MS Project Tech Tool

Hello Mr. Anderson,

After our end of the month meeting, you have enabled the ability to pursue the MS Project for our design team. After approaching me directly about testing for my input, I have done just that and have found some results that my interest you greatly. As you may already know, MS Project can allow us to engage in project management with many features that can contribute efficiency to any of our processes such as developing plans, managing budgets, and tracking project’s process. Since we as project managers need an efficient program that can eliminate any constraints such as the lack of customization, lack of widespread features, and the lack of compatibility, we should intend to pursue MS Project.

We can sure use MS Project because of the integration with the Microsoft programs. Microsoft SharePoint already is in alliance with MS Project. The similarity with all the Microsoft programs allows the ability to learn MSP quicker. The ribbon is similar to the 2010 programs with the File, Task, Resource, Project etc… The very nice feature of the MS Project is the Zoom slider, inserting columns, and the facility of selecting far more commands. MSP runs on Windows’s PC’s and Macs which can benefit since we use both systems.

We use teams for different projects and lately we have not been able to allow a better managing of assigned resources. With MSP, we can allow to view to manage over allocations and different tasks with their assigned resources. The greatness of just dragging and dropping tasks to different teams makes it easier for me as the manager to create faster communication.

We also face the problem of not being able to manage our projects on-time by a couple of days because the lack of scheduling tasks on your own. With MS Project, we would be able to manually insert tasks that have nothing to do with project calendars or tasks relate directed with the project. Since we work with small projects assignments, this option will help tremendously since the greater descriptions and task add-ons will help the project.

The great option of MSP is the Task Inspector feature where it identifies problems and timing issues. The ability to provide me with solutions with these scheduling task problems also helps me in advance without me having to waste time to search. This feature serves as a system review to make sure all my tasks aren’t overlapping or conflicting with each other. Along with this, a timeline view feature has allowed managers to have an overview of a project schedule. You can manipulate the view by picking tasks, milestone tasks, or just any individual tasks and have it depict it on the timeline view.

Factors to keep in mind would be the price to purchase MSP. We can face charges such as $300-$750. There are possibilities that the previous edition can be used but that would defeat the purpose of using MSP to its full potential and new features. Since we are already having difficulties with simple project software, we should add MS Project to our company with the right analysis on the cost for the software.

Thank you,
Jim Lozada
Sr. Project Manager

Resources:

http://blinklist.com/reviews/microsoft-project

Pandora Reflection

Hello Pandora Team,

As I had time to reflect about the presentation by the consulting team on Saturday, I believe that the recommendation that Capgemini Consulting has provided fits well with our current problem. To develop a spread of solutions that contribute to our problem is ideal in order to test the market with our potential solutions and slowly use our capital to spend. As stated, the immediate action would be the change in advertising strategy. This will allow more revenue to come in just by doubling the ad time in between plays. Compared to our competitors on the satellite radio sector, this is still very low ad time and higher music listening time. Another immediate action would be to develop an APP for users to allow immediate access on the go. Many users are always on the go and need to be able have access to music on their phones rather than on the computer. This will enable greater revenue intake from consumers.

What caught my eye was the Open Mic feature where we can allow consumers gain exposure by becoming self-starting stars. As a company that provides service to consumers, we need to be able to provide new innovative features to attract not just the listening segment, but the artist segment as well. This would generate far greater customers for the short-term and spread the word quickly. Allowing those to participate with Pandora, can allow a far more use of our system and our future app.

What needs to be enforced as an idea is the potential of re-branding and globalizing to the extent of greatness. As the consulting group mentioned, the continent of Europe are currently waiting for internet radio to emerge and I believe we can be that company who will take the competitive advantage by being the first to enter their market. Not only can we enter music, but the other features such as comedy and sports’ broadcasting was also an idea worth taking. This again, will allow new customers to be interested in obtaining our service. In the sense of re-branding, we can create the community and social media features that those tech savvy individuals would acknowledge with open arms. This would generate great word and spread across the globe.

All, in all, we should consider all three approaches with time deadlines in order to overcome the problem of  no effectively monetizing our larger user, advertising covering our costs, and the ability to have expenditure offset revenue. With the proposed solutions, we will be able to solve these existing problems and would surely enable the immediate actions first to allow a more faster approach to raise or intake cash flow.

Sincerely,

Jim Lozada

Pandora Senior Executive

Opening Pandora's Box Case Prep

Problem/Issue Statement

What is the problem?

The problem with Pandora is that it doesn't know how to maintain their operating costs. Chief strategist and founder of Pandora, Tim Westergren, is trying to figure out how to balance the interests of the Venture Capitalist investors, while also run his company as he had initially planned. Pandora is facing an increase in their growth rate which at its current rate, the company would drain its cash by the end of the subsequent year.

Pandora lacks financing; and the symptoms are that due to high growth rate it might run out of money to run its business as a desired by higher management. If nothing is done, then the company is facing a possibility to go out of business.

Situation Assessment

The context of the problem is having the company to initiate a positive cash flow. The company would also need to reduce operation costs, negotiation of pricing, mitigation costs, advertisement growth, provide better quality options for consumers, and possibly tie in contracts with other companies such as car manufacturers etc…

List of Plausible Alternatives/ Evaluations

• Advertisement/ Marketing (SEM Full Throttle)- Pandora should focus on advertisement growth. With the help of advertisement and marketing, Pandora can benefit from search engine marketing (SEM) and general marketing spend because of its ability to see what music is trending for which specific users and allow the consumers to enjoy it. This will allow greater revenue by allowing more customers to come in. Another type of advertisement option is by maximizing greater space on their website and applications by advertisements. This will allow a greater cash flow entrance for Pandora and can make up for the loss that they might be facing from consumers.
• SEM Halt- Pandora is currently attracting customers by their marketing techniques such as SEM which allows capturing customers through search tools. You can also attribute segment marketing to SEM. If Pandora currently cannot keep up with their growth, then they should slow or halt the SEM in order to allow the revenue become higher then costs. They can slow it down until Pandora can see that they can manage the growth.
• Initial Public Offer-Pandora is facing money issues and need financing. The answer would be to introduce the market with Pandora and allow money to flow that way. The public and consumers would be in charge of investing in Pandora and allow Pandora to become a better provider with missing options and innovations to customers.
• Stand Down- If Pandora does absolutely nothing, their growing market will become “too big to handle”, and Pandora will be out of the party with no financing to keep up. Pandora will eventually become out of business.

Recommendation

Quality- The quality recommendation would be to allow the investment coming in from the outside public. This would allow the public to invest in Pandora which is in desperate need of it.

Logical- The logical recommendation would be to allow the SEM to slow or stop. The reason why Pandora is not maintaining the cash flow is because it is growing and not enough cash is being pumped in to stable the growing. So if the SEM is stopped, that would let the cash inflow offset the growth.

Presentation- The presentation should elaborate the recommendation as the important factor. Since I believe the quality recommendation should be the optimal one that would bring the most value to Pandora, the cash intake from the IPO should be shown in a graph. The growth and cash inflow should be presented in a graph along with illustrations to show the benefit of solving the problem. Lastly, other investment opportunities should be stressed with the new cash that is coming in.

Thank you,

Jim Lozada

Bombardier Reflection

Good morning,

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the presentation from Dynamic Consulting, but I was able to attend via Skype. First of all, I would like to point out that the group presented perfectly and has opened much to decide on for our company. As an experienced consulting firm, they have acknowledged that we would need to improve on  3 out of the 4 key areas. These are Project Management, Knowledge Transfer, and Adoption. The only area that we have been doing well is the Executive Management so far. To point out each improvement that is needed, below will show exactly what is needed for us to have a successful implementation:

Project Management

·         Dedicated project manager

·         Proper resourcing

·         Structured project plan and management

·         Develop of own measurable success criteria

Knowledge Transfer

·         Prerequisite end user skills education plan

·         Training Staffing Plan

·         Training Delivery Plan

·         Curriculum Matrix

·         Training Budget

Adoption

·         Conduct phased-rollout

·         Change of administrative processes

·         Use of consultant

What the consultants analyzed, was reasonably accurate and I have acknowledged them to be a significant step that we would need to take in order to become the “One Company” vision that we need. With following these suggestions, we will decrease process delays, reduce clerical tasks, become collaborative amongst various departments, visibility of inventory and control costs, and have integration between legacy systems. Since most of the work will need to be in the Knowledge Transfer sector, we need to focus on which tools will be needed to help logistical challenges, fix our technical infrastructure, training system, and delivery mechanisms.  The ROI expectations also help us develop the difference between the previous implementations and will give us the realistic success quantification. I would like to recommend these findings to be what Bombardier next steps to have and become “One Company” and allow the ERP implementation gain the perfect success that we have waited for.

My apologies for not attending the meeting, but here are my thoughts of what I found to be the strong points of this consulting firm’s findings.

Thank you,

Jim Lozada

Bombardier Senior Manager

Bombardier Case Prep (Successfully Navigating the Turbulent Skies of a Large-Scale ERP Implementation)

Problem/Issue Statement

What is the problem?

The problem that Bombardier is facing is the ability to find out how to implement an ERP system that will contribute to the large inherited data and processes from other sectors of the company.  At this point Bombardier is facing compatibility issues with their systems. An answer was needed to enable and establish a better way of communication between systems or establish an alternative to become a better centralized system and find a solution to the lack of integration of their legacy systems.

What is the Scope of the problem?

Bombardier needs to regain momentum after an already failed attempt with the centralized system (ERP) before. Since Bombardier is a large company with many divisions, ERP seemed to be the alternative to try again but with the ability to be fully functional. Tasks such as managing better inventory for mechanical parts, body parts, frames, engine pieces, and also to become a better communicating enterprise, were why an ERP was needed. Management were concerned on problems such as process delays, sequential activities, low inventory turns, price inconsistency, and multiple bills of material.

Situation Assessment

What is the context of the problem/ Decision Criteria

The context sits at the knowledge that the ERP system has to be implemented a second time after a previous failure attempt. In order to have the right decisions made, costs of implementing this new system would need to be made and if all the problems would be solved. The managers would need to establish a way to try to test out the ERP system previous to implementation to see if their problems can truly be fixed.

List of Plausible Alternative Courses of Action with Evaluation

The alternative course of action would be to implement the ERP which would bring Bombardier to their vision of becoming a “One Company” organization where employees would have the ability to share common data across divisions and products while using a single unified system accompanied by a unified process. Making it a business transformation rather than a technology one is where the company should focus on so they will avoid another failure.  Remembering to stay active with the process would be essential by having upper management available at all times during the project.  Employees should also be present when it comes to training before the implementation and after. Lastly, communication should be a priority along with the implementation.

Recommendation

While viewing the quality and logical recommendation, it is right to say that Bombardier should allow the ERP process to take place once more and finish what was once started. With the BMIS team created, training and support would be available to be present during future implementations which would create a positive influence on all the employees who are new to it all. Having training before and after the implementation would allow those who were never working on the same systems integrate and have familiarity working together. During the implementations, the upper management should always be present along with the BMIS team. The presence with upper management influences not only the employees but the consultants also. Also, the divisions would also need support  while the entire company is being implemented because they are also  in the loop . With ERP, Bombardier would allow their vision to become “One Company” and allow all their divisions to share and become centralized as a whole.

Presentation

For presentations, the consultant group should have power points showing the ideal ways to work as a team. A cost matrix should also be set in place to show training costs and the result of the implementation of the ERP. This would show if it would work if thinking of investments. I would also present any real life implementations from other companies or even Bombardier themselves and show proof of any advancements post-implementation.

Ubuntu ....An alternative?

Good morning Mr. Smith,

As I am the consultant for your Ubuntu project, I have personally tried the software and allowed myself to integrate my thoughts for this possible move.  As we know Ubuntu offers free software available on a desktop environment. The word Ubuntu comes from the South African descent which means “humanity towards others”. As we think further combination with the other divisions, sharing a bond with humanity is how Ubuntu can make us grow.

The accessibility of Ubuntu is offered by live cd or live usb which allows the ability to test the operating system before installing the permanent version ( Ubiquity installer). Vendors also have the access to Ubuntu such as manufacturers like Dell which sell their laptops with Ubuntu already installed in countries such as India and China which allows the growing economies a chance to observe this OS to the maximum ability. To point out a strong note, the country of China and their Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. China is allowing Ubuntu to become the official Os of China and abandoned the western systems such as Windows. 

Our company can establish training sessions where Ubuntu and Canonical provide a Canonical Support and Services (CSS) team that consists of engineers that help businesses around the world. They can help with installation, applications and systems administration at any level. The Ubuntu server support provides support for security, networking, remote access; windows network access, tracking issues, updates etc...

They are available during our business hours and have the unlimited time of submitting any support requests. Ubuntu offers Landscape which allows a free 30-day trial. Landscape allows for a management support component to be present while setting your company up with Ubuntu.  With the use of Landscape, according to Ubuntu, our company will save over $200,000 in only three years.

Before thinking about merging with Windows 8, you need to know that Ubuntu:

·  Showing Unity for those on the learning curve by having similarity to windows users, while Windows changed and modernized completely
·  User support cheaper by $70 if Ubuntu would be the choice. Windows ($149) & Ubuntu ($80)
·  Ubuntu upgrades are free every time
·  Ubuntu comes with Linux Security Modules
·  Ubuntu has its own cloud integration
·  Ubuntu requires less Ram storage then Windows demands, which would mean less cost
·  Ubuntu works with command prompt that is what we use for most of our tasks here in the office.

Ubuntu contains Microsoft like products such as word and excel which can allow our monthly stale dated reports to continue with overdue market value assets to be emailed. Also, there would a sharing component always present between clients if they hold Microsoft documents.

Ubuntu also offers security features such Sudo where temporary privileges can be assigned for administrative tasks but at the same time allowing the main account to be locked. This prevents any unsafe changes to the system or any security leaks. With the ability to close its own network with its proper firewalls, it shows the strong capabilities is has to offer.  Another innovation that Ubuntu offers is the ability to have a private or a public cloud. 

My recommendation for the use of Ubuntu is to crucially look into the free trials that Ubuntu offers and establish a relation with the programs that we currently use in order to find out if there are any compatible issues. This will help us determine if there would be any live issues with everyday tasks. But as of costs, it seems that Ubuntu would be a cost saver.

Thank you,

Jim Lozada

References:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2013431/10-reasons-to-choose-ubuntu-12-10-over-windows-8.html

http://www.ubuntu.com/management/return-on-investment

iPads for Success Case

Dear Bill and Tom,

I have done an extensive analysis on the use of iPads for you Vice President Bill and Sales Operation Manager, Tom. As you may notice, iPads are currently being tested with companies across the globes, even across college campuses across the country. Why are iPads so important and necessary, you may ask? Well after interviewing with professionals in our Sales, Marketing, and Finance divisions, I was able to gather important information that may decide our case in order to meet the both functional and technical requirements.

As I found some functional positives that the iPad would bring to the company such as:

v  Strong Battery life (7 + hours)

v  Access by quick movements on apps

v  Ability to use the iPad as a phone to call Drs

v  Convenience because of weight and size

v  Cheaper than some laptops

v  Ability to have virtual sessions

v  Efficient note taking

v  Access to important information on the fly

I also came across a major negative about having the ability to safeguard client information such as no ability to erase memory if found or stolen.  Even though Apple does provide security with its products, we contain sensitive information and we will need higher security just in case if we face lost iPads because of their easy and light weight figure. Also, the inability to show clients videos on certain sites because of no flash player on the Apple products. The lack of Microsoft support will cause a burden on some of our sales team that are use to show presentations on PowerPoint and use programs such as Excel.

I strongly trust our team to be technological capable associates so we would not have an issue with transitioning, but it will take some training and time to get used to the iPad device. I believe that dealing with a new tech device will incur higher motivation to move quicker and more efficient with clients during the day. In the interview, I noticed quite a cost reduction if we moved to the iPad. The iPad ranges in the $700-$750 range, while the laptops surpass the $1000+ range with all the necessary equipment. This is another main reason why our company should move into this integration of new technology.

Thank you,

Business Analyst- Newsbelkis 

 Sr. Analyst- Jim Lozada

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Accenture-COBIT 5 Reflection

Good Morning Colleagues,

As per the busy schedule here in Copenhagen, I could not attend the meeting with the consultants in person, but I was present via our Skype service. I found the presentation outstanding for reasons such as the integration of the COBIT 5 to be a level of assurance. I was not aware that such framework existed. Accenture would benefit for reasons such as:

•         Promotion
•         Exposure
•         Licensed use of intellectual property
•       Support of compliance etc…

are just some of the reason why Accenture would benefit from using this framework. I believe that we as a company, truly would need to see whether the consultants have established a significant reason why we should approach this verification framework while we have already adopted the single platform approach.

What the consultants should have allowed more time to focus on is if there are any upgrades or changes to this accreditation framework. If we all think about it, every upgrade or change, the users of COBIT will need to be re-trained and taught the process. As the team did mention that there are high levels of training and course work needed, there will be delays and costs involved each and every time.

I would propose to our managers to allow some time from our business schedules to attend COBIT’s learning seminars or visit an existing partner company who are already using COBIT, to see how the process works. By doing this, they would see if a verification process is truly needed to our already established platform.  I am sure there are steps that we have already taken that COBIT offers and there might also be other alternatives that other companies are using that would be lower in costs and implementation. By scouting, we can eliminate and innovate our own possible verification process if needed.

Thank you,

Jim Lozada

Accenture Managing Team

Zara Reflection

Zara Team,

I apologize for not being able to make the flight and join the meeting with Fast Solution Consultant. As I saw the presentation via Skype, I want to applaud their research and analysis as they did an amazing job in finding a perfect solution to our current problem. I have allowed time to think about the essential recommendation that the consulting team has prepared which I also have agreed on. After hours of thinking, I have changed my mind and gone against the consulting team’s decision. I strongly believe that if the current system has been working perfectly, why should we upgrade all at once? This will cause major delays in every terminal of the company. Sanchez and his opinions on not changing the system are very true. Money shouldn't be spent all at once for training, hardware, networks, and personnel for a boutique store that sells higher end custom merchandise for our clients.

The questions are still in the air about the spending the money for an upgrade where our financial statements clearly shows profit gaining year after year. I can understand the teams innovation thinking process and our vendor’s lack of support to keep us connected with our outdated machines, but I am agreeing to changing certain systems and software piece by piece. This means that we should allow some changed take slowly . I understand that we are missing the E-Commerce business and we as a boutique business, we can hold off from that now with no desperate need of it. The team allowed us to view the high costs that this upgrade will entail and for the situation that we are in, I believe we are okay.  But as of right now, we shouldn’t allow these costs and risk of facing delays because of training, integration, upgrades, etc… come and cross our paths.

I propose that the team should allow another alternative into the slow integration to certain machine upgrades and slowly advance to e-commerce. Again, I am all for more revenue to help Zara, but with the right resources and lower costs.

Thank you,

Jim Lozada

Zara Analayst

IT Transformation at Accenture Case Prep

Problem/ Issue Statement

Accenture’s problem is that the CEO of the company needs to decide how to find a way to manage their IT infrastructure. They currently run on Arthur Andersen’s old system but they have a chance to change it to a world class infrastructure. Accenture has an opportunity to start building an IT infrastructure that would benefit their consultants and support personal access to information anytime.

Situation Assessment

Accenture has a decentralized system that has consultant unable to obtain information from their IT system.  The existing Andersen systems were composed of patchwork legacy applications and weren’t interconnecting.  The systems and software were so obsolete that their databases were not able to be accessed remotely. Offices around the world were using different accounting and human resources systems all together and a consistent view throughout the company did not exist.  Accenture had the opportunity to make a new IT infrastructure from scratch to fix all these issues.

The decision criteria consist of whether or not they should create a centralized approach that can hold a large scale support to those consultants that are all on the same page. Accenture can also face the risk to stay the same. It would lastly have the opportunity to create a one-platform approach( centralization) that will create a unity.

List of Plausible Alternative Courses of Action/Assessment of Alternatives

The alternative courses of action are either obtaining the Best-of-Breed approach. by having many different applications and not being consistent with existing offices. This almost is similar to what Accenture has been in since Andersen but they will invest in newer technology.  This would involve a greater cost because it would make many applications to become available and costs to increase. Also training would be needed for each system and that would also involve great costs.

They can also remain the same with the old technology and eventually become obsolete technology by holding their existing legacy systems. They can continue facing the issues that they currently have with time and not being able to add value to the company or help the consultants in anyway. I would not recommend this alternative because of the huge risk of costs going into an IT infrastructure that many parties will need to be involved.

The last alternative is called the one-platform approach where there will be small IT support needed because Accenture will be using only one system rather than many different ones. This will also be done at a lower costs then the other alternatives along with being effective. What would be a  flaw is the dependency of dealing with the one system vendor. This can create the inability to negotiate lower prices with many vendors cannot be the same said with the single platform approach.  The choice of this involved picking Microsoft Office, HP as the office computers, SAP, and Cisco for servers. This was the least time consuming especially because they only had one year to change from the legacy systems to the new from scratch system.

Recommendation

The quality recommendation will lock in ties with the logical recommendation because Accenture was running out time and needed a centralized system in order to fix all the problems the they were currently facing. The one step approach setup HR applications, an accounting application that will be uniformed, uniformed systems, lower support costs. SAP would allow the integration of these uniform applications where the company will have no trouble in collecting data once needed in order to show on financial statements and so on. Allowing support to become a lower expense can become possible by allowing calls to a support line because of their overseas support. My current employer allows this to occur and they become very hand with our one-platform system. The ability to take remote control of your system is the only task needed to find a very complex solution to a support inquiry. 

Presentation

I would recommend the presenters to allow showing any other alternatives that might exist out there to consolidate even more. Sometimes companies believe that moving jobs overseas becomes an issue but with companies being larger than usual, lowering costs are needed. Cost matrix is always handy to show how much each alternative would cost and the benefits of each. Being unbiased here is also handy because of the different applications that could be used in the multi platform approach. Showing how investments will be and how much and when will they start seeing the return on their investment ( ROI) kick in.

Zara Case Prep

Problem/Issue Statement

The main issue that Zara is facing is the outdated POS system that they currently run. Zara uses a DOS system that is becoming obsolete and not being supported by Microsoft any longer. The problem is if Zara should face the challenge to taking in risk in changing their current system or update to new and a modern system.

There are is a problem and symptoms that are found in the case. The distinction of these two is that for the main problem is that the main problem is that they currently have a system that is outdated. They are going to face a risk of changing a working system to something more up to date. Two employees of Inditex, Xan Salgado Badas and Bruno Sanchez Ocampo are in charge of the It and POS system sides for Zara. Xan is actually in support of changing the outdated system while Bruno would like to retain what is already in place because it is not broken.

Some symptoms that the case shows is the inefficiency that the store holds with the inventory control. Stores are manually calling other stores to find out what is available. Also, customer transactions could be done expedited and done with bigger equipment with larger screens and a mouse. Also, inventory was done just by walking around and seeing if the stands have enough clothes.

The scope of the problem here is if changing to a new system, Zara would need to implement costs and time to train the employees to get adjusted to the new system. Managers would also need to allow training for their new inventory control procedures. As the stores, the distribution centers (dc) would also need to develop this new technology integration for tracking shipments and inventory. These are all training and new set up costs that Zara would face. If Zara would stay where they stand, they are limiting to growth and allowing outdated technology to eventually become obsolete.

Situation Assessment

The assessment is relying on whether to upgrade to  an advanced modern technology from Salgado’s point of view and leaving it how it is because it is not broken according to Sanchez who is the pioneer of the existing system. The decision criteria is by following Salgado point of view is for enhancing stores capability to allowing control inventory to become a priority enhancement for growth, making returns and purchases a more efficient process, and allowing stores to connect with each other with real time updates. Sanchez on the other hand doesn’t see why changes should happen if the system already works.

The Alternatives Courses of Action

The alternatives courses of action is by continuing to use their old outdated systems and have the capability of keeping up with the demand using such outdated technology. This will go along with making slower progress by implementing newer systems once the old DOS will be obsolete. So buying POS systems in some stores will be the necessary choice eventually that Zara would most like face. This will leave Zara with zero chances of risk in start-up costs if it were to upgrade.  This will eliminate any external in internal training and support costs.

The other option is to follow Salgado option of upgrading to a new OS system such as Unix, Linux, or Windows. This will allow Zara to have wireless network instead of slow dial-up modems, the use of larger screens and use of keyboards and mouse rather than PDA’s, live-time data transmitting to the DC’s and headquarters for exact inventory and financial data, and being connected with other stores to be on the same page with information and inventory.

Evaluation of Alternatives

Now that the problem is known, we need to keep in mind that Zara is the only company with this old integrated system that the vendor supports. Eventually, the vendor will come to the conclusion that supporting Zara will be obsolete by gathering old equipment just to satisfy one contract/company. Also taking into consideration that growth could be beneficial for this clothing company, expansion needs updated systems to allow internet purchasing and other revenue paths. If Zara did not operate with a newer updated system, they will never enter the internet market to attract more buyers. If we do not make any changes, Zara will lose absolutely nothing at the moment because no investment is being made. Gains show that Zara is being profitable throughout the years so their current system is working. If we were to make upgrade changes, the process will be costing just on hardware and program of choice: 25,000+ Euros per store. These are just some of the start-up costs that Zara would face while having their mindset on growing to a bigger and more profitable industry such as the internet.

Recommendation

The quality recommendation is to have the upgrade be performed because of all the benefits that could occur. Useless time wasted on counting pieces on the inventory floor can become money spent saved by already having an updated inventory control with the SKU. This will eliminate data entry and manual processes.  Increased sales would occur as products will be moved on the floor and store more quickly if needed by the DCs. Any discrepancies would be caught quicker by the new inventory control and even prevent and unaccounted for merchandise at an efficient manner. Growth and expansion for Zara would be enabled with the use of quicker and more demanding service being provided and allow greater recognition through marketing measures on the internet. Internet shopping is very convenient and allows those who cannot shop at the mall because of time restraints the easy access to Zara’s apparel.  Zara could also eliminate some store hours for those who were doing manual processes while in store hours or off store hours. This could be a cost savings potential.

The logical recommendation would be for Zara to stay in business with their current OS. Zara ideally is making the figures that the HQ is aiming for and applying the risk of moderate start-up costs would enable Zara to spend money for growth that it is slowly already gaining. This will allow Zara to not incur any additional training and non needed costs to each store across the world. It would also avoid and time wasted in daily operations between channels that Zara goes through.

Presentation

I would advise that the presentation should be summed up stating the issue and the two alternatives that the company has such as the simplicity of staying with the outdated system or upgrading by spending start-up costs and having the ability to expand with moving daily operations more efficiently.

The key visuals would be a PowerPoint presentation along with a matrix highlighting the costs of upgrading for each store and each OS (Windows, Linux, and Unix).  What is also needed is a list of problem solvers with the new systems that would become the solutions to the manager’s complaints.

Having the audience understand the benefits of both alternatives is crucial but also they would need to know that there are flaws for both alternatives. Let’s not forget that Zara is willing to grow and expand, so this also needs to be stressed. Having the audience able to pick one over the other is crucial because Zara is facing the lost of ability to expand its business. 

Microsoft Visio- Tech Tool

                           

As a C- Level for company Jumbo Investments, I was fortunate to be hands on with Microsoft’s program Visio. I was able to create professional templates of diagram flows to further explain our business processes. I was able to have these diagrams exported to programs such as Excel and SharePoint. This gave me the advantage to provide my colleagues the view of this diagram to their computers while they are overseas. The impact of not having Visio on the computer has not become an issue because of the very convenient sharing capability that Microsoft allows anyone to open the document.

After using Visio, I noticed that Microsoft has minimized complexity by allowing graphs, shapes, and interactive sources to create a better understanding of information. Templates are also available to allow easier input of information and data. There are different charts available for scheduling purposes such as the Gantt chart, PERT charts and other timeline diagrams where my assistant can enjoy an easier time at planning my business trips. For the IT department, Visio offers templates that include diverse software development scenarios and database planning circumstances.

To allow Visio to be a permanent choice to any company, I first did some research and found out that it has minor competition. Visio has an affordable price, but it does have cheaper competitors. To compare, you can get Creately for less than $100 while Visio is close to $300.  Some downfalls that competitors have over Visio is that it allows social sharing, document management, and other external uses. As a matter a fact, Visio can only be run on Windows. Visio also does not have the capability to run on MAC OS.  Any upgrades are not free and are done every year for a price to pay. Other competitors offer free upgrades such as, Creately. But when concluding my research, Visio’s price is well worth the amount of options you are getting from Microsoft. Since our company already uses Microsoft’s existing products already, adding Visio would enable a consistent option.

Usually companies would have to purchase programs such as CAD personnel, Smart Draw, or Creately but it seems that Visio is the only one to have an affordable price for so many jobs that it tackles along with an attractive free trial of two months. Along with support channels, Visio offers email, phone call support, and even live chat. Visio also offers video tutorials, blog support and a manual with much detail. The best option is that you do not need internet to use most of Visio’s program. Visio has recently launched their newest upgrade which allows teamwork sharing, similar to Google’s Drive. As a user you can now work on a project simultaneously in order to speed up the completion of the project and eliminate any lag time between collaboration.

What I would suggest is for our company to provide some training to our designers and business analysts in order to use the product and their new Visio 2013 update. Microsoft has given Visio a new and modern look with the Windows 8 collaboration. Better visuals of diagrams have allowed our processes to become clearer and more efficient. The Visio program will pay for itself in the long run and will allow a new teamwork environment with its new collaborative option of sharing and editing simultaneously. This will be new and I believe we all would love to see teamwork grow further with Visio.

Post-Case Reflection 1-888- Junk Van

Post-Case Reflection

Mr Kingo,
I would like to recognize the great presentation that the team of hired consultants gave. After viewing the 4e Consultants presentation, we as a company should allow to take their recommendation in order help our business become the growing business we aspire to be. Myself, was convinced that the PaaS software was ideal with the ability to share a platform with either known or unique applications, the ease of the turn around time of three days, and the no long term contracts were the deal closers. But with the extensive research that 4e had to offer us, picking the ERP, Sage 50, system would become the beneficial one.

 The wonders of Sage 50 allows to become an easy software for a small business. Sage also eliminated much of Junk Van's current problems such as paper invoices, manual payroll, daily e-mail reservations, and the data clerk. The major benefits include customer service, training capabilities, and most importantly economical.  Sage allows the works with small businesses as proven by the consultant's personal expenses. In our growing future, Sage also works well with the ability to franchise by having different levels of Sage and amount of users and features.

What would be beneficial to think about Mr. Kingo, is that the demo or free trial should be the priority for now and take advantage of trying the ERP system. After hearing the consulting company, they did mention this and it should be a way to personally find out if it is worth our money to purchase this system. I would have liked to hear more about Sage 50's ability to contain and safe-hold our client information when a payment is made along with the account information. Now a days, customer information is easy accessible by hacking into systems and needing to find out more about Qutera  is very important. Qutera needs to be better investigated as it is the cloud hosting system for Sage 50.

Overall, the recommendation 4e gave was the correct one compared to alternatives such as Google Drive, Microsoft Access, Custom Application, and PaaS.  Reasons for being affordable, growth promoter, reliable source of communication, having simultaneous access, and having automatic updates in real time were reasons why ERP ( SAGE50) become the choice. Even though there are many ERP systems, Sage 50 was most economical compared to those such as SAP and Dynamics.

I hope my thoughts have helped as a reflection to the presentation over the weekend.

Thank you for your time,

Jim Lozada
1-888-Junk Van Associate

1-888-JunkVan Case Prep

Problem/Issue Statement

Marcus Kingo, who is the founder of-1-888-JunkVan, owned a fast growing waste collection business that was facing a problem of information handling errors that were pervasive. Marcus needed to find a way to find a cost effective and affordable IT system that would minimize errors and allow the business to grow.

There are is a problem and symptoms that are found in the case. The distinction of these two are that for the main problem is that the IT system in place did not allow the customer and business to interact positively which cause the production of errors for the business. These made customers realize the type of business that they are dealing with and put the partnership at risk. While for the symptoms that contribute t the problem are the tasks that there was mistakes on customer information, the sending of wrong emails and billing and calculation mistakes. The major issue came when erroneous information going to the morning operator by the data clerk. This caused the drivers to not be able to see the database on their spreadsheets and allow the customers to become angry and unsatisfied.

The scope of the situation was that Marcus depends on a IT system solely to run the business and one to not lose customers to mistakes that can be fixed. Marcus Kingo has to do something about find a way to have their information come through a system that allows the minimization of errors and fast. The business was in a fast moving industry so customers has the ability to pick and choose who was a better fit to their needs. So competition seems to be high.

Situation Assessment

The context of the problem is finding the challenges that the business is facing and is affecting the businesses main model and priority of running on a virtual business model. The main reason for this was to reduce any high fixed startup costs. The goal was to expand as a business by growing but with the technology that was causing all the errors, it did not allow it.

The decision criteria is  that Marcus Kingo would eventually move toward a complete central data base which would cause the e-mail to stop transporting internal information and become irrelevant to the orders  for drivers. He also wanted emails to be sent to customers automatically to avoid any mistakes or delays. The solution also had to be easy and flexible to Kingo’s  way of thinking and easy adaptable if the market would to change. He didn’t have IT background so a fast and easy system was ideal in this case. Vendor support would become the must-haves for Kingo’s business. But one of the priority became an affordable system that allowed the business to run smooth.

List of Plausible Alternative Courses of Action

The plausible alternatives course of actions:

Microsoft Access – This system allowed easy installation on multiple computers or a server that can be accessed through a Virtual Private Network, also known as VPN. It can be accessed remotely but Kingo would have to have professional help in order to install it this way. But this would mean extra costs. If remote access isn’t needed then it would be cost effective. It is affordable meaning $179 for each computer. Access would be used as a database where it can be easy attainable by operators and drivers and allow the elimination of having the wrong spreadsheet or database sent to the wrong employee.

Custom Application- A customized application that will cost $2000 upfront plus $60 maintenance fee for each developer. This time is unknown because of the delicate work it might take, so Kingo will be paying hourly. The idea for becoming customizable to your needs is to allow all the problems to be fixed by this one system catered by the specific requests. But the costs will be great and the end result will not be able to be tested by Kingo to see if this is what he asked for.

Google Docs- Google docs allows a cloud to hold spreadsheets, data, presentations, word files etc… This will allow the chance for employees to share the document and make edits to them in a team environment.  This benefited Kingo in little or no time to start using this system. Google allowed up to ten users for free and or a business account for $5 a month which became a low cost option for Kingo. Drivers will be able to pull up data they needed at anytime.  What did become a negative were the lack of business support from Google and the risk of having sensitive company data wondering in a cloud system. This could migrate into company information being stolen and costs.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Identical to Google Docs, PaaS was available on a cloud based structure. PaaS benefited Kingo because he would be able to use common application as well as being able to build his own applications that would be suiting his style and business. This system was very customizable and according to the free trial, Kingo was able to handle it. The great part of all this is that everyone will be able to see and share these apps. What Kingo will have difficulty coping with is the costs that this software requires $300-$600 a month and an additional $180 an hour for any other customization required. What Kingo was allowed to do is not commit to any contract a scale up the service as needed.

Enterprise Planning (ERP) System- ERP was a system that was built around a central database. The system allowed to be accessed remotely and having a sophisticated amount of processes available. This would benefit the business in every way but we have to remember that there is a budget that Kingo needed to hold. Paying $2500 per year per user was not an option. Kingo also was allowed limited on his business so this system had unnecessary options for him that would affect the pocket.

Evaluation of Alternatives

After viewing and stating the five options, Kingo has to keep in mind that he is limited on time, money, having features such as having email preferences and settings, being able to be remote access for the drivers, and the ability to be customizable to the change of business growth. All these were needed in order to stop losing customers for unnecessary risks. Kingo should be imaginative in the sense that he needs to think into the future for his business being able to leave the mistakes behind and expand.

Recommendation

The recommendation for Junk Van is to go ahead and approach the PaaS system because of its ability to give Kingo and the business the options he needed. It was ready to use in the sense that if you had a application already, it was available to use on PaaS and if you had a unique application, that was also available to use. PaaS would be ideal if the market or the business decided to grow because of its easy way to use the system at ones taste. Even though it needs some IT skill, Kingo seemed capable of using and building a database after seeing the developer use it during the trial. With the costs being somewhat costly, it offered a no contract deal with the ability to scale up or down on options for the system and a one month in advance notice for cancellation. It was very user and business friendly. If needed, maintenance teams were available for a fee which is always needed just in case.

Presentation

For the presentation, summing up the case stating the problem and what it needs to help find a solution is critical to mention.  Reminding the C-Levels that growth is a priority is also something to mention.

Some visual ads could be a matrix showing costs between alternatives, a chart showing the benefits of each alternative along with the flaws of each, or a video which would allow the example of the products being displayed how they work.

  The consulting group should not in fact take the cost as the decision driver but in fact take the alternative that would benefit the business for growth and Kingo’s ability oversee with ease. Growth is important because you are dealing with technology that is always changing and the market as well.  It’s important to also use applications that were helpful to the employees and the owner for easy access and use.  Consultants should realize that price buys quality so to spend a few more dollars will give a better quality product that will last for the long run.

The way I would pitch the alternative of PaaS is to simply show the benefits of the all five and comparing on how only PaaS was the one Kingo approached with the ability to use and handle on his own without any issues.

The delivery consideration is to stay on track with only stating five alternatives and no others. Also having the C-Level understand where Kingo stands with his options and what he has to work with.  Visual aids should be clear and well explained if showed so no confusion is set into the C-Level.

Google Docs Impact on a Company

Working for a business can entitle you to privileges that vary in numerous ways. Those who work for industries in the government, finance, banking, etc… are exposed to sensitive information that needs to be protected at all times. Why should the storage of a business be protected? It is simple to answer that. It contains personal information; confidential data, sensitive data, and information that cannot afford to be leaked. Companies and their C-level employees have trusted their document storage with windows and their Microsoft Office SharePoint for storing and sharing documents. The limitations that our company imposes are, the SharePoint sites can be used only on company systems and certain employees have different access levels. This halts me from being able to work from home unless the company provides me with the luxury of a laptop.

The importance of using SharePoint is to edit and share reports and data throughout the company. Not too long ago, I used to process reports for compliance and would appear on SharePoint and the compliance manager would track the monthly reports. With when time came, I would download the excel spreadsheet and just save it onto the SharePoint site on real –time basis. The down fall here is that there isn't a true collaborating option to process or edit a report. SharePoint is not user friendly because of its small and complicated tabs and options. It also doesn't have updated features that many users prefer such as Google has. SharePoint limits upload memory to 2GB at a time. SharePoint can be very inconvenient when access has been taken off from your username. I has happened to me and it allowed my access back in 24 hours which caused the report to be late. This can be a hassle to struggle with but it happens. Reliability in technology cannot always be 100%. I experienced both during GDrive and SharePoint where my document either does not save or it would just disappear. This would be a straight example of how reliable technology could be.

On the other hand, Google Drive allows much more then what Microsoft does when it comes to sharing and collaborating. Google Drive offers the chance of at least 50 individuals to be logged on to the same document and making edits at the same time. Each user is color coded and is also given a chance to chat while on the document and make communication that way also. You are allowed to view the same time on where the other user is on the document by view the cursor move on their end. Also, not to mention that GDrive gives 5GB for free but due to the business concept, Bank of America would have to purchase a higher degree of memory in order to satisfy the company’s requirements. The primary feature that is very important is ability to access your document any where whether it is online or offline. GDrive has allowed the chance to download a drive on your personal computer where you can open anywhere and not just at work. Google Drive would be an amazing tool to use in our company but at certain divisions of the company. For example, having GDrive for spreadsheets or reports on non personal information or non sensitive data instead of using SharePoint would be ideal. Employees would have the chance to access from home and finish any minor details that they forgot at the workplace. This Google allows the ability to share too many areas of the internet and to the users around the world.

Now that I work with Unique Assets and client accounts, it would be extremely risky to have Google Drive and its cloud technology to hold billion of dollars of information. The access from home will also create a bigger risk if not every CPU is protected the right way. Certain information should just stay at the company to avoid any fraud or loss to BOA. I would recommend that Bank of America should allow the possibility to install GDrive to certain parts of the company to allow easy access to documents and participation for those who might have a presentation or a project to accomplish.C-level employees should ask themselves should have in mind If Google doesn't define a straight forward protection for the company's interests then what should be kept away from Google is the sensitive and personal information the company has. To relate, an article on IBM, which states the ban of Apple’s Siri because a possibility exists of Siri to record any information discussed “inside” the company. This just shows you the importance with what the company works with in order to secure it’s inside information along with the “client’s protection” obviously.

Blogging about Blogs

Lets start and say that a blog, to my belief, is created to achieve a greater advantage in order to help and teach others. The reason why I strongly say this is because people type for example, the way to build the perfect home in decorating, or the importance of technology, are all possible blog titles that could be found on the internet for others to read and learn from it. Other reasons that blogs are important are because of the ability to stay connected with current events or social events that are important and are going around the world. Times like these, many people enjoy the ability to stay connected abroad with friends and family and therefore create blogs to express and share the same interests. Blogs are also used to create a stance of a certain subject, whether it be political, informative, or just for fun.

The interesting thing about a blog and being able to be use it at the workplace is to have employees be able to express their feelings and opinions about a certain subject. Though many can agree that it can become  a divided battle. The reason why I express myself this way is because, at Bank of America, we had a blog that we called  "  The Water Cooler ". It did what a blog would do. Employees had access to it during work time and only at the work place. At first it was very informative. Postings about when the next financial quarter results where going to come out , interviewing tips and hints, and dress to impress blogs were being posted. Anyone can appreciate these type of helpful information from the mangers and executives. Since many every employee had access to it, it eventually became an excuse to not complete or cause a delay from your daily tasks. Also, inappropriate postings were being read throughout the company. This cause an immediate shutdown of this company blog. The positive impact on having a company blog is for the blog  to help the company as a whole become connected in way that everyone is learning and staying on the same page with what the company asks from the employee. It also should be a tool that the company should use in order to satisfy the hard working employee by viewing any requests that an employee would request via a blog. A blog eventually is to allow progress for the company as a whole.

On the other hand, having an external company blog on where the customers and the external client can access to share some ideas on how the company should work with them would be an ideal idea. It has been proven that 80% of the United States population has a product through a Bank of America , according to its last investor relation reports. This can lead to a serious marketing opportunity for BOA to have the public give direct real time opinion on how to advance BOA to be the at a competitive advantage to its competitors such as Chase and Wells Fargo. Clients will be able to also give out valuable negative information about the company which can lead to opportunity to improve as a company along with the service they provide.
Hopefully, BOA can establish the ability to help out the community by establishing the connection that it is missing with its customers. It honestly needs it.