Case Study- Director’s Request for PCs using MS Word Table, MS Acc.docx

Case Study- Director’s Request for PCs using MS Word Table,
MS Access, and MS PowerPoint
Case Study – Using MS Office 2010 / 2013 / 365
Please use the document “READ FIRST - Case Study
Instructions – Director’s Requirements” for each of the parts
described below.
Part 1: Specifications Table (MS Word)
Use the project description HERE to complete this activity. For
a review of the complete rubric used in grading this exercise,
click on the Assignments tab, then on the title Case Study Part 1
- PC Specs (Word)– click on Show Rubrics if the rubric is not
already displayed.
For the case study provided to you, create MS Word tables that
identify and contain the hardware and software requirements to
meet the director's requirements. The MS Word document in its
final form will include 6 MS Word tables. It will include a two-
paragraph narrative summary that classifies the user type and
identifies the PC category that will be recommended. The
specific instructions are found in the table at the end of this
file.
Students are expected to conduct external research to
adequately address all aspects of the assignment requirements.
It is suggested that students use a computer manufacturer's site
(i.e., Apple, Dell, Toshiba) to help in identifying all the
components needed to meet the director's requirements.
Remember, although there are 5 computers to be purchased, you
are required to configure only one, as the same one may be
purchased for all 5 employees. Any outside sources should be
correctly cited in APA style at the end of the table. Students

will need to include specific requirements from the case study
to show why each item is being recommended. Each element
listed below must be incorporated into the assignment.
Omissions will result in loss of points.
Make and model and description are required, when at all
possible.. For example, if the solution suggested is a 32” IBM
Monitor, say so. Do not just say monitor because that does not
provide sufficient information for a purchase. It is not
necessary, for example, to identify the make and model of a
USB port.
You must also consider components that may be a part of a
machine or device. For example, the System Unit table will
require elements such as USB ports. The monitor and mouse
are typically separate devices on a desktop, but on a laptop or
tablet they are often integrated. You should identify the various
forms of input and output for your computer(s) on the Hardware
table, whether they are separate devices or integrated elements.
There should be sufficient detail in this case study for
procurement/purchasing personnel to buy the systems. Details
are crucial.
Don’t focus on web references as to where the equipment can be
found, although you may include your source(s). Focus on a
solution to specific requirements.
Do not ‘number’ requirements in your table, even though they
are numbered in the “Case Study – Director’s Requirements’
document. In many cases there are several requirements
expressed in a single numbered listing. It’s important that you
are clear about which requirement is addressed by a specific
piece of hardware or software.
All identified hardware and software and relevant requirements

must be listed in the tables. Mentioning an item or a
requirement in the two paragraph narrative is perfectly ok, but it
must also be in the tables.
Additional information:
You are supposed to tie back your recommended specs to all of
the original requirements. Spell out the requirements that apply
to your selection of hardware, etc and do so in the tables. Your
customer would not appreciate having to go guess as to which
requirement is being met by your items.
Don't forget the components necessary for the computers to
communicate with each other and connect to the internet.
Suggested layout for the tables (other layouts are possible):
Three columns: Group (Input, Output, Etc), Device,
Requirement; then one row for each Device. Arrange your tables
so that you don't leave lots of blank rows. See the Sample
Tables for suggested layouts. These samples can be found in
the topic labeled "Optional Tutorials-Word project" in the
Readings for Week 4.
Include details where it makes sense. For example:
Scanner. This isn't enough information to tell what the device is
capable of. The customer wants to know how it's "tricked out".
What model is it? Is it an All-In-One or standalone (why?)?
How much RAM does it have? Does it have wireless capability?
Can it accept camera memory cards? What resolution can it
handle?
Adapter Cards. Your customer wants to create and edit high
quality photos and videos. This usually means you'll need a
beefed-up graphics adapter. Be prepared to answer these
questions: What model is it? How much RAM does it have? Is it
integrated or discrete? This means you need to understand a
little about graphics cards. Integrated means it is a chip (not an
actual card) that is part of the motherboard. Typically,
integrated video is ok but not as powerful as discrete video
cards. These are actual adapter cards that have lots more

circuitry and dedicated RAM than the smaller integrated chips.
So they are more powerful and better for the customer’s
requirements.
Monitor. While the software applications actually enable video
creation and editing, the hardware enables the "high quality"
requirement. You can hook up a display to the standard VGA
port on the computer. However, the newer machines come with
HDMI ports, which enables High Definition displays. If the
recommended desktop or laptop has an HDMI port the user can
get full 1080p on the video display unit. These specifications
may satisfy the customer’s requirement to create and edit high
quality digital photos and videos.
Ports. Everybody needs ports, right? I just described an
important one - HDMI. How about Ethernet, SATA, FireWire,
USB (2.0 or 3.0), media cards? Think of the data
transfer/exchange requirements and what kind of speeds are
necessary to make them work effectively.
External Storage. The customer may want users to exchange
data quickly. Are CDs or DVDs the way to go? What about USB
flash memory cards? Or some kind of network storage?
Here are the specific instructions:
Element
#
Requirement
Points Allocated
Comments
01
Open and save an MS Word document with the following name:
“Student’s Last Name Specs”
Example: Smith Specs
Set normal text to Arial, 12 point.
Create a Title Page which shows title, your first and last name,
course and due date.
0.2
This is the font in normal paragraphs. Heading and title fonts

may be a larger size.
The title must be
Specification for the Director
by
your name
the course
due date.
Center the title on the page
02
Use a footer to create page numbers for all pages except the
title page.
Place the page numbers in the footer section on the right side of
the page.
0.2
Take a look at the Sample Tables for ideas on how to best lay
out your tables.
03
Table #1 - Create a table that identifies the manufacturer, type
(desktop, laptop, tablet) and model of computer being
recommended for purchase. If you are recommending a
computer that is being built from components rather than
purchased as a unit, indicate that in the type column. The table
must be labeled “Recommended Computer.”
0.5
Remember that the requirement is to identify and configure only
a single computer.
04
Table #2 - Create a table that shows all of the required
Hardware devices. The table must be labeled “Hardware
Devices.” User requirements are posted in the case study.
0.1
Remember to include any items that might be integrated with
the system you have chosen. The table should have all the
necessary columns, rows, and column headings to show the

following:
05
· Input Devices – Identify each device type, including
make/model, and show which specific user requirements are
met.
0.5
For example, you might include the following information in
your table to describe one Input Device:
Input Device – 1.2 Megapixel video camera, model, from xxxx
supplier.
Requirements met – create video files.
06
· Output Devices – Identify each device type, including
met.
0.5
Make, model and description are required.
07
· Communication Devices – Identify each device type, including
met.
0.5
08
· Storage Devices – External (including portable) storage
devices and show which specific user requirements are met
0.5
09
· Other Peripheral Devices – Identify each device type,
including make/model, and show which specific user
requirements are met.
·
0.5

10
Table #3-Create a table that shows the various required System
Unit Components. The table must be labeled “System Unit
Components.”
0.1
The System Unit Components must reflect the type of system
identified for purchase by the Hardware devices table.
The table should have all the necessary columns, rows, and
column headings to show the following:
11
· Processor – Include type and clock speed and state how
processor type and clock speed meets the Director’s specific
user requirements.
0.5
Identify manufacturer – Intel, AMD, Apple, etc.
12
· RAM – Include type and amount and state how RAM type and
amount meets the Director’s specific user requirements.
0.3
Type and amount are sufficient.
13
· Adapter Cards – Identify each type and show which specific
user requirements are met.
0.5
Types sufficient unless an unusual adapter card is required.
14
· Ports – Include types, how many of each type, and show which
specific user requirements are met.
0.3
Types and number are sufficient. Be sure to include all that are
integrated with the system you are configuring.
15
· Storage Devices – Identify internalsystem unit storage
devices, size of hard drive, and state how each storage device
and the hard drive size recommended meets specific user

requirements.
0.5
Types and sizes are sufficient. Remember, this is internal
storage, including the hard drive.
16
Table #4-Create a table that shows the various required
Application Software. The table must be labeled “Productivity
Software.” Specific product names MUST be listed.
0.1
Review the user requirements to ensure that software has been
selected to meet each need.
17
· Identify types of software, recommended specific product
names, and how this software meets specific user requirements.
2.0
Be sure to include product name and version.
18
Table #5-Create a table shows that the various required System
Software. The table must be labeled “System Software.”
Include one operating system and at least three utility programs.
0.1
column headings to show the following, and each component
must be tied to the computers in your Recommended Computers
table:
19
· Operating System – Identify a specific operating system and
version
0.75
Identify company supplying the OS (Intel, AMD, Apple, etc.).
Include version #. Identify to which computer(s) this component
will be assigned.

20
· Utility Programs – Include at least 3 utility programs that do
not typically come installed with the OS and state how each
utility program meets specific user requirements.
0.75
Identify utility programs that do not come installed with the OS.
For example, choose and include a particular security program
such as Norton or McAfee, etc.
21
Table # 6-Create a table that shows the required Internet
connectivity and Web-hosted applications and services. The
table must be labeled “Internet Connectivity & Web Services”
0.1
Review what specific user requirements related to online work
or file sharing that have been included in the Director's list of
requirements.
22
· Identify the specific ISP that should be used for Internet
connectivity.
0.5
ISP type meets specific user requirements in the case study.
23
· Identify the specific Web services that should be used.
0.5
State how the Web services that were identified meet specific
user requirements in the case study
24
Write a brief two-paragraph narrative that categorizes the user
type, identifies the category of PC (s) required, and summarizes
your recommendations.
NOTE: There are 13 office requirements listed in the case
study. Each one will need the appropriate hardware and
software that will improve the productivity in the office. The

users are the people working in the office that will be affected
by the 13 requirements. The type of PC could be anything from
a laptop to a server. It is essential that you connect the
requirements with your recommendations.
Grammar, syntax, punctuation, spelling, and APA formatting as
necessary. Points WILL be deducted if errors are found in the
summary or in the tables.
1.25
Two well-written, concise and organized paragraphs not to
exceed one-half a page.
Proofread your entire file before submitting.
25
Place narrative after the title page but before the tables.
0.25
TOTAL
12
ESSAY TITLE ALL CAPS SHORT TITLE 50 CHARACTERS
OR LESS
ESSAY TITLE ALL CAPS SHORT TITLE 50 CHARACTERS
OR LESS 6

Essay Title
Author’s Name
H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship
LOG 5010 - International Transport & Logistics
Term
Essay Title
This is the introduction section. Note that it has no heading.
Here is where the writer establishes a thesis. This thesis
summarizes the main learning from the Case Study in question
and any other supplemental reading. It should be generic in
nature. The introduction section should also give the reader, in
a few sentences, an idea of the content of the essay.Case Study
Summary
This section should contain a summary of the case study. It
should describe the scenario, and identify the characters and the
organizations involved. Ensure sources are cited according to
APA guidelines, as per example (David, 2013).
Other heading levels may be used, if necessary.
Heading Level 2
Heading level 3. (Note the indent and period and the
capitalization).Heading level 4.Heading level 5.Answers to Case
Study Questions (when applicable)
For case studies containing explicit questions, transcribe every

question in italics and write the corresponding answer in one or
more paragraphs, as needed.
After answering all the questions, proceed directly to the
Conclusion section.Analysis (when applicable)
This section can have a different header and contain other
heading levels, as determined by the writer. It only applies to
case studies that do not have explicit questions to answer.
The objective of this section is to identify issues raised in the
case study and describe their impact and possible causes.
Other heading levels may be used, if necessary.
Heading Level 2
Heading level 3. Heading level 4.Heading level 5.
Actions and/or Recommendations (when applicable)
This section can have a different header and contain other
heading levels, as determined by the writer. It only applies to
case studies that do not have explicit questions to answer.
The objective of this section is to offer the reader
recommendation to address the issues identified in the previous
section.
Other heading levels can be used, if necessary.
Heading Level 2
Heading level 3. Heading level 4.Heading level 5.
Conclusion
This section is reserved to recap the content of the essay and
close with the confirmation of the thesis formulated in the
introduction. The conclusion section should not introduce new
information to the reader.
References
David, P. (2013). International logistics: The management of
international trade operations (4th ed.). Berea, OH: Cicero
Books.
Exhibit 1

Correlations Among and Descriptive Statistics For Key Study
Variables
M (SD)
Sex
Age
Income
Educ.
Relig.
Dist. Intol.
Sex
1.53 (.50)
.07
-.09
.02
.14
.06
Age
31.88 (10.29)
.08
.19*
.20*
.01
Income
2.60 (1.57)

.04
-.14
-.09
Educ.
3.44 (1.06)
-.29*
-.06
Relig.
1.21 (.30)
-.19*
Dist. Intol.
3.75 (1.19)
Notes. N’s range from 107 to 109 due to occasional missing
data. For sex, 0 = male, 1 = female. Educ. = education. Dist.
Intol. = distress intolerance. Relig. = religiosity.
* p < .05.
Alcohol Consumption
Frugality

Amount that Gets Spent on Alcohol
Exhibit 2. This simple path model, adapted from results in a
Journal of Consumer Behaviour paper, is an example of a
figure.
CASE: IDE-08
DATE: 09/05/14
Laurent De Clara and Professor John-Paul Ferguson prepared
this case as the basis for class discussion rather than to
illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an
administrative situation.
Copyright © 2014 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland
Stanford Junior University. Publicly available cases are
distributed through Harvard Business Publishing at
hbsp.harvard.edu and The Case Centre at thecasecentre.org;
please contact them to order copies and request permission to

reproduce materials. No part of this publication may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means ––
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise –
– without the permission of the Stanford Graduate
School of Business. Every effort has been made to respect
copyright and to contact copyright holders as
appropriate. If you are a copyright holder and have concerns,
please contact the Case Writing Office at
[email protected] or write to Case Writing Office, Stanford
Graduate School of Business, Knight Management
Center, 655 Knight Way, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
94305-5015.
BLUE SKIES: CONNECTING AFRICAN FARMERS TO
GLOBAL MARKETS
We aim to be the most trusted name for innovative and high-
quality prepared fresh
produce, made at source and delivered fresh-from-harvest to
retailers throughout the
world.
— Antony Pile, Founder and Chairman, Blue Skies Holding Ltd.

In June 2014, Anthony Pile, founder and chairman of Blue
Skies, called a board meeting to
discuss the company’s development plans. The economic crisis
in Europe had made consumers
more price sensitive, putting pressure on profit margins and
spurring the search for new markets.
Founded in 1998, Blue Skies was a fruit processing company
headquartered in the U.K., with
production operations located in Ghana, Africa. It cut and
packaged fruits sold primarily to
retailers in Europe. Relying on air-freight transport, it shipped
produce within 48 hours of
harvesting. The company was born from the idea that fruit tastes
best when it is naturally ripe
and consumed fresh from source.
From the outset, Blue Skies selected only the best fruit
harvested by local farmers, and processed
and packaged it at source without using additives, artificial
flavors or preservatives. This
guaranteed the highest quality for consumers, who could enjoy
fresh fruit that was in the
farmer’s fields a mere two days earlier.

Since its inception, Blue Skies had grown rapidly and expanded
its operations across three
continents. Beyond the U.K., the company had built businesses
in Europe with retailers in
France, Holland, Italy and Switzerland. It was present in Egypt
and South Africa, as well as in
Brazil, from where Pile expected its production operations to
open up opportunities in North
America.
For the exclusive use of G. Gaitan, 2016.
This document is authorized for use only by Giovanny Gaitan in
International Transport & Logistics taught by Humberto Florez,
PhD, Nova Southeastern University from March 2016 to May
2016.
mailto:[email protected]
Blue Skies: Connecting African Farmers to Global Markets –
IDE-08
p. 2
BACKGROUND

The Ready-to-Eat-Fruit Niche
In Europe, rising incomes and greater attention to healthy eating
had boosted demand for fresh
produce. Consumers were increasingly buying high-quality
fresh fruit and vegetables all year
round. The market for prepared (cut and packaged) fruits was
one of the most rapidly growing
segments in the E.U. grocery sector, at around 20 per cent per
year.
1
As with prepared
vegetables, the biggest market in Europe was the U.K., where
prepared fruit sales were estimated
at $24 million in 1999.
2
While working as Managing Director of another fruit processing
company based in the U.K.,
Pile came up with the idea of cutting and packing fresh tropical
fruits in their country of origin
and airlifting them to retailers within 48 hours. At the time,
most fruits were imported by sea and
then processed in factories about two weeks after being
harvested. Pile’s vision was to offer

‘fresh from harvest’ ready-to-eat fruit by reducing the lead time
from ‘farm to fork’, taking
advantage of air-freight exports from Northern Europe that had
developed with cross-border
trade and economic liberalization in West Africa. Freight
operators were looking to collect
northbound cargo to fill their empty planes flying back to
Europe.
Among West African countries, Ghana offered several
advantages including cheap air freight
and a direct route to major European markets. With freight costs
at about $0.70 per kg compared
to $1.5 to $2 from the other countries supplying Europe with
fruit and vegetables, Ghana enjoyed
a competitive edge that was particularly favorable to
establishing an export-oriented, fresh-cut
business. Pile’s initial idea was to export freshly cut slices of
pineapple, one of the most popular
tropical fruits in the U.K. Considered the ‘king of fruits’ along
with bananas, pineapple was in
demand among consumers who appreciated its nutritional
qualities as well as taste.
Fresh pineapple exports to Europe had steadily increased as
consumer enthusiasm for fresh fruit

grew and sea transport with container cooling systems
developed. In 1998, Ivory Coast was the
largest fresh pineapple exporter, with 141,600 tons and an
estimated market share of 54 per cent.
It was followed by Costa Rica (79,022 tons; 30 per cent) and
Ghana (18,969 tons; 7 per cent)
(see Exhibit 1). Unlike the other countries, Ghana air-freighted
a large proportion (45 per cent)
of its pineapples, carving out a significant niche in the
European market as a primary supplier of
top-quality products.
Although sea freight cost up to four times less, the savings
associated with not transporting the
whole fruit offered an alternative to processing pineapples in
Europe. During preparation, the
skin and crown were discarded and composted, waste that
accounted for about two thirds of the
total weight, making the transformation a high value-added
process. By exporting pre-packed
slices of freshly cut pineapple at a fraction of what it would
cost to import and process the fruits
in the U.K., Pile believed he had found a formula that would
revolutionize the European fresh

fruit market.
1
Dixie G, Sergeant A (1998) “The Future for the Ghanaian
Horticultural Export Industry”, Accord Associates,
Rushbrook Dorset DT 11-8NZ UK.
2
“Growth Trends for Fresh-Cut, Ready-to Eat Produce”, TNS
World Panel, November 2006.
2016.
IDE-08
p. 3
The Ghanaian Pineapple Industry
To assess the viability of his idea, Pile traveled to the south of
Ghana (see Exhibit 2), the heart of
the pineapple-growing region. He chose the Akwapim South

District in Eastern Accra, the cradle
of pineapple cultivation. Local smallholders had first started to
grow pineapples in Pokrom
Nsaba, approximately halfway between the district capitals of
Nsawam and Aburi in the early
1980s, and by the turn of the century most inhabitants were
engaged in pineapple farming.
They cultivated the Smooth Cayenne – a big orange-skinned
pineapple with light yellow flesh
and a sharp sweet taste – the most common variety worldwide
both for processing and eating
raw. When the demand for exports rose during the 1990s, large-
scale cultivators entered the
market. Unable to obtain tracts of lands in the Akwapim Hills,
they headed west where they
obtained leasehold land in the central and greater Accra region
and set-up large commercial
pineapple farms.
Despite increasing demand for exports, none of the smallholders
were involved in exporting.
They sold their production to large-scale farmers who dealt
directly with European wholesalers
that bought fruit in bulk on behalf of retailers. Most farmers
purchased pineapples from

smallholders at various times throughout the year to meet
market demand. They generally
received orders from European wholesalers several months
ahead of the planned export date, to
arrange pineapple production and shipping, although these could
be revised as the date
approached.
Unlike other tropical fruits, pineapples could be planted and
harvested at any time of the year.
The production process took about 14 months (see Exhibit 3)
although pineapples could remain
on the plant for a longer time without spoiling. After agreeing
on a price, farmers sent a group of
workers to the smallholders’ fields to ‘de-green’ pineapples
(with a chemical substance to
change the color from green to yellow) that were judged to be
of export quality, a week before
harvesting. The yellow color added value to pineapples sold in
Europe, but not in Ghana where
the fruit was sold either to local traders or processors producing
juice for the domestic market.
On harvesting day, the pineapples were cleaned, graded by size,
packed in cardboard boxes, and

then taken to the airport in Accra or the harbor in Tema, often
the same day to prevent any
damage.
Some of the larger smallholders were used on a continuous basis
as an additional supply stream
to the farmer’s own plantation. The farmers bought about 45 per
cent of export pineapples from
smallholders. Although there was no formal written contract,
the farmers submitted orders on a
regular basis to maintain the smallholders within the ranks of
their suppliers. Occasionally, they
provided input material such as fertilizer or pesticide so that
smallholders could meet the
production requirements for export, and the cost of these was
deducted from the payment for the
fruit. In 1998, there were an estimated 1,000 smallholders and
between 50 and 70 pineapple
farms, which accounted for almost 75 per cent of total export
volume.
3
3
Ibid 1.

2016.
IDE-08
p. 4
BLUE SKIES
The Early Years
Back in the U.K., Pile decided to move forward with his idea.
With business plan in hand, he
made his case to the board of his previous company for building
a factory in Ghana. At the time,
Pile’s vision was in stark contrast to the company’s existing
operations, which consisted of
importing fruit by sea from South America and processing it in
factories in the heart of England

to make juice or fruit salad. Ultimately he failed to obtain
approval from the board, which saw no
added value in the ‘fresh from harvest’ concept.
Convinced, however, that there was a market for premium
quality fresh-cut fruit, he decided to
go it alone. Pile, who had attended the London Business School
in the 1980s after leaving the
army, had never considered starting his own business. He
acknowledged: “I wasn't a born
entrepreneur. I found myself with an opportunity and was able
to take it.”
4
Failing to secure financing from banks, he turned to family
members and private investors,
mortgaged his house, and sold his car. With the help of Seth
Dei, an entrepreneur and private
investor based in Ghana, and a British partner, Pile formed Blue
Skies Ghana Limited in 1998
and set up a factory in the Akwapim South district. He chose the
Nsawam region for its
proximity to the pineapple growers and easy access to the main
road to Accra’s international
airport.

Before investing in the business, Pile arranged several meetings
with several high-street retailers
in the U.K. to convince them of the feasibility and
competitiveness of the planned product. In a
market where fresh produce was one of the few product
categories that retailers could use to
differentiate themselves, prepared fruit was an appealing
proposition to draw customers into
supermarkets. Retailers were increasingly looking to distribute
under their own labels as a means
to maintain customer loyalty and boost their profit margins.
Supplying retailers came at a cost, however. With the ever-
increasing demand for fresh fruit,
they had experienced a lower quality of pineapples, in particular
those imported from Ghana. As
European wholesalers demanded more fruit, farmers often
rushed pineapples to ripen, harvesting
them before they reached maturity. Dei explained the problem:
“Pineapple is a fruit which is
different from pear or banana. You can take a green banana, put
it on a table, and it will become
ripe and sweet. With the pineapple, once you cut it from the
mother plant, the taste is fixed. Even

if you put it on a table and it becomes ripe, the taste does not
change
5
”.
To safeguard the quality of the end product, retailers had
formulated food safety and quality
standards that companies were required to meet in order to be
considered as a supplier. Large
retailers, which constituted the bulk of retail sales, were averse
to any risk of damaging their
4
“The just-food interview - Anthony Pile, Blue Skies”, October
31, 2007.
http://www.just-food.com/interview/the-just-food-interview-
anthony-pile-blue-skies_id100213.aspx (August 3,
2014).
5
Interview with Seth Dei, July 15, 2014. Subsequent quotations
are from the author’s interviews unless otherwise
noted.
2016.

http://www.just-food.com/interview/the-just-food-interview-
anthony-pile-blue-skies_id100213.aspx
IDE-08
p. 5
brand with produce that contravened their hygiene standards.
Dei recalled:
We built a factory that is a bit special because it is, in effect, a
big refrigerator. From
the moment the fruit enters the factory, it’s in the cold and has
to remain that way all
the way to the customer. On the issue of hygiene, our employees
have to take a wash
and then change their clothing before entering the factory. It’s
like a surgical place in
a hospital. So when customers came to inspect the factory, they
saw that they could
buy what was produced in it because it met their hygiene
standards.
Pile’s initial plan was to procure trial shipments that retailers
could put on the shelves of the

supermarkets. If the sales materialized, they could then pass
regular orders to receive additional
produce.
After exploring future markets, Pile had to secure the supply of
pineapples and develop a close
relationship with smallholders in order to meet retailers’ quality
standards and sustain the 48-
hour delivery model as he had envisaged.
Setting up the operation, Pile found the industry to be
fragmented. There was virtually no
cooperation among smallholders and little coordination between
the larger farms in the
production process. Cooperatives or producer associations did
not exist and mechanisms to
ensure a constant supply of pineapples across the production
base were almost non-existent.
Production surpluses were frequent and smallholders
increasingly went back home with
pineapples ordered by farmers who did not show up to collect
the agreed harvest.
To make the production system work more efficiently, he
decided to breathe new life into the
relationship with smallholders by introducing a modus operandi

based on a culture of mutual
respect and trust. Such a transition, however, required a range
of relational investments in order
to win the loyalty and commitment of smallholders. In the early
years, Blue Skies granted
interest-free loans, paid above-industry-average prices, made
payments on time, and assumed
technical and financial responsibility for certifying its
pineapple suppliers to international quality
and safety standards. Although there were no contractual
obligations in return, smallholders were
expected to sell their production to Blue Skies. Said Dei:
“Farmers will not lose their
certification if they don’t sell to us. But they realize that Blue
Skies has helped them come a long
way to be able to produce a product that is internationally
accepted. So they are grateful and see
themselves as Blue Sky farmers”.
As demand for fresh produce increased, Pile started to expand
the company’s product range to
include fresh-cut assortments of mango, coconut, papaya and
passion fruit (see Exhibit 4). He
also sought to provide retailers with a constant supply and a
more diverse variety of products by

sourcing fruits that were out of season or unavailable in Ghana.
In 2003, Blue Skies opened a
factory in Egypt to process melons and pomegranates and other
tropical and temperate fruits. A
year later it established a plant in South Africa to process sub-
tropical fruits such as kiwis and
lychees. To ensure the supply of mangoes during the off-season,
Blue Skies opened a factory in
Brazil in 2007. In each case, the fruit was peeled, sliced,
packaged and chilled in the company’s
factories before being transported to the airport and shipped to
Europe (see Exhibit 5 for an
example of Blue Skies operating schedule).
2016.
IDE-08

p. 6
By 2008, Blue Skies had processed a considerable volume of
fresh fruit. Sales had grown by 20-
30 per cent per annum since its inception in the late 1990s.
What started out as an enterprise with
36 employees had developed into a fully-fledged multinational
with more than 1,300 people (see
Exhibit 6 for a simplified organizational chart). The
incorporation of new factories had created a
cross-continental processing network (see Exhibit 7) embedded
in a holding structure – Blue
Skies Holdings Ltd. – under which the European headquarters
based in the U.K. served as an
importer and a sales and marketing branch, while management
of the processing facilities was
devolved to Ghanaian staff.
The Smooth Cayenne Crisis
Despite these positive developments, a change in consumer
preferences was to send dark clouds
over Blue Skies’ operations in Ghana. Since 2005, demand for
the Smooth Cayenne had fallen
sharply and imports to Europe were increasingly dominated by a

new variety of pineapple – the
MD2.
Grown principally in Costa Rica, the MD2 is yellower, more
consistent in quality, and smaller
than traditional varieties. The taste is sweeter and without the
sharp bite which characterizes the
Smooth Cayenne. Introduced in 1994 by U.S. company Fresh
Del Monte Produce, the MD2
made rapid inroads into international markets. It first hit the
U.S. in 1996 under the brand name
‘gold extra sweet’ which proved hugely popular, resulting in a
massive increase in fresh
pineapple exports from Costa Rica. By 2000, the MD2 had
overtaken the U.S. market, taking the
top spot with an 81 per cent market share.
6
In 2003, new producers entered the market, mainly fruit
transnationals which had invested in
MD2 plantations in other Central American countries. As the
U.S. market became saturated, the
transnationals started targeting the E.U. Rapidly, European
consumers turned away from the
Smooth Cayenne, resulting in the decline of Ghana’s fresh

pineapple exports (see Exhibit 8). By
2007, Costa Rica had become the largest exporter to the E.U.
with 570,291 tons and a market
share of 69 per cent, well ahead of Ivory Coast (59,251 tons; 7
per cent) and Ghana (35,463 tons;
4 per cent). In less than five years, the MD2 supplanted the
Smooth Cayenne, accounting for
about 90 per cent of the fresh pineapples traded in the E.U.
7
As demand for the Smooth Cayenne declined, Ghana’s
smallholders started running into
problems. Their plantations were no longer suitable for export
and their investment in cultivating
the Smooth Cayenne evaporated as many of the large farms
which had ordered pineapples were
unable to pay them due to losses incurred in Europe. The
amounts due to smallholders could
reach several hundreds of thousands of dollars and represent up
to two years of production. This
ate into their capital, preventing them from switching to grow
the MD2.
Even for those who still had capital reserves, switching to MD2
was not an option as the initial

investment needed to grow this variety was beyond their means.
A field sucker cost about $0.70
6
CIRAD/FruitTrop/US Customs.
7
“Horticulture Exports from Ghana: A Strategic Study”, The
World Bank, June 2011, p. 22.
2016.
IDE-08
p. 7
compared to the Smooth Cayenne which was priced at a mere
$0.03.
8
In addition, cultivating the
MD2 required different soil preparation techniques, more
fertiliser, irrigation and careful post-

harvest handling, as well as continuous cold storage chain from
the plantation to the pack house.
Overall, it was estimated that producing one acre of MD2 cost
$3,330 compared to $1,228 for
the Smooth Cayenne.
9
Even the large farms were unable to adapt to the new production
requirements. Although they
had better access to finance than smallholders, the number of
farms who defaulted on loans made
the banks reluctant to lend money for pineapple production. The
banks’ risk-averse stance
coupled with the deteriorating situation of pineapple exports
plunged many farmers into the red.
Those who managed to obtain financing incurred high interest
rates – around 30 per cent – and
had to repay their loans over a relatively short period of time,
further undermining their financial
stability. With a lead time of 18-24 months before the first
harvest, farmers needed to complete
at least three full cycles of production, equivalent to a period of
4.5 to 6 years, for MD2
plantations to reach full yield and generate a return on

investment.
10,11
The shift in demand forced many smallholders, as well as
several big farms, to exit the business.
By 2008, the number of small producers had fallen to 200, and
only 14 farms were still active in
pineapple production, with 8 producers accounting for roughly
90 per cent of fresh pineapple
exports.
12
In ceasing operations, most pineapple growers lost their land to
transnationals which
had settled in Ghana to set up plantations to cultivate the MD2.
Perhaps the most successful
company to enter the market was Golden Exotics, a subsidiary
of French transnational
Compagnie Fruitière, established in 2003. In less than five years
it became the largest exporter,
with 15,000 tons in production, about 40 per cent of the
country’s pineapple exports.
13,14
When the demand in Europe switched to MD2, Pile became
concerned about maintaining Blue

Skies’ supply of pineapples. The company had grown to handle
some 13 per cent of Ghana’s
pineapple exports, cutting some 15,000 tons per year to fly
5,000 tons of fresh-cut products to
Europe.
15
It primarily sourced its pineapples from 28 smallholders, most
of them with a
cultivable area of less than 8 hectares,
16
and a production capacity of less than 600 tons per
year.
17
To meet growing export demand, Blue Skies had increasingly
relied on pineapple
production from two commercial farms which accounted for
about 30 per cent of its supplies. As
plantations converted to MD2, the decline in Smooth Cayenne
production challenged the
8
“Analysis of Trade Impacts on the Fresh Pineapple Sector in
Ghana”, FAO Commodity and Trade Policy Research
Working Paper No. 41, p. 15.
9

Whitfield, L. (2012). Developing technological capabilities in
agro-industry: Ghana's experience with fresh
pineapple exports. Journal of Development Studies, 48(3), 308-
321., p. 317.
10
Ibid 7, p. 125.
11
Ibid 8, p. 24.
12
Ibid 8, p. 5.
13
“Ghana Export Horticulture Cluster Strategic Profile Study.
Part I Scoping Review”, 2008, p.4/6.
14
Ibid 7, p. 9.
15
Ibid 7, p. 11.
16
1 hectare = 2.471 acres.
17
Kleemann, L. (2011). Organic pineapple farming in Ghana: A
good choice for smallholders? (No. 1671). Kiel
Working Papers.

2016.
IDE-08
p. 8
company’s operations. Sourcing the new variety entailed higher
input costs and there was no
advantage to shipping MD2 by air since its value lay in its high
sugar level well before full
ripeness, which allowed it to be picked earlier and shipped but
still be sweet when consumed.
With the shift in preference, Pile confronted another hurdle.
From being a niche product, the
Smooth Cayenne had slipped to the bottom of the market.
Although it commanded a premium
when shipped by air, retailers were pushing prices down to
close the gap with sea-freighted
pineapples provided in ready-to-cut form. Transnationals such
as Del Monte and Dole Food

Company, a U.S. firm with a 30 per cent share in Compagnie
Fruitière, increasingly imported
pineapples from their plantations in Costa Rica to transform
them in Europe. To make the
process competitive, these companies shipped pineapples
without the crown, used their own
refrigerated vessels, and processed the fruit in their factories
using mechanical peelers. Unlike
large-scale farmers, they had a direct relationship with retailers
to which they supplied a full
range of products, and were often involved in sourcing and
quality control for a specific product
category.
Blue Skies’ Response
In the face of this growing competition, Pile sought to create a
more robust basis for Blue Skies’
operations. A recurring problem the company faced with
smallholders was the lack of a
consistent supply due to the failure to run their farms
efficiently. The low level of knowledge of
modern agricultural practices affected their output, reducing the
farm’s sales and profitability as

well as opportunity for expansion. Pile believed that the ability
of farmers to meet expected
yields and manage their farms profitably was crucial to maintain
Blue Skies’ position in the
increasingly competitive retail space.
To bridge the skills gap and help farmers produce quality
pineapples reliably, Blue Skies
provided free agricultural education and advice, including
agronomic support to increase the
farms’ yields and ensure the fruit met the quality standards
required by the European market.
Building on a team of 11 agronomists, Blue Skies assisted
producers in all aspects of farming,
including the use of agrochemicals. The quality of pineapple
depended greatly on inputs such as
fertilizer and pesticide, which had to be applied in the right
quantity and at the right time to
ensure the best results.
A major hurdle to the use of agrochemicals was their relatively
high price. The cost of importing
them coupled with the margin of local dealers made the
products particularly expensive for
smallholders, whose financial capacity was generally limited to
their own resources. With the

deteriorating situation of pineapple exports, banks had curtailed
lending to farms, as they were
increasingly considered a risky business. This further
undermined the farmers’ ability to deliver
the desired quantities of produce. When farmers could not get
loans, the use of agrochemicals
tended to decrease, which affected the yield and quality of
production.
To alleviate this situation, Blue Skies assisted farmers in
obtaining credit financing from banks.
Dei explained: “What we do is we take the farmer, we hold his
hand, we walk to the bank, and
we ask the bank to lend him money because he sells pineapples
to us. So we’ll take the money
out of the farmer’s mark-up to repay the loan to the bank. But
we’re not actually guaranteeing
it”.
2016.

IDE-08
p. 9
On some occasions, Blue Skies provided farmers with direct
financial support. Assistance
generally took the form of hire-purchase agreements on farm
inputs as well as interest-free loans
on farming equipment. In most cases, Blue Skies lent to farmers
with whom it had a long and
trusted relationship. For those wishing to expand their
plantations it provided a loan subsidy of
10 per cent so that they could purchase additional land.
In addition to financing, Blue Skies also sought to reduce the
burden associated with transporting
pineapples to its factory. For farmers in the most remote areas,
transport costs could have a major
bearing on the viability of their farm. Similarly, the risk of
damage to the crop due to poor roads
could have a negative impact and result in financial losses. To
facilitate transportation, Blue
Skies built roads to improve access to farms for its trucks, as

well as a series of collection points
to pick up the day’s harvest free of charge, which saved farmers
significant time and money.
The Organic and Fairtrade Niche
Since its inception, Blue Skies had been processing only one
variety of pineapple to make
products for conventional food markets. Although the fruit was
packaged without the additives,
artificial flavors or preservatives typically used to extend the
shelf-life of food, production
generally involved the use of chemicals and fertilizers to
control pests and disease, and increase
the crop yield.
Foods in Europe were differentiated according to whether they
were the product of conventional
or organic agriculture. Those made with organic ingredients
were marked with a special label
that guaranteed that they were organically grown. With demand
for healthier food on the rise,
organic products had quickly gained momentum at the retail
level. Retailers increasingly
developed dedicated displays featuring fresh produce. Because
of the higher production costs

involved in the use of crop rotation or green manure, organic
products usually fetched a price
premium of 15-30 per cent over conventional products.
Despite the market opportunity, organically grown pineapple
did not meet with much
commercial success. Although specialists lauded its fine-
grained texture and rich flavor, its color
was often an impediment to sales. Since organic pineapple was
not chemically treated, the skin
kept its green color, making the fruit less attractive to the
consumer. Still, with European demand
estimated at 5,000-6,000 tons annually, Pile saw in organic
production a potential for a high-
value market. His idea was to make products using another
variety of pineapple – the Sugar
Loaf.
Before exports of pineapples first started in the 1980s, the
Sugar Loaf was the principal variety
grown in Ghana. Compared to the Smooth Cayenne, it is
greener, longer, and almost cone
shaped with pale-whitish flesh. It was cultivated by
smallholders primarily in the central Accra
region, outside the major pineapple belt, and was sold in local

markets and along the roadside.
Because of its color, the Sugar Loaf was not exported –
wholesalers did not consider it to be
saleable in Europe. As a result, it was produced without
fertilizer or pesticides and harvested
when the fruit was naturally ripe.
To make organic production commercially viable for the
European market, Blue Skies relied on
the Blue Skies Organic Collective (BSOC), an association of 80
pineapple producers it helped
2016.
IDE-08
p. 10
create in 1998 to support environmentally sound agricultural
practices. Operating as a

cooperative, the BSOC allowed its members to pool resources to
buy equipment, farm inputs and
agricultural supplies, access information on soil fertility
improvement and other agronomic
techniques, and receive technical training for organic
agricultural certification. With the
technical and financial assistance of Blue Skies, BSOC farmers
underwent certification, and by
2007 about half were compliant with the organic standards
developed by European bodies such
as the Soil Association and the Organic Food Federation, in
addition to meeting international
quality and safety standards such as GLOBALGAP
18
and IFS (International Food Safety).
Blue Skies’ support to BSOC farmers also helped them to
achieve certification from the
Fairtrade Foundation. Similar to organic certification, Fairtrade
labels gave farmers access to
international markets by complying with standards promoting a
sustainable form of agriculture.
In return for adopting environmentally sound farming practices
and fair working and

employment standards, farmers were guaranteed a minimum
price covering the cost of
production. In addition to being protected from market price
fluctuations, BSOC members
benefited from investments in development projects. Under the
Fairtrade scheme, buyers were
required to pay an additional amount to a worker-controlled
fund for financing social,
educational, health-related and environmental programs in local
communities.
In exchange for their pineapples, Blue Skies paid the farmers a
price exceeding the minimum set
by the Fairtrade Foundation, which was reviewed annually
along with details such as the
quantity to be produced for the year ahead. Not all pineapples
grown by BSOC farmers were
labelled Fairtrade. For those produced under this scheme
(approximately 20 per cent of BSOC’s
annual production volume), retailers paid an extra cent per kilo
of pineapples purchased that
went into a fund managed by BSOC members. Overall,
Fairtrade-certified pineapples fetched a
20 per cent price premium over conventional pineapples.
With consumers increasingly socially conscious, retailers saw

ethically produced food as a
means to cater to public demand and achieve brand
enhancement. For a company like Blue Skies
which promoted an approach to business that had a positive
impact on the local communities,
this yielded an opportunity to forge a closer relationship with
two of its largest clients. In 2009,
Blue Skies partnered with Waitrose (U.K.) and Albert Heijn
(Holland) to form the Blue Skies
Foundation. The objective was to fund development projects for
communities involved in the
supply of fresh fruit. The development initiatives were
identified by the communities where Blue
Skies’ staff, farmers and their families lived and worked, to
ensure that the support was received
where it was needed most. Meanwhile, Blue Skies partnered
with Waitrose to develop a website
– Caretrace.com – that gave consumers information on their
purchases. Caretrace.com allowed
people to find out where a product came from and how it was
made, giving farmers an
opportunity to share their story, which Blue Skies viewed as
important in developing more
conscientious consumption.

Processing pineapples that met environmental and social
standards was costly, however. Organic
and Fairtrade-certified pineapples were generally more
expensive to grow than conventional
pineapples, incurring higher input costs for the factory. To keep
its products competitive, in 2007
Blue Skies built a new facility at its Ghana location in order to
improve labor productivity and
2016.
IDE-08
p. 11
reduce the per-unit cost of production. Unlike fruit processing
factories in Europe, Blue Skies’

operations relied almost exclusively on manual labor. Instead of
using mechanical peelers and
other specialized equipment, Blue Skies utilized local workers
so as to generate employment in
the region and improve the living conditions of local
communities. With the new factory, Blue
Skies could process twice as much fruit and chill a larger
quantity of products using a state-of-
the-art refrigeration system. Through increased production
efficiency it could also offset part of
the costs that arose from sourcing pineapples outside its
smallholder supply base. With the
decline in production of the Smooth Cayenne, Blue Skies
increasingly looked to source from
neighboring countries. In 2010, it started importing pineapples
from Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory
Coast and Tongo to process in its factory in Ghana, implying
higher logistics costs for its
operations.
MOVING FORWARD IN 2014: THE CHALLENGES AHEAD
Pile’s approach to sustain Blue Skies’ operations had proved
successful. By 2014, the company
had crossed the £50 million ($78 million) mark in sales (see

Exhibit 9) and was supplying over
15 retailers in Europe (including the U.K., Switzerland,
Denmark, France, Netherlands, Belgium
and Italy), South Africa and Brazil. It had also grown to more
than 3,500 employees, mainly at
its Ghana location which accounted for about two thirds of its
total staff.
While this provided a strong basis for growth, Pile still faced
several issues. Increasing imports
of pineapples had further stretched Blue Skies’ operating model,
while the economic crisis in
several European markets had exposed its margins to price
pressure from retailers. To stay true
to its ‘fresh from harvest’ concept of sourcing and transforming
fruit in its country of origin,
Blue Skies had established two farms to grow the Smooth
Cayenne and MD2, mainly as a
temporary fix until farmers got back to pineapple production.
But the volume was low, leaving
Blue Skies dependent on other sources.
Meanwhile, the company had started selling products to markets
near its factories in order to
reduce its dependency on the European market. For example, in
Ghana Blue Skies sold bottled

fruit juice produced in its Nsawam factory. In Brazil it supplied
a fast-food restaurant chain with
pre-packed apple chunks processed at its Nascente facility. But
despite some success, the
quantities produced were too low to compensate for tightening
market conditions in Europe.
In the face of such challenges, Pile believed that product
innovation was the key to maintaining
Blue Skies’ leadership position. The R&D team in Ghana had
come up with new products that
expanded beyond the prepared fruits and juice business and
consumed much less fruit, opening
up new horizons. As he prepared for Blue Skies’ board meeting,
Pile wondered what message he
could convey to the board to ensure them that Blue Skies would
maintain its reputation as “the
most trusted name for innovative and high-quality prepared
fresh produce.”
2016.

IDE-08
p. 12
Exhibit 1
E.U. Imports of Fresh Pineapples
Source: “Ghana Horticulture Sector Development Study”,
Voisard and Jaeger, 2003
Exhibit 2
Map of Ghana
Source: “Country Report, Ghana”, The Economist Intelligence
Unit, December 2010
2016.

IDE-08
p. 13
Exhibit 3
Production Process of Pineapples
Source: Suzuki, A., Jarvis, L. S., & Sexton, R. J. (2011). Partial
vertical integration, risk shifting, and product
rejection in the high-value export supply chain: The Ghana
pineapple sector. World Development, 39(9), 1611-1623.
Exhibit 4
Blue Skies Products
Source: Blue Skies

2016.
IDE-08
p. 14
Exhibit 5
Blue Skies Operating Schedule (U.K. Example)
Source: Blue Skies
Exhibit 6
Simplified Organizational Chart
Source: Blue Skies

2016.
IDE-08
p. 15
Exhibit 7
Blue Skies’ Network of Factories
Source: Blue Skies
Exhibit 8
Volume and Value of Pineapple Imports from Ghana to the E.U.
Source: Kleemann, L., Abdulai, A., & Buss, M. (2014).
Certification and Access to Export Markets: Adoption and
Return on Investment of Organic-Certified Pineapple Farming
in Ghana. World Development, 64, 79-92.

2016.
IDE-08
p. 16
Exhibit 9
Blue Skies Sales History
Source: Blue Skies
0.7
2.0
4.3
6.5
8.0

10.8
13.2
16.6
24.0
27.6
31.4 30.9
32.4
36.5
43.2
50.7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

S
a
le
s
£
m
il
li
o
n
2016.
Case Study Instructions
Director’s Request for PCs
Completion of the Case Study will utilize (1) an MS Word
Table, (2) an MS Access database, and (3) an MS PowerPoint
Presentation
You will meet the Director’s requirements that are described on
this page by creating and submitting a Word Table (Part 1), an
Access Database (Part 2); and a PowerPoint Presentation (Part
3). These 3 assignments are due on separate dates. See the
Course Schedule for due dates.
NOTE: the standard applications to use for these 3 assignments

are those within Microsoft Office. MS Access is available only
in the Professional OFFICE package. If you are a MAC user OR
if you have absolutely no way to use a machine on which MS
Access has been loaded, you may download and use
OpenOffice/Open Libre – for the database project only. Please
inform your instructor if you are going to use Open Office for
the database assignment.
Instructions for installing Open Office can be found in "Open
Office – Database Alternative for Mac OS X" under the Office
Resources topic.
Case Study – Director’s Requirements
Your office has outgrown its old desktop machines and is in the
market for new PCs, but would like some guidance on what to
purchase. The Director wants to ensure that the office obtains
PC machines that meet the requirements stated below. You, as
an employee of a small educational company, have been tasked
to buy 5 PCs and associated equipment for the office. You only
need to determine the specifications for ONE PC, not five. The
office will likely buy five of the same computer
model/configurations you propose. But remember to also define
the components needed to create a network so that the 5
computers can communicate with each other and connect to the
internet.
The Director has defined some capabilities that the PCs will
need to have to ensure optimal performance. These tasks and
system needs are collectively the office’s requirements. The
requirements are as follows:
1. Create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and send and
receive email.
2. Participate in online video conferences, web courses and
forums (the Director is a part-time professor at a local

university).
3. Create and edit audio and video files and share video and
audio files via emails, instant messaging, and in chat rooms via
mobile devices.
4. Create small databases to manage all audio, video and photo
data.
5. Take high quality digital photos and videosand download
them to the PC as well as scan and edit the photos and videos.
Manipulate/edit various image and video formats (in the
relevant table, please specify at least two image and two video
formats that can be accommodated by your solution(s)). .
6. Print documents to include photo quality color printing.
7. Manipulate pdf files, including editing pdfs, conversion from
pdf to Word and vice versa.
8. Transfer information (audio, video and photos) between PC
machines.
9. Manage the Director’s schedule by using an online calendar
and day planner.
10. Utilize the internet to make online purchases, conduct
banking services and research new audio, video and photo
editing methods using a broadband service (in the relevant
table, please specify service provider).
11. Connect all required peripheral devices you deem necessary
to the system unit.
12. Protect the PC and all components from dirty electrical
power including under voltage (brownout or blackout) and

overvoltage (power surge or spike).
13. Manage and protect the system, data, and information while
working on the Internet including scanning all incoming emails,
email attachments, and files downloaded from Web-based
sources; firewall, virus and spyware (security) protection; and
checking websites for phishing and fraudulent activities.
Your specification must address each of the 13 items listed in
the requirements.

Case Study- Director’s Request for PCs using MS Word Table, MS Acc.docx

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Case Study- Director’s Request for PCs using MS Word Table, MS Acc.docx

Similar to Case Study- Director’s Request for PCs using MS Word Table, MS Acc.docx (20)

More from wendolynhalbert

More from wendolynhalbert (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Case Study- Director’s Request for PCs using MS Word Table, MS Acc.docx