Using the Business Operations Research Classroom Guide

The Business Operations Research Classroom Guide helps DECA advisors turn the Business Operations Research Events into a structured classroom project. Instead of asking students to work through competitive event guidelines on their own, the resources break the project into manageable lessons, activities, and project milestones that can be integrated directly into instruction. 

Students move through the complete research process from selecting and working with a local business to designing and conducting research, analyzing findings, developing a strategic plan and budget and preparing a final presentation. 

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

2026–2027 Topic Introduction

The Topic Introduction helps students understand this year’s focus before beginning their full research project. It includes background information, learning outcomes, performance indicators, discussion questions and introductory activities centered on customer loyalty and repeat engagement. 

2026–2027 Event Guidelines

The current event guidelines provide the official requirements for the Business Operations Research Events, including the written entry, presentation format and evaluation expectations. 

Advisor Guide

The Advisor Guide provides instructional support for implementing the full BOR project in the classroom. Each unit includes student readings, quick checks, discussion questions, activities, rubrics and additional resources, along with pacing support to help instructors break the project into smaller assignments, align instruction with project work and provide feedback throughout the process.

Student Workbook

This workbook gives students a structured way to complete each stage of the project. It follows the same seven-unit sequence as the Advisor Guide and provides activities that help students build each component of their research project and final presentation. 

GET STARTED WITH THE 2026-2027 TOPIC

This year’s Business Operations Research topic challenges students to collaborate with a local business or organization to research what drives customer loyalty and repeat engagement.

Using their research findings, students will develop a strategic plan designed to strengthen customer retention through loyalty programs, personalized experiences or relationship-building initiatives. 

Students may explore areas such as:

• Loyalty programs
• Personalized customer experiences
• Customer experience improvements
• Relationship-building initiatives
• Customer feedback strategies

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

This classroom connection will provide instructional resources to introduce the following National Curriculum Standards:

• Explain the nature of marketing research
• Discuss the nature of marketing research problems/issues
• Describe methods used to design marketing research studies
• Describe options businesses use to obtain marketing research data
• Describe data-collection methods

Discover more Classroom Connection activities at DECA.org.

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