Image of a compass and working paper During this course you will prepare and submit a number of short papers on a series of topics. These papers are an opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of concepts drawn from the module and the course.
The short paper activity for this module entails the creation of a specific business communication message. For this assignment, write a brief proposal in letter format to Doneta Zach, fleet manager for Midwest Express, 338 S.W. 6th, Des Moines, Iowa, 50321. In the letter:
Introduce your company; explain the benefits of the Air-Trak System.
Propose a trial deployment in which you would equip five Midwest Express trucks.
Message Strategies: Proposals
As a sales manager for Air-Trak, one of your responsibilities is writing sales proposals for potential buyers of your company’s Air-Trak tracking system. The system uses the global positioning system (GPS) to track the location of vehicles and other assets. For example, the dispatcher for a trucking company can simply click a map display on a computer screen to find out where all the company’s trucks are at that instant. Air-Trak lists the following as benefits of the system:
Ensuring vehicles follow prescribed routes with minimal loitering time.
“Geofencing,” in which dispatchers are alerted if vehicles leave assigned routes or designated service areas.
Route optimization, in which fleet managers can analyze routes and destinations to find the most time and fuel efficient path for each vehicle.
Comparisons between scheduled and actual travel.
Enhanced security, protecting both drivers and cargo.
For the purposes of this assignment, you don’t need to worry about the technical details of the system; focus on promoting the benefits and asking for a decision regarding the test project. (Learn more about the Air-Trak system at www.air-trak.com.)
You must follow the following format and guidelines for all short paper assignments:
Title Page: Include your name. the paper title, course title, instructor’s name, and date.
Introduction: Discuss the purpose of the paper in succinct, declarative sentences. The introduction should offer a preview of the paper and its value, and be based upon the concepts studied in the course.
Discussion Content: Present relevant and legitimate information to support your purpose or argument and display evidence of an in-depth analysis of the topic.
Conclusion: This should be a summative paragraph which includes what you learned from rewriting the message.
References: A minimum of one reference must be used to support your discussion. Document all sources according to APA style.
Your paper should be submitted as a Word document (.doc, docx or .rtf) file and adhere to the following guidelines:
Be 1-2 pages in length (not including the title and the reference pages).
Be double-spaced, in Arial or Times New Roman font, with a font size between 10 and 12 point.
The margins should not exceed 1″ on all sides.
Follow APA guidelines for formatting [PDF file size 131 KB], including the title and the reference page.
Compose your work using a word processor (or other software as appropriate) and save it frequently to your computer. When you’re ready to submit your work, click Browse My Computer and find your file. Once you’ve located your file click Open and, if successful, the file name will appear under the Attached files heading. Scroll to the bottom of the page, click Submit and you’re done. Be sure to check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors before you post it.
Review the SBT Short Paper Rubric located in the “Start Here” section of the course for more information on grading criteria.
Please be aware that papers in this course may be reviewed by anti-plagiarism software. Please review the EC policies on Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
