1. Letter of Transmittal
Dan Conrad
Conrad & Associates Consulting
123 Main Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
Phone: 3901024920; Email dgconrad@iastate.edu
Richard Freed
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
9th
October 2015
Dear Mr. Freed:
Thank you for considering Conrad & Associates Consulting to help you with eliminating
inefficiencies within Microsoft. A recent climate study confirmed that inefficiencies have
impacted your company. I’m sending this proposal to show you how we can help you
gain insight about the inefficiencies. By choosing Conrad & Associates, you will know
the nature, scope, and severity of these inefficiencies.
This proposal will contain the following:
• Our understanding of your current situation
• Our objectives in helping you reach your goals
• Our proposed methodology for achieving our objectives
• Our qualifications for conducting those methods
• Benefits you will receive as a result of our methods
Our methodology is designed for quick results, personal involvement, and uninterrupted
business. The methodology tasks include validating the climate study, surveying
employees, analyzing productivity numbers, and presenting a final report. We will work
closely with you throughout the project. Our approach will not disrupt business and will
be completed as soon as possible.
By choosing Conrad & Associates Consulting, you will gain the insight about the
inefficiencies.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at 390-102-4920 or by email
at dgconrad@iastate.edu. I look forward to communicating with you.
Sincerely,
Dan Conrad
CEO, Conrad & Associates Consulting

2. 2
C o n r a d
&
A s s o c i a t e s
C o n s u l t i n g
Proposal to Microsoft for Gaining Insight
About Inefficiencies
Dan Conrad
October 9th, 2015
October
15

3. 3
Table of Contents
Our Understanding of Your Current Situation..............................................................4
Our Proposed Methodology..............................................................................................5
Task
1:
Validate
Climate
Study:
...................................................................................................
5
Task
2:
Survey
Employees
for
Workplace
Morale.
................................................................
6
Task
3:
Analyze
Productivity
Numbers
.....................................................................................
6
Task
4:
Present
Final
Report
........................................................................................................
6
Why Choose Conrad & Associates Consulting?.............................................................7
We
Have
a
Familiarity
with
Your
Company
and
Its
Business
Culture
............................
7
We
Are
Able
to
Conduct
a
Non-­‐disruptive
Study
....................................................................
7
We
Are
Able
to
Complete
the
Project
as
Soon
as
We
Can
....................................................
7
Benefits You Will Receive.................................................................................................8
Your
Benefits
During
the
Project
................................................................................................
8
You
Will
Know
Where
Your
Company
Stands
....................................................................................
8
Your
Company
Will
Operate
Without
Interruption
.........................................................................
8
Your
Benefits
at
the
End
of
This
Project
...................................................................................
8
You
Will
Gain
the
Insight
You
Need
........................................................................................................
8
You
Can
Start
to
Create
a
Plan
...................................................................................................................
8

4. 4
Our Understanding of Your Current Situation
Microsoft has become a leading producer of software, gaming systems, and mobile
devices for the past 30 years. Your main goal is to build the best products for a “mobile-
first, cloud-first world.” Through the years, your company’s revenue has increased
steadily. This past year Microsoft’s revenue was $93.58 billion.
Major competitors like Apple and Sony have increased sales in the past year making it
harder for Microsoft to adapt. Microsoft makes new features to their products to increase
usability and functionality.
However, Microsoft’s record of success in software development may be threatened. A
recent annual climate study has shown that Microsoft has a problem. Your main problem
is inefficiencies within the company primarily in software development. The problem
needs to be addressed immediately, because it affects the software development within
your company. As a result of these inefficiencies, employee morale could decrease.
Support staff wouldn’t be able to get their work done, because they have to train new
employees. Overall these inefficiencies would affect the company’s performance
significantly.
Figure 1: Graph of Microsoft’s Annual Revenue
To address its inefficiencies, Microsoft needs the answers to the following important
questions:
• How can Microsoft gain the insight they need to know their problem?
• Is the climate study accurate?
• What is the overall morale within Microsoft?
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Revenue
in
Billions
of
Dollars
Year
Annual Revenue of Microsoft Corporation

5. 5
• What amount of productivity exists within Microsoft?
• Can the project be completed in a reasonable time period?
• Will day-to-day activities be disrupted in the process?
To answer these questions, we have designed an approach or methodology to gain insight
about your company’s inefficiencies in software development. As a result of achieving
this objective, you will have the information you need and can start making a plan to
implement about eliminating inefficiencies. Your company will benefit overall from
gaining insight about its inefficiencies.
Our Proposed Methodology
Because Microsoft has inefficiencies that are harming the company, we will work with
you to gain insight about your problem. By having your inefficiencies identified by our
consulting firm, you will have a better understanding of your situation and can work to
develop a plan and implement it. We have designed our project for three important
reasons:
• Because the project affects you and your company, you will need to be involved in
the study. Therefore, we will send progress reports and include you in meetings. We
will send you progress reports as your requested deliverables.
• Because Microsoft employees need to focus on their work, you need to have a non-
disruptive study. Therefore, we will be very discrete in our study of the company
without disrupting business.
• Because your company’s demand will decline from inefficiencies you need the study
completed as soon as possible. The reputation of Microsoft is on the line. Therefore,
we will only do the necessary tasks and analyses for our project. We will complete
the project as soon as we can.
Specifically, our methods will include the following four tasks:
1. Validate Climate Study
2. Survey Employees for Workplace Morale
3. Analyze Productivity Numbers
4. Present Final Report
Task 1: Validate Climate Study:
The climate study showed you that your problem exists. It is important that the climate
study is accurate, because it would determine whether or not Microsoft has inefficiencies.
Therefore, we will need to analyze the climate study to make sure it is correct.
We will confirm that the climate study is accurate. Validation of the climate study will
involve interpreting the data and comparing it with other companies with similar
widespread inefficiencies. We will analyze the data and compose a progress report to
submit to you about our findings.

6. 6
By validating the climate study, you will know how serious the problem is. Since you
will receive a progress report, you will have the analysis immediately and know if the
inefficiencies do exist and see how the study compares to other companies in similar
situations.
Task 2: Survey Employees for Workplace Morale.
The inefficiencies affect employee morale in the workplace. You should know the overall
employee morale of your company, because it correlates to finding out more about your
problem. The survey will be sent in an email and employees can complete it at their own
convenience. It will not disrupt business as usual.
An employee survey will be sent to employees in an email. It will contain questions
related to how people feel in workplace situations. An example of this would be “How do
you feel about carrying out your duties at Microsoft?” Responses will be collected and
analyzed by my team. We will then submit the results to you personally so that you can
see for yourself.
By surveying employees, you can find where employee morale is lacking. This will lead
to a better understanding of your problem. Understanding employee morale within your
company will be a major component in gaining insight about your inefficiencies.
Task 3: Analyze Productivity Numbers
The inefficiencies affect productivity drastically. It is important that you know where
productivity is affected in your business. Analysis of productivity numbers is necessary
for learning of your company’s inefficiencies.
We will analyze productivity numbers by using a program. This program collects data
throughout the workday for the amount of productivity. We will compare employee
productivity numbers throughout the year. The Program won’t disrupt business and will
be completed as soon as possible. It will show where productivity drops within your
company. Analysis will be submitted to you in a progress report.
By analyzing productivity numbers, you will find out where lower productivity affects
your company in a timely manner. This will lead to a better understanding of your
situation. The productivity analysis will help you gain the insight you need about your
problem.
Task 4: Present Final Report
It is important that you have all the results collected through the project in a final report
presentation. You will receive the necessary information to better understand your
problem.

7. 7
The final report will be submitted to you in document form. We will also conduct a
presentation of the material with you and other executives within the company. The final
report and presentation will contain all of the results from the previous three tasks
including validation of the climate study, results of the employee survey, and analysis of
productivity numbers. This is the final task in my methodology that should ultimately
serve as the culmination of our involvement in this engagement.
As a result of performing these tasks, you will have the insight of the inefficiencies
within your company. You will have the information necessary about your problem,
which will only benefit your company in the future. You will receive the insight to start
making a plan to implement.
Why Choose Conrad & Associates Consulting?
Microsoft needs help with locating and understanding their inefficiencies. We have the
qualifications to help you complete the project successfully and efficiently. We have:
• A familiarity to the company and its business culture
• The ability to conduct a non-disruptive study
• The ability to complete the project as soon as we can
We Have a Familiarity with Your Company and Its Business Culture
We are the best firm for this project, because we are familiar with your company and its
business culture. I know Microsoft personally, because I have met with you and other
employees in meetings in the past. We know that software development is very important
to your company. We have met for meetings to discuss your current situation and goals
for our engagement. Along the way, we will submit progress reports and include you in
meetings related to any results we have found throughout the process.
We Are Able to Conduct a Non-disruptive Study
We know that your business needs to run how it should without distractions. We can
work on the project within your company discreetly. We have experience working with
other companies without affecting everyday work. The employee survey explained in the
methodology section will be sent in an email and won’t disrupt any daily business
activities. If you choose Conrad & Associates Consulting to help you with your
predicament, your business won’t have any interruptions.
We Are Able to Complete the Project as Soon as We Can
We are aware of your urgency in locating inefficiencies within your company. We work
efficiently and have a specific goal in mind. Therefore, we will only perform the
necessary tasks for gaining insight on your inefficiencies. Validating the climate study,

8. 8
surveying employees, and analyzing productivity numbers are all necessary tasks in our
project. As a result, your project will be completed in a timely manner so that you can
hopefully design a plan and implement it.
Benefits You Will Receive
I would like to summarize for you, Richard, the benefits that you will receive from our
involvement in your company. These benefits will include:
• Knowledge of company’s situation
• Uninterrupted business
• Insight of problem
• Information to start making a plan
Your Benefits During the Project
You Will Know Where Your Company Stands
Throughout the project you will be involved directly. As we conduct our study on your
company, you will receive the necessary information in progress reports and meetings.
You will have the information to know your company’s problem. By choosing Conrad &
Associates, you will know exactly where these inefficiencies take place within your
company. Your understanding of your current situation will lead to gaining insight about
the inefficiencies.
Your Company Will Operate Without Interruption
Our study will take place discreetly within your company. You won’t have to worry
about business interruptions. Your company’s efficiency will remain the same or improve
with our supervision. The employee turnover rate of Microsoft would remain the same or
decrease throughout this engagement.
Your Benefits at the End of This Project
You Will Gain the Insight You Need
We are aware that your company will suffer if we don’t take action. By choosing Conrad
& Associates, you will gain the insight about the nature, scope, and severity of your
company’s inefficiencies. You will know what department of your company is
responsible and how exactly the inefficiencies are affecting your company. This includes
the productivity levels and employee morale in relation to your current situation. We
know that the insight about your company’s problem will be essential for taking the next
steps toward eliminating the inefficiencies.
You Can Start to Create a Plan
From the insight gained from our engagement with your company, you will have the
necessary information to start crafting a plan. The insight will guide you in making a plan
that you can later implement. You can create the plan yourself or you can ask us to do it

9. 9
for you. If you need help in this regard, please don’t hesitate to contact us again! We
would be happy to assist you further.
We believe that our firm is the best option for assistance with your problem. We
understand your company, can conduct our study discreetly, and complete the project in a
timely manner. We will happily take part in any future engagements as needed by your
company. I hope you consider choosing Conrad & Associates Consulting!
Sincerely,
Dan Conrad, CEO