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.