Universal Association provides consulting services to help small and mid-sized businesses select optimal communication and collaboration platforms. They conduct in-depth analyses of client needs and the available platforms to make recommendations. Their services include an initial consultation, platform installation, and training. A cost-benefit analysis found their services have a projected 51% return on investment over three years. Client feedback was positive and they were receptive to Universal Association's flexible services and daily training rates.
Addressing the Complex Challenges of Today's Acquisition ProfessionalGovLoop
GovLoop and Integrity Management Consulting are pleased to present a new guide entitled, "Addressing the Complex Challenges of Today's Acquisition Professional." From generating requirements, to planning, obtaining and sustaining capabilities, the acquisition process, if implemented effectively, can contribute significantly to accomplishing an agency’s mission more efficiently. As the largest purchaser of goods and services in the nation, the Federal government's acquisition process is complex and under more pressure than ever with tightened budgets and a shifting workforce.
http://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/addressing-the-challenges-of-federal-acquisition-professionals
The Total Economic Impact Of An Innovation Program Driven by SpigitAJ Kennedy
Spigit provides enterprise innovation software and support services that help its customers stand up and manage enterprise innovation programs. Spigit commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic ImpactTM (TEI) study and examine the potential return on investment (ROI) enterprises may realize by deploying its platform and leveraging its implementation, training, and strategy services as part of a broader innovation program. The purpose of this study is to provide readers with a framework to evaluate the potential financial impact of an innovation program with Spigit as its foundation.
The Social Dynamics model: how to integrate social media in your companySteven Van Belleghem
This is a research paper in which we describe how companies should integrate social media into their entire company. this paper is based on more than 25 in-depth interviews with senior executives working on the integration of social media.
Your Challenge
As the market evolves, capabilities that were once cutting edge become default and new functionality becomes differentiating.
Vendors use a lot of marketing jargon, buzzwords, and statistics to sell their solutions, making objective evaluation rather difficult.
The endpoint protection (EPP) market is overcrowded and fragmented, resulting in information overload and consequently, a difficult vendor assessment.
Disparate product solutions are being bundled into one-off solutions or suites, often resulting in less efficient solutions than the more niche players.
Imminent obsolescence is an issue. Previous EPP solutions have not adapted with the rapidly evolving threat landscape and are no longer relevant, resulting in breaches or vulnerabilities.
Critical Insight
Don’t let vendors and market reports define your endpoint protection needs. Identify the use cases and corresponding feature sets that best align with your risk profile before evaluating the vendor marketspace.
Your security controls are diminishing in value (if they haven’t already). Develop a strategy that accounts for the rapid evolution and imminent obsolescence of your endpoint controls. Plan for future needs when making purchasing decisions today.
Endpoint protection is a matter of defense in depth and risk modelling, there is no silver bullet protection and mitigation solution. As end-client-technology providers release regular product/software updates, security tools will become outdated. Multiyear endpoint protection commitments will leave you playing a constant game of catch up.
Impact and Result
The solution is a holistic internal security assessment that not only identifies, but satisfies, your desired endpoint protection feature set with the corresponding endpoint protection suite and a comprehensive implementation strategy.
Use this blueprint to walk through the steps of selecting and implementing an endpoint protection solution that best aligns with your organizational needs.
Addressing the Complex Challenges of Today's Acquisition ProfessionalGovLoop
GovLoop and Integrity Management Consulting are pleased to present a new guide entitled, "Addressing the Complex Challenges of Today's Acquisition Professional." From generating requirements, to planning, obtaining and sustaining capabilities, the acquisition process, if implemented effectively, can contribute significantly to accomplishing an agency’s mission more efficiently. As the largest purchaser of goods and services in the nation, the Federal government's acquisition process is complex and under more pressure than ever with tightened budgets and a shifting workforce.
http://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/addressing-the-challenges-of-federal-acquisition-professionals
The Total Economic Impact Of An Innovation Program Driven by SpigitAJ Kennedy
Spigit provides enterprise innovation software and support services that help its customers stand up and manage enterprise innovation programs. Spigit commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic ImpactTM (TEI) study and examine the potential return on investment (ROI) enterprises may realize by deploying its platform and leveraging its implementation, training, and strategy services as part of a broader innovation program. The purpose of this study is to provide readers with a framework to evaluate the potential financial impact of an innovation program with Spigit as its foundation.
The Social Dynamics model: how to integrate social media in your companySteven Van Belleghem
This is a research paper in which we describe how companies should integrate social media into their entire company. this paper is based on more than 25 in-depth interviews with senior executives working on the integration of social media.
Your Challenge
As the market evolves, capabilities that were once cutting edge become default and new functionality becomes differentiating.
Vendors use a lot of marketing jargon, buzzwords, and statistics to sell their solutions, making objective evaluation rather difficult.
The endpoint protection (EPP) market is overcrowded and fragmented, resulting in information overload and consequently, a difficult vendor assessment.
Disparate product solutions are being bundled into one-off solutions or suites, often resulting in less efficient solutions than the more niche players.
Imminent obsolescence is an issue. Previous EPP solutions have not adapted with the rapidly evolving threat landscape and are no longer relevant, resulting in breaches or vulnerabilities.
Critical Insight
Don’t let vendors and market reports define your endpoint protection needs. Identify the use cases and corresponding feature sets that best align with your risk profile before evaluating the vendor marketspace.
Your security controls are diminishing in value (if they haven’t already). Develop a strategy that accounts for the rapid evolution and imminent obsolescence of your endpoint controls. Plan for future needs when making purchasing decisions today.
Endpoint protection is a matter of defense in depth and risk modelling, there is no silver bullet protection and mitigation solution. As end-client-technology providers release regular product/software updates, security tools will become outdated. Multiyear endpoint protection commitments will leave you playing a constant game of catch up.
Impact and Result
The solution is a holistic internal security assessment that not only identifies, but satisfies, your desired endpoint protection feature set with the corresponding endpoint protection suite and a comprehensive implementation strategy.
Use this blueprint to walk through the steps of selecting and implementing an endpoint protection solution that best aligns with your organizational needs.
The global research programmes that deliver the best value are not the most standardised - and they are not usually the most elaborate. Learn how brands have created strong, flexible protocols by focusing on shorter, smarter surveys, local engagement and active leadership at the centre.
Innovative Procurement Strategies for Thriving in a Networked EconomySAP Ariba
Building an agile procurement organization requires a focus on value, performance and capabilities.
Presented by Amy Fong – Senior Director, Procurement Executive Advisory - The Hackett Group
White Paper - leveraging Customer Inputs to Accelerate Business ObjectivesValueNotes
Successful companies place the customer at the heart of their business, and base their activities and decisions on the customer’s needs and preferences.
State of application performance management in the Indian BFSI sector ValueNotes
Almost every participant in the BFSI sector identifies application
uptime as a critical metric of application performance and recognises
the need for those applications to function optimally i.e. increase
productivity while reducing costs. But this study showed that
organisations did not have defined standards of measurement and
did not consider industry benchmarks as relevant indicators.
Every company, of every size, in every corner of the globe collaborates on one level or another. At one end of the spectrum lies tactical communication and coordination between people, teams, partners and customers. However, the other end of the spectrum is reserved for those who have established the tools, process and culture, and optimized their environment for Collaboration - those who are Collaborating with a "big C". White paper by Bill Haskins, Senior Analyst at Wainhouse Research.
The current model of GS100 is based on market performance and
leadership, breadth of services, spread of global delivery capabilities, and
customer leadership. Next year, we would extend the model to measure
how service providers move towards leveraging platforms and solutions to
deliver the next wave of business value.
Congratulations to all the GS100 companies!
Strategic imperative digital transformation in capital projectsEndeavor Management
Radical changes to megaproject delivery will bring first adopters a distinct competitive edge, while writing the epitaph of those who stay stuck in legacy ineffective practices. Whether you are an operating asset owner or an EPC, you are confronted with reinventing the core of your capital projects delivery through digital solutions. Such strategic transformation requires holistic change that focuses not only on installation of a new software application, but also on people and work processes to achieve a sustained, culturally intrinsic result from new technology .
BCG has extensive experience supporting PMIs, particularly growth oriented complex technology integrations. Learn more about BCG's approach, tools, and perspective on what makes software integrations different.
Using Machine Learning embedded in Organizational Responsibility Model, added to the ten characteristics of the CIO Master and the twelve competencies of the workforce can help lead the Digital Transformation of the traditional public organizations to the Exponential.
The global research programmes that deliver the best value are not the most standardised - and they are not usually the most elaborate. Learn how brands have created strong, flexible protocols by focusing on shorter, smarter surveys, local engagement and active leadership at the centre.
Innovative Procurement Strategies for Thriving in a Networked EconomySAP Ariba
Building an agile procurement organization requires a focus on value, performance and capabilities.
Presented by Amy Fong – Senior Director, Procurement Executive Advisory - The Hackett Group
White Paper - leveraging Customer Inputs to Accelerate Business ObjectivesValueNotes
Successful companies place the customer at the heart of their business, and base their activities and decisions on the customer’s needs and preferences.
State of application performance management in the Indian BFSI sector ValueNotes
Almost every participant in the BFSI sector identifies application
uptime as a critical metric of application performance and recognises
the need for those applications to function optimally i.e. increase
productivity while reducing costs. But this study showed that
organisations did not have defined standards of measurement and
did not consider industry benchmarks as relevant indicators.
Every company, of every size, in every corner of the globe collaborates on one level or another. At one end of the spectrum lies tactical communication and coordination between people, teams, partners and customers. However, the other end of the spectrum is reserved for those who have established the tools, process and culture, and optimized their environment for Collaboration - those who are Collaborating with a "big C". White paper by Bill Haskins, Senior Analyst at Wainhouse Research.
The current model of GS100 is based on market performance and
leadership, breadth of services, spread of global delivery capabilities, and
customer leadership. Next year, we would extend the model to measure
how service providers move towards leveraging platforms and solutions to
deliver the next wave of business value.
Congratulations to all the GS100 companies!
Strategic imperative digital transformation in capital projectsEndeavor Management
Radical changes to megaproject delivery will bring first adopters a distinct competitive edge, while writing the epitaph of those who stay stuck in legacy ineffective practices. Whether you are an operating asset owner or an EPC, you are confronted with reinventing the core of your capital projects delivery through digital solutions. Such strategic transformation requires holistic change that focuses not only on installation of a new software application, but also on people and work processes to achieve a sustained, culturally intrinsic result from new technology .
BCG has extensive experience supporting PMIs, particularly growth oriented complex technology integrations. Learn more about BCG's approach, tools, and perspective on what makes software integrations different.
Using Machine Learning embedded in Organizational Responsibility Model, added to the ten characteristics of the CIO Master and the twelve competencies of the workforce can help lead the Digital Transformation of the traditional public organizations to the Exponential.
A summary of technoloyg projects, showing process is key to technology commercialization. In this summary, we demonstrate our ability to commercialization technologies in biotech, medical, consumer, materials, science, and other fields.
HP Project and Portfolio Management Center is an integral part of managing the complete application lifecycle.
Gain visibility and insight into all your application investments.
ROI CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
A comprehensive way to gain the skills, resources,
and knowledge to measure the value of projects
and programs of all types – down to the financial
return on investment (ROI).
Driving Repeatable Business Innovation: The Vision to Action LifecycleMindjet
The current generation of Social Business tools has missed
a huge opportunity to impact business innovation and
results. By focusing on functionality that emphasizes
communications, they’ve omitted the required structure
and process needed to meaningfully affect the business.
In this presentation, we take you through the Vision to Action Lifecycle, and explain why a holistic approach to innovation can create repeatable, tangible results for your business.
Workinlot Intrapreneur in Residence as a ServiceAtilla Erel
Workinlot manages the innovation workload of corporations. Manages the interaction between corporate innovation assets. While doing these, ensure there is no extra workload for the business units. For more information about the service please contact hello@workinlot.com
Pearson HND BTEC Level 5 HNDManaging a Successful Business Pr.docxAASTHA76
Pearson HND BTEC Level 5 HND
Managing a Successful Business Project (MSBP)
LO 1
[email protected]
Managing a Successful Business Project
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module you will be able to:
Establish project aims, objectives and timeframes based on the chosen theme.
Conduct small-scale research, information gathering and data collection to generate knowledge to support your project.
Present your project and communicate appropriate recommendations based on meaningful conclusions drawn from the evidence findings and/or analysis.
Reflect on the value you have gained from conducting a project and its usefulness to support sustainable organisational performance.
LO1 : Establish project aims, objectives and timeframes based on the chosen theme.
P1 - Devise project aims and objectives for a chosen scenario.
P2 - Produce a project management plan that covers aspects of cost, scope, time, quality, communication, risk and resources.
P3 - Produce a work breakdown structure and a Gantt Chart to provide timeframes and stages for completion.
What is project management and what does it involve?
What is project management and what does it involve?
Most firms day to day operations serve customers through a network of inter connecting business processes, as business volumes change, the loading on these processes can increase or decrease (Nokes et. al. 2003) and there is often a need for some adaption in each process.
There may be a cumulative effect of many adaptions just to change of one of the processes, and as markets are subject to rapid change firms cannot afford to wait for gradual adaptions to take effect, therefore projects are required to provide a structure for making changes at a faster rate.
Nokes et al suggests that “ as markets increase and product cycles shorten the importance of projects will increase”. Projects are required to replace old and inefficient ways of doing things to methods better suited to modern market conditions.
Projects and the management of projects may be needed to tackle new problems.
Benefit of using case studies
In the aftermath of a series of acquisitions and mergers, a large financial services firm found itself attempting to operate with nearly seven hundred job titles for many similar positions due to the continued use of multiple legacy HR systems. The organization wanted to develop and implement a common set of job families and titles that could be used across the entire organization. Realizing the complexity of the task as well as a lack of internal expertise, they decided to seek external resources to carry out the work (Kaplan & Norton, 1996).
In order to begin developing a general overview of the project’s scope and cost, it is often helpful to collect information about how others have approached the same issue. This can be done through informal benchmarking efforts, consulting with colleagues.
Chick-fil-A Training Program DevelopmentRunning head .docxchristinemaritza
Chick-fil-A Training Program Development
Running head: CHIK-FIL-A TRAINING PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
1
CHIK-FIL-A TRAINING PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
2
Chick-fil-A Training Program Development
Introduction
Chick-fil-A is an organization that continues to grow and expand nationwide and as a result, the organization must develop a training program that can be utilized at every location. As a consultant, one of the first steps to complete when starting a new project is to assemble a SWOT Analysis as well as to prepare a Balanced Scorecard and Casual Chain Score card.
SWOT analysis
To ensure a successful consulting project the consultants must conduct an in depth analysis of the company and where the training program will lead it. The analysis of strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats will provide guidance to develop the program and other tools to evaluate its performance. The consulting project strengths will attract new customers and maintain already existing fans. The consulting project will add to their current position in the industry by focusing on personalized customer service. The second strength is employee involvement. Involvement of all levels will provide higher approval and success percentages. The program will also provide employees a completion timeline, and require them to evaluate the training they received. Evaluation will provide feedback on the training programs pertinence to restaurant operations.
One of Chik-fil-A’s weaknesses is the public relations nightmare which occurred when the CEO, Dan Cathy, admitted to opposing same-sex marriage. As a result the company faced public scorn and a lost profits. Employees and customers alike also took this as acceptance of bigoted behavior towards LGBT employees or customers. The new training program will need to address the side effects of their CEOs comments. The consultant’s must ensure the program addresses a culture of inclusion and acceptance to counteract the CEO’s comments. Failure to do so could exacerbate the public’s view of the company’s attitude towards the communities they serve. The program’s second weakness will be the time required for each employee to complete the training program, learning the new procedures and standards of performance, and then any time spent afterwards providing an evaluation.
The company has various opportunities such as the increase of menu items, expansion and customer service improvement. The consulting project will develop a training program focused on adding to the customer experience. The biggest opportunity offered by the training program is the opportunity to develop a way to evaluate employee’s performance. Finding a way to evaluate performance is essential to evaluating overall productivity (Markham, 2005, p.33).
It will also allow the company to improve on operational processes affecting customer service. Re-enforcing the customer service experience by new training procedures will increase the market share and brand relevanc ...
Project Scope and Work Breakdown Schedule Scoring GuideCRI.docxwoodruffeloisa
Project Scope and Work Breakdown Schedule Scoring Guide
CRITERIA NON-PERFORMANCE BASIC PROFICIENT DISTINGUISHED
Develop a scope
section.
Does not identify a
scope section.
Identifies but does not
develop a scope
section.
Develops a scope
section.
Develops a
comprehensive scope
section appropriate for
the selected business,
including information that
contributes to project
success and supports the
business value.
Explain what is in
scope and what is
not in scope.
Does not identify
what is in scope and
what is not in scope.
Identifies but does not
explain what is in
scope and what is not
in scope.
Explains what is in
scope and what is
not in scope.
Analyzes what is in scope
and what is not in scope
in a detailed and
comprehensive manner,
using relevant
acceptance criteria.
Describe required
work for successful
project completion.
Does not identify
required work for
successful project
completion.
Identifies but does not
describe required
work for successful
project completion.
Describes required
work for successful
project completion.
Analyzes required work
items in detailed and
comprehensive manner
that supports a
successful project
completion.
Develop a work
breakdown
structure.
Does not identify a
work breakdown
structure.
Identifies but does not
develop a work
breakdown structure.
Develops a work
breakdown structure.
Analyzes in a detailed
and comprehensive
manner the application of
techniques for developing
a work breakdown
structure.
Communicate in a
manner that is
professional and
consistent with
expectations for
members of the
project management
profession.
Does not
communicate in a
manner that is
professional and
consistent with
expectations for
members of the
project management
profession.
Communicates in a
manner that is not
consistently
professional or not
consistent with
expectations for
members of the
project management
profession.
Communicates in a
manner that is
professional and
consistent with
expectations for
members of the
project management
profession.
Communicates in a
manner that is
professional and
consistent with
expectations for
members of the project
management profession.
Writing is clear, well
organized, and free of
grammatical and other
mechanical errors.
Project Management Plan
[Title]
[Subtitle]
[Learner name:]
[Course number:]
[Date:]
Table of Contents
3Executive Summary (Assessment 4)
4Project Charter (Assessment 1)
7Project Scope (Assessment 2)
7Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) (Assessment 2)
7Project Management Cost (Budget) (Assessment 3)
8Project Management Schedule (Assessment 3)
8Risk Management Plan (Assessment 4)
9Project Quality Plan (Assessment 4)
9Project Close and Lessons Learned (Assessment 4)
10Appendices
11References
Executive Summary (Assessment 4)Project Charter (Assessment 1)Project Title:
Project Start Date:
Projected Finish Date:
Budget Information
Project Mana ...
Running head PROJECT PROPOSAL 1 PROJECT PROPOSAL 2.docxtodd581
Running head: PROJECT PROPOSAL 1
PROJECT PROPOSAL 2
Project Proposal for new product “ShareMarket."
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Project Proposal
ABC company is a software development company located in San Fransisco, California. It specializes in the design of business-oriented software like Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, customer relationship management systems, marketing, and sales management systems, among other software used to perform different activities within the business environment.
Purpose and Objectives
ABC has come up with a new software called ShareMarket that leverages on the power of social media to market products. The digital marketing landscape is increasingly becoming sophisticated, with businesses relying on major data companies like Google and Facebook for marketing insights. These data companies take away the autonomy of information of companies. The ShareMarket is a specially designed software that will be used to analyze company data on social media sites and creating reports that can be used to drive digital marketing strategies. This software will be available both on-premise and also on cloud-based services.
Assumptions and Benefits
In developing this software, ABC assumes that no other company has attempted such a project. This is important, especially when considering intellectual property rights. ABC also makes the assumption that the product will be easily feasible with cloud computing technology, among other new technology such as Big Data, as these are the current market trends in software development. Assumptions are also rooted in the cost estimates for the project. ABC uses an average cost estimation method that estimates costs based on current market costs of developing software. It is assumed that these costs will remain fairly constant throughout the project and will not be subject to economic changes.
By undertaking this project, ABC stands to fill a market gap for smaller businesses that cannot access the proprietary functions of Google's and Facebook's marketing tools. ABC stands to increase its profit margin by having one more product on its portfolio. Another advantage is that ABC gets to acquire control of ShareMarket as a product. As such, they may dictate the price of the product from the start, and even when new companies decide to make the software.
Constraints
Despite the immense financial benefits of ShareMarket, ABC will have to deal with competition from already existing digital marketers. Information leakages may hamper the product's success as it would take autonomy away from ABC. Another constraint exists in the costs of implementation, which may be high, given that some outsourcing may be required.
Preliminary list of activities
1. Project scope definition
2. Requirement definition
3. Cost Estimation
4. Scheduling
5. Risk analysis
6. Selecting the Delivery platform
7. Selecting Development tools
8. System modeli.
2. 2
Table of Contents:
1. Executive Summary
2. Introduction
3. Project Team
4. Project Requirements
5. Project Plan
5.1 Project Management Approach
5.2 Project Agenda
6. Cost -Benefit Analysis
6.1 Financial Analysis
6.2 Costs
6.3 Benefits
6.4 Return on Investments and Payback
7. Process Methodology
8. Results
8.1 Qualitative Results
8.2 Quantitative Results
8.3 Client Feedback
9. Summary / Conclusion
10. Appendices
1. Executive Summary
Universal Association offers strategic considerations for small to midsize businesses. The
company strives to carry out an examination of the needs specific to small to midsized
businesses in the realm of communication and collaboration tools. With this knowledge,
Universal Association provides in-depth analyses to client businesses or organizations. The
company methodology offers a completely objective approach in presenting the most optimal
recommendation of platforms and software to the clients. By utilizing the services of Universal
Association, clients will avoid the possibility of establishing their business’s standards of
3. 3
communications on a suboptimal platform. In essence, client businesses will experience an
increase in efficiency and, in turn, an increase in competitive advantage with the assistance of the
company. By targeting the importance of competent communications and collaborations in
businesses, Universal Association positions itself for rapid growth and gains a strong opportunity
to achieve high returns on investment.
Many vital aspects in successful business operations revolve around interpersonal
communication and team collaboration in all of their varieties and forms. The adoption of
software and technology to perform the majority of business communication and collaboration
has reached what the International Journal of Business Communication describes as critical
mass; a state where the use of technology has become the standard and accepted method in
mainstream society. Companies weak in this regard potentially suffer from a number of
disadvantages including, but not limited to; lower workplace efficiency, decreased employee
morale, lack of innovation etc. A survey conducted regarding IT project failures showed that
28% of more than 1,000 respondents said poor communication was the number one cause of
project failure. In a separate survey of more than 1,400 corporate executives and employees over
86% of respondents reported that the lack of collaboration or ineffective communication is
accountable for workplace failures.
Universal Association services streamline the entire process of determining the type of platform
most suited for a client business. The company allows client businesses to mitigate any potential
losses that may occur through the lack of a suboptimal communications and collaborations
platform. Universal Association will give companies that use their services wider business
appeals, increased productivity, more motivated teams, strengthened partnerships and build
customer relationships.
Universal Association has ambitious and attainable keys to success. The first is the development
of a rising awareness of the importance of an optimal communications and collaborations
platform in businesses around New Jersey. As our initial clients experience the increase in
efficiency and optimization, competitors will need to also improve their communications and
collaborations platforms to keep up. With this, the company will cement itself in the market.
2. Introduction
The most vital aspect of business in today’s world is communication in all of its varieties. The
adoption of software and technology to perform the majority of business communication and
collaboration has reached a state where the use of technology has become the standard and
accepted method in mainstream society. The phenomenon called ‘the digital divide’ goes beyond
socioeconomic groups, and affects large businesses and small businesses in similar ways.
(Marco, 2015) Due to the growth of this particular software market, which will grow to 6.2
4. 4
Billion by 2019, (IDC, 2015) the decision making process can potentially include evaluating
thousands of products. Smaller businesses often lack the resources –both time and monetarily—
to effectively determine which technology and implementations will best utilize their resources
and their employee skills and gain the highest return.
Universal Association strives to carry out an examination of the needs specific to small to
midsized businesses in the realm of communication and collaboration tools. With this
knowledge, Universal Association will provide in-depth analyses to client businesses or
organizations that will aid in their day-to-day operations and improve efficiency.
3. Project Team
The team consists of undergraduate Information Technology and Informatics students at Rutgers,
The State University of New Jersey. The team members are:
Cheryl Litwinczuk
Project Manager
Cheryl was responsible for delegating work to the individual(s) that she deemed most fit to
complete the job. With other group members’ input she created agendas that encompassed the
status of the project and questions each member had for the professor. Cheryl was also
responsible for notifying group members on upcoming due dates and making sure the team
stayed on top of completing their assigned responsibilities
Brian He
Marketing/Business Analyst
Brian was involved in researching the markets for small to midsized businesses in New Jersey
and retrieving information in regards to the efficiency of their communications and
collaborations platforms. He was also responsible for finding statistics and research supporting
the importance of an optimal platform for communications and collaborations in businesses.
5. 5
Shaharyar Shamshair
Research Analyst
Shaharyar performed extensive research on small businesses and their communication and
collaboration platforms. He was also involved in researching the plethora of different platforms
available in the market.
Randy Ranglall
Financial Analyst
Randy was in charge of the project budget, researching the market share, competition analysis,
and predicting business forecasts. He designed the team’s cost benefit analysis, as well as
performed extensive financial research.
4. Project Requirements
Summary
- Universal Association will provide training workshops and support material to non-tech
businesses, including nonprofit organizations regarding the use of collaboration
platforms. The project will produce a valuable analysis of small business communication
and training needs, and offer solutions to overcome the perceptions of any form of
technology as intimidating, confusing, and difficult. Our team will research the traditional
methods and costs of one on one communication, group communication, and progress
reporting, then compare and contrast each company’s needs to better suit which
communication platform is efficient for them.
Scope
- The scope of the project is to submit a slide deck containing the information retrieved by
the team. This consulting project was tasked by Professor Hughes to retrieve and analyze
the following requirements:
● Research and determine the benefits to optimizing communications and
collaborations in small to mid-sized restaurants
● Compare and contrast the different features and functionalities of the numerous
platforms available for use
● Provide insight on the advantages and disadvantages of each platform
● Differentiate between the different platforms and types of businesses
● Give recommendations to client businesses based on the type of platform most fit
and efficient for them
● Distinguish, research, and provide implementation plan for clients
6. 6
5. Project Plan
5.1 Project Management Approach
The team’s project has undergone several major changes throughout the course of the semester.
The scope and project requirements of the team has changed drastically, and these changes can
be actively observed by viewing and comparing the original and newly updated proposals in each
respective stage.
Our team participated in weekly video conferences on Skype every Saturday afternoon at 2:00
P.M. Each meeting would have an agenda assigned to it, which was handed out to the client and
team members in advance. These agendas would ensure efficiency and time management, and
after the meeting, minutes were also recorded.The Gantt Chart listed this the team’s tasks as well
as subtasks with due dates, team designations, as well as actual hours worked. This agenda was
distributed to each team member, as well as update frequently to more accurately reflect our
team’s actual progress.
5.2 Project Agenda View
● Final Draft Agenda
12. 12
A financial analysis was conducted based on a three year time scale, beginning at the initial year
of operation (Year 0). Based on the cost benefit models, the risk adjusted return on investment is
calculated to be 51% with a payback period of 19 months. Revenues quickly turn positive after
the initial launching phase with the total net present value amounting to nearly $200,000 when
risk adjusted. Non risk adjusted, the return on investment rises to 208% with a payback period of
just 10 months and the net present value soars to just over $700,000.
6.2 Costs
● Labor
A major source of costs were employees. This is encapsulated under a “labor costs”
category, of which includes their training and salary impact. Training costs have been assessed to
be minimal due to expected prior expertise. In addition to the four founding members of
Universal Association, four more people will be hired to aid in expansion. All of the eight
employees will be paid $25 an hour with the reasoning being that salaries will be kept at
reasonable lows as the company expects to be austere in its infancy.
● Training
Training costs associated with clients were the second most costly item in the cost benefit
analysis, but it is where revenue will eventually originate from. The number of clients expected
annually is about 300. Training expenses cover producing and distributing physical materials
such as brochures and reports along with consultant travel expenses. A total of $30,000 is set
13. 13
aside to cover these costs with the acknowledgement that this may be more than is necessary, in
which case there will be cost savings to be had.
● Licensing
In order to be up-to-date on state of the art software and all of its features, money was set
aside to cover licensing and premium upgrades for internal testing and training purposes. This
cost was determined to be about $3500 annually and is expected to fluctuate as external software
pricing models change over time (i.e. subscription models, one time purchase models,
incremental models) or software is obsoleted or discontinued.
6.3 Benefits
● Projected Revenue from Current Projects
The main source of revenue for Universal Association will be from the consulting
service. Clients will be charged $900 a day, which is attractive to clients for two reasons. First, it
is an appreciable improvement over the typical cost of training just one employee which is
$1200. Second, taking into account employee turnover businesses actually lose a lot of money
when hiring new people who have to be trained all over again. Charging by the day enables
flexibility and advantages that are not present had there been an hourly fee. Specifically: a daily
fee is easier to calculate for, a client no longer has the ability to shortchange the company by
requesting certain time periods or canceling early to save money, feedback shows that higher
fees are psychologically more enticing as the client is willing to pay more for better service, and
consultants have the option to stay all day with clients. With 300 clients a year and a $900
consulting fee, revenues from current ventures will be $270,000, with 2080 hours a year worked
by each employee at an hourly rate of $37.53. Taking into account costs, net profit will be
$154,479 each year.
● Projected Revenue from New Projects
With the advent of virtual reality and augmented reality enabling true telepresence, there
is significant opportunity for growth in the near future. It is difficult to accurately predict the size
of these markets, but they will be highly competitive and considerable in size. Due to
uncertainties, revenue from these new market segments has been conservatively estimated at
$1,000,000 a year. However, due to the introduction of hardware costs for high system
requirements and an evolution in the company, profits from this venture are estimated to be only
$250,000 a year.
14. 14
Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total
Current
Projects
$0 $125,000 $250,000 $250,000 $625,000
New Projects $0 $154,479 $154,479 $154,479 $463,437
Total $0 $279,479 $404,479 $404,479 $1,088,437
6.4 Return on Investments and Payback
Going by a risk-adjusted model, the return on investment in three years would be 51%.
The payback period will be 19 months with a total of a net present value of about $197,232.
15. 15
7. Process Methodology
The project was completed using an iterative methodology. With a total of four different stages,
the team completed the sections of the project over the course of fifteen weeks. At the end of
each stage, the team received feedback from Professor Hughes. Utilizing this feedback, the team
provided better reports based on the recommendations. By following the iterative methodology
approach, the team was able to make sure the deliverables were presented to the client in a
scheduled manner as well as having all of the deadlines met.
The team primarily used a combination of Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets for completing
deliverables. The versatility and ability for real-time collaboration allowed the team to complete
deliverables efficiently. Team communication was mainly done through Skype and GroupMe.
Skype was used for sessions that required more intense and quick communication. GroupMe
served as an excellent platform for quick and easy group messaging. Email was used to send
agendas and minutes of video meetings to Professor Hughes.
Every week the team met with the professor via Skype and reported the team’s progress on
required assignments. In addition, the team had their own weekly Skype meetings among the
members to discuss each member’s responsibilities for the upcoming due date.
16. 16
The team’s project manager set weekly tasks for completion and organized it using a Gantt
Chart. At the end of every week, the team discussed the progress and reviewed each other’s work
in order to produce higher quality work.
8. Results
The “Universal Associations: Business Communications and Collaborations Efficiency” project
was concluded on April 29, 2016. The submission includes a final report for the class, a slide
deck for the class and client, a project plan in Gantt Chart form, and presentations for the class
and client.
8.1 Qualitative Results
The project focuses on the communications and collaborations upgrades of small to mid-sized
businesses in New Jersey. Platform recommendations that will help the communication and
collaboration of a business will be presented by conducting in-depth analyses of the business and
the platforms available. Guidance with proper implementation and selection will also be
provided
8.2 Quantitative Results
The slide deck, the most important deliverable created by the team, consists of the following:
● One page slide on the executive summary of the company
● Four slides on the importance of communications and collaborations in businesses
○ 87% of customers believe that video collaboration in enterprise communications
is either important or extremely important
○ Vast majority of IT leaders predict that collaboration tools will become important
in their businesses within three years
● Six slides on the top performing platforms available and their features
○ Google Hangouts
○ Office Suite
○ GoToMeeting
○ Unified Meeting 5
17. 17
○ Fuze Meeting
○ Zoho Meeting
○ WebEx
○ Campfire
○ Yammer
● Two slides on the services offered
○ Initial client consultation and evaluation
■ Platform recommendations based on in-depth analyses
○ Installation and Training Session
■ Customized slide deck
■ Hands-on workshop
● Three slides on the cost-benefit analysis
● One slide on the benefits of choosing the company
○ Expert knowledge
○ Time Saving
○ Unbiased
○ Cost-effective
8.3 Client Feedback
Company 1 - Leasor Electric, INC
On April 18, 2016, the members presented Universal Association’s consulting slide deck to
Leasor Electric, INC through connections with Laura Willcut. The company had an outsourced
IT manager who would not be able to offer an all day training session. Overall, Leasor Electric
was very interested in Universal Association, making several points:
● Flexible training dates are a must
● Initial consultation then a second visit for installation/training because of the
customization
○ No need for help with migrating, but would need assistance setting up the
software for international and the various mobile devices
● Daily rate for training so they can schedule it in two to three shifts were well
accepted
● The cost was close to what they paid in the past but that business is located in
Kentucky, so the owner agreed that it is reasonable to adjust for location
Company 2 - Crest Furniture
18. 18
Crest Furniture already had an existing custom coded software for communications and
collaborations, but agreed that it is outdated. They accepted the concept of something that is
dynamically updated and where they can pick and choose their features. The owner expressed
interest in Universal Association with several valid recommendations:
● Best-of Breeds idea is a huge plus for them
● Data migration is a concern for them and it might have to happen during off-hours
after 5 PM
● The cost is less than what they have paid for comparable services in the past
● The potentially low-to-no fee for the software, compared to the $3000+ they paid
for what they have is a huge benefit
● Unfortunately, they did not like the idea of paying another $900 daily fee for
training for any potential new employees of theirs
○ To adjust to this, Universal Associates will cover the training in printed
material the company will give Crest Furniture
9. Summary / Conclusions
The importance of an optimal communications and collaborations platform in businesses cannot
be underestimated. Through research, team members have concluded that many small to mid-
sized businesses use a suboptimal or outdated platform. The key aspect of this consulting project
is to stress the benefits achievable through an optimal communications and collaborations
platform. Although the team had initially come to this conclusion, client feedback strongly
enforced the conclusion.
After receiving valuable feedback from clients, the team would make major adjustments to the
final slide deck, given ample time. These changes will not make it into the final slide deck,
19. 19
however, due to strict time constraints. Given more time for completion, these changes would
work quickly to extensively answer the big question, “Why should clients choose Universal
Association over any other company?” Team 7 has performed an excellent job researching the
statistics supporting the benefits of communications and collaborations in businesses. With more
time, the team could better appeal to clients with the intentions of furthering the company.
This project has served as an excellent opportunity for personal growth and learning. The
research skills each member has received from this project will be beneficial far into the future.
The experience with pitching the company idea to companies is an extremely valuable
experience that many others get too late in their careers. Without our client feedback, the team
would have failed to realize many major adjustments needed to be made for our service to be
successful. The team gained substantial insight on management as well as the IT consulting
industry
10. Appendices
References
Benedičič, J., Krek, J., Leben, V., Velez Vöros, G., Beravs, T., Potočnik, S., & Žavbi, R. (2015).
DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATIC MARKETPLACE USING VIRTUAL
COLLABORATION. Tehnicki Vjesnik / Technical Gazette, 22(2), 431-441. Retrieved March 28,
2016, via Academic Search Premier doi:10.17559/TV-20140904230909
This paper credits virtual collaboration and communication for the successful
development of a business enterprise. When people of different skillsets are able to
collaborate effectively virtually the end product is one of high quality that should be
praised.
Computer Weekly. (2014, May). The Changing Course of Collaboration Software [PDF].
Retrieved March 9, 2016.
This article discusses the ever changing collaboration landscape. It discusses how it has
diversified and now favors methods that augment our day to day activities. Workflow and
analytics are seeing increasing utilization and has been seen to improve overall
performance. The author states that it is becoming more and more necessary for
companies to incorporate a stronger communications and collaborations platform in their
businesses.
20. 20
Cyphert, D., Wurtz, M. S., Duclos, L. K. (2013) Curricular Implications of Virtual World
Technology: A Review of Business Applications [PDF]. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
Traditional principles of business organization need to be reexamined as more and more
businesses employ the use of virtual worlds. Even still, guidance should be grounded in
current traditions and ideals.
Gartner IT Glossary. (2016, January 1). What is SMB? - Gartner Defines Small and Midsize
Businesses. Retrieved March 1, 2016, from https://www.gartner.com/it-glossary/smbs-small-and-
midsize-businesses
Gartner’s information areas were ones that we went to often, as it’s a highly reputable
and trusted source. Their definitions of business terms are extremely accurate. Our
definition of small to mid-sized businesses was derived from this article. It also states
how SMBs struggle with IT challenges because of their size. IT sources in smaller
businesses are usually constrained
Gibbs, J. L., Eisenberg, J., Rozaidi, N. A., & Gryaznova, A. (2015). The “Megapozitiv” Role of
Enterprise Social Media in Enabling Cross-Boundary Communication in a Distributed Russian
Organization. American Behavioral Scientist, 59(1), 75-102. Retrieved March 26,2016, via
Academic Search Premier doi:10.1177/0002764214540511
This paper discusses the positive effects of collaboration, specifically how it enables
cross-boundary communication that bridges divides from country to country. The
importance of international communication is essential for businesses that stretch across
different countries.
Hamilton, M., Kass, A., Alter, A. (2016) How Collaboration Technologies are Improving
Process, Workforce, and Business Performance. Retrieved March 25, 2016 from
https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-outlook-how-collaboration-technologies-are-
improving-process-workforce-business.aspx
This article gave a very perspective outlook on how collaboration tools are making
businesses accelerate. Many executives sense they should be getting more value from
these tools. It highlights how collaboration tools are becoming more and more important
in businesses, especially if they need to keep a competitive advantage.
Keiser, B. E. (2014, Oct). Cool Tools for Collaboration and Information Sharing [PDF].
Retrieved March 8, 2016.
This article discusses the often untapped potential of collaboration tools. They can save
time and improve accuracy as more people work together and build on each other’s work.
The team found a number of platforms available from this source. This source names
platforms as well as their features and functions. The programs discussed in this article
were all up to date
Lorette, K. (2015). Importance of Good Communication in Business. Retrieved February 25,
2016 from
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-good-communication-business-1403.html
21. 21
This article lists different types, effects, and identifications of communications in
businesses. It gave the team a good overview about how companies can benefit from
having a good communication.
Mangalaraj, G., Nerur, S., Mahapatra, R., Price, K. H. (2014, March). Distributed Cognition in
Software Design: An Experimental Investigation of the Role of Design Patterns and
Collaboration [PDF]. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
This research article found that people work better when they are able to collaborate. It
also finds that the availability of patterns in design improve quality as people are more
likely to work together since they are working off the same model.
Marco, K. (2015, November 1). Democratization of Technology Brings Enterprise IT To SMBs:
Ruckus, Nutanix Seize Opportunity. Retrieved March 2, 2016, from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtmarko/2015/11/01/tech-democratization-smbs/#746b3c274da6
This article points out some of the difficulties faced by SMBs in comparison to large
businesses. It has information on companies who are focusing on bringing different IT
services to smaller businesses, and was helpful despite the differences in what areas they
were focusing on.
Parry, S., Rowley, J., Jones, R., Kupiec-Teahan, B. (2012, July). Customer-perceived value in
business-to-business relationships: A study of software customers [PDF]. Retrieved March 21,
2016.
There has been much research into business-to-business relationships, but not into how
customers perceive value in the software industry. It was found that customers value
price, functionality, bilingual capability, location and software capability. In terms of
customer service, customers value communication, understanding, trust, relationships,
service, professionalism, and expertise.
Satell, G. (2016, February 6). Why Communication is Today’s Most Important Skill. Retrieved on
March 12, 2016 from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2015/02/06/why-communication-is-todays-most-
important-skill/#2d06785c3638
This source articulates how communication is an essential skill needed in today’s society.
It states that effective leaders always require the ability to communicate well. In order to
innovate it is not enough to just come up with big ideas but you also need to work hard to
communicate them clearly.
Simonds, L. (2015, November 3). A Small Business IT Concierge at Your Service. Retrieved
February 9, 2016, from http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/News/ITManagement/a-small-
business-it-concierge-at-your-service.html
This article was found during a search for potential competitor products and services. It’s
indicative of the types of similar services available to potential clients, and contains
information on this company’s offerings. The article discusses how IT pros regularly
contend with increasing demands and evaporating budgets. It states that trying to advance
an IT strategy can help a company more forward.
22. 22
Wicks, D. (2014). What are the Causes of Poor Workplace Communication. Retrieved March 14,
2016 from
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/causes-poor-workplace-communication-20827.html
This source talked about how poor communication manifests in businesses. It listed
things from cultural diversity, unclear goals, and poor leadership.
Wille, D. (2013. April 12). The Effects of Poor Communication in the Workplace. Retrieved
March 12, 2016 from
http://duanewille.com/the-effects-of-poor-communication-in-the-workplace/
This source illustrated the effects of poor communication in the workplace. With poor
communication, not only do businesses lack clear goals, but there will be a larger amount
of employee errors. Essentially companies will suffer from lower productivity