4. Background
Perkins Solutions’ historical source of revenue,
mechanical braillers, is under threat from newer
technologies. As brailler profits decline, Perkins
is seeking new business strategies to continue
their legacy of thought leadership and
innovation for the visually impaired.
5. Problem Statement
Perkins Solutions has set a goal of growing their
consulting services to $675k revenue in FY17 to
demonstrate its viability as a long-term strategy
for eliminating their dependence on the Perkins
School endowment.
6. Executive Summary
MIT EMBA Team’s key recommendations cover
three main categories:
1. Continued market assessment
2. Service design
3. Pricing strategy
7. Analysis
• Assess and evaluate data collected from 2015
– projects, pricing, customers, timelines, repeat purchases
• Consider buyer’s path before thinking about price itself
• Be clear on the problem you are solving
• Identify your customers
• Look for sources of sustainable advantage
• First look at whether consumers are buying then look at purchase
power
• Remember that more customers (sales) won’t get you out of financial trouble;
more customers can amplify the problem if you do not have the right expertise
• Devise a pricing strategy that describes who, what and for “what” Perkins will
charge
• ROI calculations need to be properly understood
11. Research Methods
Timeline
May 13, 2016: Introductory visit and meetings at Perkins
May 14, 2016: Review of materials and formulation of problem
statement.
May 15, 2016: Completion of “left-hand side of A3”: Background; Go
See & Assess; Identify Root Causes.
May 16, 2016: Interviews with staff/administrators : review of
Financials, Business, and R&D questions.
May 17, 2016: Data synthesis and presentation preparation
12. Research Methods
Material Review:
1. Perkins’ “Project outline” (Consulting Services)
2. Statement of Work: Perkins and Edmentum 11-2-15
3. Accessibility Auditing Services Proposal
4. Assistive Tech Time Line
5. Background Information Document
6. Draft: Perkins Solutions Workshop and Digital Accessibility
7. Final Tufts Proposal 4-8-16
8. Overview of Industry 2016
9. Perkins Products 3-year Manufacturing Strategy
10. Proposal to Conduct a Digital Accessibility Audit of Select Edmentum Digital
Products 6-8-15
11. PowerPoints: statistics, supply chain, TLC.
13. Research Methods
Material Review:
11. Excel Spreadsheets:
Analysis 2010-2016 Braillers and AT;
Copy of Analysis 2010-2016 Brillers;
e commerce sales by month;
e commerce sales by product 2014-2016;
Interview recommendations 5-10-16;
Perkins Access Competitor Information;
Perkins Solutions FY17 Projections
15. Strategy
• Porters Five Forces
• Framework for developing a competitive
strategy
– Total market, competitive landscape, positioning
• Implementation
– Pricing, Packaging Services, Communications,
Sales and Marketing
• Business Model shift from Product to Service
16. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis – Perkins Solutions
• Entry into industry is quite low. Compliance checklists and
automated technologies have made it easy for most
anyone to enter the field.
Threat of New
Entrants
•There are several threats of substitution which include
other consulting firms (of which there are many),
automated software, and nothing (which is the choice of
most firms).
Threat of Substitution
• There are already several competitors in the space
including Freedom Scientific who own a popular screen
reader system among the blind. Perkins will have to
differentiate to stay viable.
Intensity of Rivalry
• In this case the supplier power is nominal. Perkins
Solutions has many options from which they can source
materials and employees.
Bargaining Power of
Suppliers
• The bargaining power of buyers is high. Because of a lack
of accountability in accessibility compliant website, buyers
have little concern for cleaning up their sites.
• For those who do want their web site compliant, they have
many options from which to choose.
Bargaining Power of
Buyers
17. Perkins Solutions
•To be a leading accessibility
consulting firm.
• Conduct compliance audits for
government, academic, and corporate
websites.
• Conduct usability assessments with
actual disabled employees.
• Small direct sales force (2 reps in 2016).
• Work closely with resellers.
• Has always relied on partners – resellers,
manufacturing, NPOs to help sell their
products.
• One of the premier schools for the blind in
the country.
• Have a wealth of knowledge and experience
in people with disabilities which includes
those with multiple conditions.
• Potential for a strong network across their
five divisions.
• Employ people with disabilities.
Objective
Scope External Position/Consistency
Internal Organization/Fit
18. Perkins Solutions– Old Strategy: Manufacturing Based
Current Entrepreneurial Strategy
• Perkins Solutions core business focused on the
manufacturing and sales of Brailler machines.
1. The technology revolutionized literacy for the
visually impaired.
2. Has been a staple for Perkins since the 1950s.
3. New technologies and mainstreaming have
severely impacted the sales over the last two
decades.
Structural Requirements
• Manufacturing in current facility imposes overhead
that is difficult to manage.
• Materials, processes, and use of facilities do not
appear to be optimized.
Source: Choosing Entrepreneurial Strategy by
Joshua Gans and Scott Stern, MIT Sloan, Book TBP
19. Perkins Solutions– New Strategy: Consulting Based
Entrepreneurial Strategy – Moving to Value
Chain
• Competing in the consulting sector will
require Perkins Solutions to be re-branded
as a member of the value chain for the
target project.
• Multiple competitors and influencers will
need to understand the value added impact
that Perkins Solutions brings to solving the
problem.
Structural Requirements
• Expansion of presence in target markets to
build credibility, influence ,and partnerships
Source: Choosing Entrepreneurial Strategy by
Joshua Gans and Scott Stern, MIT Sloan, Book TBP
20. Problem
Recognition
Information
Search
Evaluation
Purchase
Movement
The Buying Path
• The ideal Buying Path begins
with some sort of Problem
Recognition and ends with a
purchase
• The target buyers in web site
accessibility and usability
typically do not know they have
a problem and find it difficult to
prioritize these projects over
other initiatives with which they
need to solve.
• Perkins Solutions will need to
focus on driving problem
recognition and information
search.
20
Source: 15.732 Marketing Management, Professor Catherine Tucker
The Economic Buyer and Influencers need to understand there’s a problem to be solved and
why your solution is best
21. Consulting Process
Opportunity
Qualification/Needs
Assessment
Request for
information
Budget Allocation
Request for
Proposal
Universe of Public Needs
• In order to be successful, Perkins Solutions will need to create enough demand for their
proposed solutions to move into the universe of web accessibility needs
• Web accessibility must be in the conversation during the needs assessment and
information request This will make winning the request for proposal (RFP) possible
25. Research Methods
Interviews/Discussion:
1. William Oates, General Manager
2. Joe Martini, Director of Assistive Technology
3. Dan Roy, Director of Operations
4. Igor Feinberg, Director of Sales
5. Marla Runyon, Accessibility Consulting Lead
6. Joann Becker, Senior Technology Specialist
7. Tim Cumings, Technology Specialist
8. Jeremias Feliz, Technology Specialist
9. Jerry Berrier, Manager, National Deaf Blind Equipment Distribution Program
10. Kelsey Bronski, Marketing and Communications
11. Ellen Hall, Business Development
12. Luiza Aguiar, Director of Products/Innovation
13. Wen Lo, Director of Accounting
26. Other suggestions
• Expand AT consulting to include Handicap
accessible workplaces
• Hackathon regarding consulting
needs/opportunities
• Prep their propose
• Brand recognition through leadership
development(Maybe recommendation)
• Go-Lab international consulting--opportunities
27. Other suggestions
• Manufacturing other observations
a) Move manufacturing out of Perkins to other cheaper location
b) Downsize India Operation
c) Full capacity in India for cost down
• Hackathon /opportunities
• Good presence-couldn’t find under AT search
• Products/consulting around social media (would
people who are blind pay for a product that enables
them to use social media, ie. Facebook)
• Optimizing website but Vocational Training
• Can’t you use extra space at Perkins Solutions if it
downsize the manufacturing.
