long-term saving money because we will not have to purchase charts and stickers for patients. Having a system on the computer will also help with billing claims because we currently send records to our billing department weekly whereas if they were online, they could easily access the records when they needed them. This would save time and paper. Go Green: Book Exchange Program Proposal If Cannon Air Force Base, NM, was to develop and run a book exchange program Airmen would be able to save money and help the environment. It has been determined through a base-wide survey the main schools Airmen are attending and the average costs students have to spend just to attend school. With this data I plan on putting together a website that will allow Airmen and their dependents to make posts about books they would like to sell or books they are looking to get for their next class. Much research has been done. There was quite a bit of cross talk with many base agencies on every aspect of this project including what it would take to get started and to continue running such a program. Legal has provided advice on what is and is not allowed when it comes to Airmen using this program. The Communications Squadron has provided assistance and guidance on how to develop the website and what it takes to keep the site running. With putting together this program and developing this website, Cannon AFB will also be contributing to the environment. With students passing books around and not having to purchase more there will be less need to make more books. This will help to reduce the number of trees that need to be cut down in order to contribute to the manufacturing of the textbooks. Retraining for Safety The organization I work in has many pieces of equipment from heavy construction equipment all the way to small forklifts. I am considering writing my proposal on implementing a training/retraining program for forklifts in my workplace, due to the increase in accidents that have occurred within the past few months. We have a lot of employees who are forklift qualified, however there have been many accidents regarding forklifts lately, and we need some type of training program to fix this issue. Most of the people who are already trained on forklifts got trained 20 years ago (when training was known as 10 Researched Proposal Topic Ideas “jump on it and figure it out”) when they started here and have never had to take a "refresher" or sometimes even a proper training course. Recycling in an Apartment Complex For my final course project I would like to propose starting a recycling program at my apartment complex. The decision makers for my proposal will be property management. Recycling is beneficial to the environment and human health; making recycling readily accessible to residents will help reduce pollution and improve environmental quality. Where I used to live there was a dumpster for recyclable material only; therefore, I know apartment communities have recycling programs. Where I currently reside there is no such program. I consistently see recyclable material in the trash which ends up in a landfill adding to air, land, and water degradation. Despite this problem, I continue to recycle using a disposable recycling pop-up bin. This method requires me to go to a recycling center or give the recycling to a family member who then recycles the waste for me. Either way is inefficient because the additional transport increases my carbon footprint, exacerbating the issue of pollution on Earth. Having to collect my recycling makes me realize just how much waste I accumulate in a short timeframe let alone the entire complex. 11
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