Ubuntu = Humanity to Others

Dear C-Levels,

You have assigned me with a task of evaluating Ubuntu as an option for our business. Please allow me to present my findings, assessment of risk, and recommendation pertaining to the possible migration from Windows.

Ubuntu is a Linux based operating system that is part social and part economic: free software, available free of charge to everybody on the same terms, and funded through a portfolio of services provided by Canonical, the development company. Upon download of the system or any applications, potential users are solicited with an option to voluntarily sponsor future updates by donating to the company. 

Based on my experience, Ubuntu appears to be user friendly with abundance of applications and an interface that resembles Windows. The interface looks stylish and innovative yet simple and intuitive in terms of usability. In terms of Web browsing, the operating system comes pre-installed with Firefox but one can choose other browsers, like Google Chrome from the Ubuntu Software center. With regards to office applications, Ubuntu is compatible with Microsoft office and therefore a user can open, edit and share files such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets or PowerPoint presentations. Ubuntu has its own office application, also available for free, called LibreOffice that, although appears to have less functionality as compared to Microsoft applications, does the job just as well. Ubuntu offers applications for fast and easy communication with Thunderbird as preferred access to emails, address book and calendar.  Ubuntu users can enjoy and share music by using Ubuntu One Music store (also compatible with common portable  music players as well as Android phones and iPhones); photos by using Softwell for quick importing, organizing, editing and sharing pictures, or GIMP or Inkscape for creating professional illustrations and videos; and videos  via YouTube, BBC iPlayer and MSN Player. Ubuntu also offers Ubuntu One personal cloud with 5 GB free storage that is compatible with Windows, iOS, and Android. I was particularly impressed with the speed of the system and comprehensiveness of free software store selections.

Ubuntu appears to be targeting the corporate world with the release of Ubuntu Business Desktop Remix as a starting point for large-scale corporate desktop deployments. The company also offers Landscape, the commercial Ubuntu systems management tool from Canonical that promises IT administrators’ easy management of thousands of end-user devices across your enterprise. The first release included the Adobe Flash Plugin, vMware View, and the Open JDK 6 Java run-time environment, while removing social networking and file sharing applications, games and development/sysadmin tools. Canonical also promises low threat of viruses as almost all viruses are coded to take advantage of weaknesses in Windows and would not run on Ubuntu. I think though that it is just a matter of time before this OS will need antivirus software. 

Although the system appears to be user friendly I am expecting some push-back from users as well as inefficiencies caused by lack of familiarity with the system as compared with Windows. Let’s give it a ballpark figure based on estimated inefficiencies of 5 hours per week per week per user, considering the size of our department (200 people) and estimated time to bring users up to speed of one month.  We are looking at a 40 hour work-week for 4 weeks with 200 employees, which translate to 32,000 hours, out of which at least 4,000 would have to be lost due to user unfamiliarity with the system. At an minimum cost of $25 per hour that will translate to $100,000 for the month. If we factor in the cost of support offered by Canonical at a Standard (general business use such as email, messaging and web browsing) or Advanced level (intensive desktop usage such as work conducted by developers) as are looking at an additional cost of $105 to $165 per desktop, which in our case would cost us anywhere from $21,000 to $33,000 per month. We would then need to assess how many months of support we would require. Currently desktop support is provided by out IT team.

I approached the IT team with the idea and they brought a few interesting decision points. They first stated that out PC leases and prices already include the cost of the operating system and based on the agreements we have it would be difficult to separate that cost alone (I will attempt that anyway later on). They also talked about the server requirements and possible changes, which I cannot comment on as I do not have required expertise. Should you wish, I will investigate further. The biggest problem they brought to my attention was our specialized applications and possible interface problems we may face with the use of Ubuntu. The investigation done by the IT team could take weeks to cover all specialized applications and systems and would further add to the inefficiencies cost referenced above.

I was informed that it would be difficult to separate the OS cost from PC cost. I can go over a quick comparison of a stand-alone upgrade fee of $199.99 for Windows 8 Pro. For 200 users we are looking at an upgrade fee of about $40,000 less any applicable corporate discount we can negotiate with Microsoft. Since our IT already provides support no further costs need to be considered. Ubuntu operating system is free therefore the only cost we would incur would be the monthly support of $21,000 to $33,000. Taken that under consideration together with the lost efficiency cost I do not believe that it would be beneficial for us to consider adopting Ubuntu as our operating system. 

On a personal note, I really enjoyed my interaction and experience with this operating system. I think it would be well suited for a start-up business, small tech-oriented companies, an internet cafe, educational environment such as a computer lab, or as a temporary or permanent replacement for a crashed operating system. I am strongly convinced that Ubuntu has a future in corporate world and may stand to be a substantial competition for Windows and Mac OS. Everyone was skeptical about Apple products just a few years ago and look how far the company went now. There are few of us that do not owe some sort of an Apple product. 

I hope you will find my recommendation helpful. Should you require any additional information or further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

MKO

Accenture - Reflection

Dear fellow C-Levels,

In preparation for our strategy meeting and to reflect on the presentation we saw last week, I would like to provide you with my evaluation and recommendation on the subject matter.

Our organization has come a long way to create an outstanding set of values and systems to serve our customers. We are now considering implementation of a COBIT 5 governance system. I understand your concern regarding the cost and significant time that needs to be invested in training our work force. But what we need to focus on is the fact that our company employs the best people, operates based on stewardship and value creation for our clients. We are a one global network based on integrity and respect for the individual. COBIT is a complete, internationally accepted process for IT framework that supports the business, IT executives and management in achievement of goals. It delivers a comprehensive IT governance, control and assurance. The five key principles that this system was based on: meeting shareholder needs, covering the enterprise end-to-end, applying a single integrated framework, enabling a holistic approach and separating governance from management, appear to be in line with our goals.

As I mentioned before, we always ‘walked the talk’ and consistently provided the highest level of service to our customer. Our next step should be to take our service offer to the next level and strive to secure more business by getting accredited and engaging client interested in CORBIT. I looked at the benefits as well as laminations that the accreditation process carries. It is my belief that the advantages of Accenture becoming COBI 5 accredited organization outweigh the disadvantages. The framework is in line with our business objectives and forms the path for our company to be recognized as world-class, certified IT Company. It will further reinforce our commitment to quality.

I recommend that we explore this opportunity and continue the path of quality and control we set ourselves on when starting this company.

Best regards,

MKO

ZARA - Reflection

Dear fellow C-Levels,

We have seen the consultant’s presentation last week about the current state and risk associated with our outdated operating system and infrastructure. The consultants recommended that we replace out operating system and upgrade the point of sales terminals across the network of our 550 stores. They highlighted the benefits provided by the new system to include an inventory status look up, store networking, and the possibility to explore the Internet sales channel that the new system would be able to accommodate and support.

Some of you stated that “if it isn't broke, don’t fix it!” And you appear to be correct stating that we had not had any problems with the system, that it is easy to install and navigate, and that the vendor did promise not to make any changes. Nevertheless, I do not feel, and never felt, comfortable with the idea of ‘theoretical’ inventory balances. I believe we could and should do better than that! Our company experienced extreme success over the years providing customer with trendy clothing lines. I am convinced that we can capitalize on our success further and much faster, if we provide customer with inventory information at our other stores should we not have a particular garment in the store they are visiting. The Internet also appears to be a very powerful selling channel and 

I strongly believe we should pursue the option of offering our products online. Our current system does not support that and therefore I am reaffirmed in my recommendation to upgrade not only our operating system but also our point of sale terminals. I truly believe this will mitigate the business risk that we are facing.

The consultants highlighted some hidden costs that I think we failed to explore and discuss before. I understand this decision may appear costly to you, but I think it is worth it.  We should ensure that we are implementing relevant technology just as we are fashion forward in our garment offering. Out managers will be able to process orders with ease, look up other store’s inventory and devote their time to more effectively and efficiently serve our customers. I am convinced that we will quickly capitalize on this investment (much faster than the 7 years noted by the consultants).

Without further ado, please accept my vote toward the recommendation of updating our OS and POS terminals.

Best regards,

MKO

iPads for Success

Dear Phil and Tom,

thank you for the opportunity to evaluate whether to deploy iPads for your sales force. The iPad had emerged as a real force in enterprise computing, leaving companies with a choice whether to embrace it or leave it behind. With the growing popularity of the device, many companies are now exploring the possibility of using iPads, especially as a productivity tool. As a matter of fact, Apple CEO, Tim Cook, reports that 92% of Forture 500 companies were either testing or deploying iPads, indicating that forward-thinking organizations, such as yours, understand the game-changing potential of these devices.

Based on the conversations I had with the representatives from your Sales, Finance and Marketing departments , I specified the following functional requirements the device must have in order to meet your needs and suggested some functionality and applications that will satisfy them:

According to my research, the functionality that the iPad offers will satisfy your requirements whether you decide to use it as a productivity tool that will enhance the performance of your sales team, or as a replacement for the laptop computers. I will need to meet with your IT team to discuss the technical requirement and Mobile Device Management options. Implementing MDM solutions before deploying the device will let you enforce policies, wipe lost or stolen devices of sensitive data, and push new updates that will ensure consistency in how this device is being used by your sales force at all times. I do not expect a high learning curve as the device is very intuitive and the salesmen I spoke with informed me that they are already using their personal iPads for some of their presentations. 

Once I receive the details of your current leasing agreement with the PC hardware provider, I can explore and negotiate the potential of swapping your current laptops for iPads provided that the lessor is interested in securing the business with your company. Otherwise, we will need to consider the cost of ending the lease and purchasing the devices. I will recommend that we consider iPads with Retina display in either the standard or mini version. Depending on your memory requirements, the cost of a device ranges between $499 for 16GB to $799 for 128GB (please add $200 to each option if you choose Wi-Fi + Cellular options). For a sales force of 2,500 employees, this puts us at a range between $1,247,500 and $1,997,500 (add $500,000 for Wi-Fi + Cellular) for the hardware only. Please note that we can obtain business volume purchase discounts once we set our specifications and commence negotiation with the hardware provider. We will also need some additional accessories, such as cases and screen protectors to safeguard the devices as well as cables and adapters. 

In order to give you an example how iPads can improve sales force performance I would like to reference the case of how they were employed at Daiichi-Sankyo, a global pharmaceutical company based in Japan. Before implementing iPads, the Company's representatives had to carry heavy bags with laptops and lots of brochures to the hospitals and clinics to provide all the information they needed to the doctors, similar to what your sales force does now. With the iPad, the information is available right away allowing them to work much faster. Their iPads come pre-installed with all the applications they need to ensure efficiency and ease of use. Daiichi-Sankyo developed an application for their employees that has all the information about their products with video interviews with doctors who are known authorities in specific medical fields. The application also allows them to track their performance on a daily basis. They use the iPad during their meetings making the process completely paperless. They were so satisfied with the application of Apple technology that they allowed Apple to place their testimonial on their Web site. 

The culture of mobility and convenience is changing the business world for the better and companies are more pressed than ever to identify the best practices for both leveraging the growing use of iPads and incorporating them into more aggressive business strategies. I am fully convinced that the iPad functionality will make your detailers more efficient and effective, and that you will quickly capitalize on this investment. 

Best regards, 
MKO 


References:
www.businessinsider.com
http://www.apple.com/ipad/business/profiles/daiichi-sankyo/#video-daiichi-sankyo

ZARA - IT for Fast Fashion

Problem/Issue Statement

Rapidly growing retail clothing chain Zara is facing a problem of increased business risk caused by use of a DOS operating system. This system is no longer being supported by Microsoft since 2003. The heads of IT for Inditex, a multinational clothing retailer and manufacturer, are faced with a decision whether to upgrade the operating system and POS terminals.

The scope of the problem includes all Inditex operated stores (1,558 stores in 45 countries) of which nearly 550 were part of Zara chain. While having about a third of the company’s stores, Zara generated almost three quarters of the group’s sales. Many symptoms of the problems the company is experiencing include: lack of operating system support, risk of inability to upgrade machines that will not be compatible with DOS, inability to look up or instantly verify inventory in group’s stores, inability to sell clothes over the Internet, inefficiencies in store ordering and return processing, and no reliable inventory information. Furthermore, one of the decision makers appears to have a personal stake in the continuation of current state as he wrote most of the POS application and appears to be reluctant to change.

Situation Assessment

Zara is currently using point-of-sale terminal (POS) system that appears to be behind current technology. The system is reliable and very simple to operate but it runs on DOS, which is no longer supported by Microsoft.  IS department wrote their own accounting software as well as application that supported ordering, fulfillment, and manufacturing. The hardware vendor supplying Zara could upgrade their machines or some peripherals making them incompatible with the DOS system. This would prevent Zara from opening new stores.  Such problem could be detrimental to the chain’s success as the group opens on average one store per day across the world and ample growth still existed in the current markets. One of the factors that contributed to Zara’s success is the fact that they managed to respond to demands of target customers, who were young, fashion-conscious city dwellers, very quickly. The company did virtually no advertising spending - only 0.3% of revenue as compared to competitors who spent 3-4% on advertising. The company allocated more spending to its stores selecting prime retail locations. While Zara’s vertically integrated manufacturing operations enables constant introduction of new items as well as short lead times, the company was unable to take advantage of all distribution channels.  The company did not sell clothes over the Internet as the distribution centers were not configured for picking small orders and shipping them to consumers as well as due to the fact that handling returns of merchandise bought online was complicated.  Store managers determined replenishment quantities for their inventory by walking around the store and determining what has been selling by counting garments and talking to dales people – a time consuming and ineffective process. Store personnel could not look up their inventory balances on any in-store computer and was unable to check their inventory in any other way than calling the store directly. Store sales were transmitted daily, at end of business day, using a modem connected to one of the store’s POS terminals. The inventory balance was theoretical rather than actual, theft, damage and other losses would further make a theoretical inventory a poor reflection of reality. Stores used PDAs for ordering and also for tasks such as handling garment returns to distribution center and transmitting information from headquarters to all stores

List of Plausible Alternative Courses of Action and Evaluation of Alternatives

The IT leadership of Zara needs to consider the following solutions:

1) Continue using the current system and platform since it has not been causing any troubles and is very simple to operate. The vendor assured Zara that, although the company is its only customer using the ancient operating system, they will not make any drastic changes to the POS’s.  

Selecting this option is easy for the company and does not provide for any additional spending. This solution, or should I say lack thereof, is very short-sighted and does not address the problems the company is facing. To the contrary, it makes the situation and future assessment even riskier.

2) Purchase a number of current terminals so that store growth can be temporarily accommodated while the company ports the POS application to new OS such as Windows, UNIX, or Linux.

This option could allow for additional functionality and address part of the problem. Zara would be covered in the event of sudden loss of support from the vendor and work on more permanent solution. Pursuing this option would take the company a step further but will not eliminate the symptoms or provide efficiencies necessary to improve the process.

3) Research and implement a new operating system, purchase new POS units and application compatible with the new system as well as and take the opportunity to build new capabilities into the software.   

This option would require potentially significant capital investment to implement (if we consider 1,558 the company will spend over a million euros on OS, around eight million on hardware, close to four hundred thousand on connectivity, nine million on programming, and about one hundred thousand euros on installation time per store) . This option will also complicate the current simplistic IT infrastructure. IT would have to be trained on application and installation of new systems. The IT department may need to increase its headcount to accommodate for additional assistance needed to be provided to various personnel, including store managers.  

Despite the increased cost if implementation, and possibly maintenance, the company’s problem would be fully addressed. The company would realize efficiencies in its store operations (managers would no longer need to use PDAs to complete returns or place orders, which are very time consuming).  An updated POS application could easily incorporate additional functionality, allowing store personnel to use larger screen, keyboard, and mouse to quickly execute returns. Modern POS terminals could accommodate more sophisticated capabilities, especially networks within company. Every location could know the theoretical inventory of all SKUs, as well as the theoretical inventory in all other stores. This would allow stores to request transfers from one another online, eliminating the need for phone calls to see if an item is in stock.  

Recommendation

Based on the assessment of the risk and potential future economic benefits, I believe that the logical recommendation would be to purchase enough POS to support the company’s growth while working on selection and implementation of a new OS. Nevertheless, it is my assessment that the company should go for more permanent, quality, and sustainable solution that will bring all parts of the system up to speed and I therefore recommend that Zara needs to invest not only in the new operating system but also take the opportunity to upgrade its POS terminal network. As stated above, this will address all symptoms of the problem as well as the problem itself. It will improve the overall quality of data processing and create efficiencies at the stores and in inventory management. It could also allow the company to expand to other selling channels (Internet).

Presentation

Working on a presentation, I would ensure to clearly state the current process, highlight the inefficiencies (no inventory verification, calling stores to check items, difficulties in ordering and processing returns) and the compare them to improvements associated with implementation of the new OS and replacement of POS terminals. Since I am very uncomfortable with the concept of theoretical inventory level – I find it very difficult to accept that a company can be profitable and successful relying on theoretical data as opposed on inventory system that provides actual inventory level with certain allowance for theft or damaged goods. I would also recommend mentioning the improved financial information.

No company can exist without its customers. While clothing offered by Zara is trendy and fashionable, it is of rather low quality. Being a customer, if I go to the store, cannot find a side and need to wait longer than just a few minutes for a salesperson to tell me whether I can get it in another store, after repeating this experience twice, I will not go back to the store. It is worth to highlight that the solution will also improve customer experience.

I would also try to find information about competition – how far behind is Zara with their ancient technology? How does the current situation pay in terms of competitive advantage? And finally, no sales on-line? This has got to change! 

Visio - Let's Do It!

Dear fellow member of the Financial Leadership Team,

During the latest session with potential buyers we received a lot of questions pertaining to the documentation of our business processes, specifically flowcharts. When we went through the outsourcing activity a few years ago we spend a significant amount of time with process owners to document, in great detail, all actions associated with completing their day-to-day activities. We never really fully explored using charts as opposed to process narratives and therefore I wanted to research and provide you with my assessment of this option. We all agree that we need to satisfy the requirements of potential buyers and answer their process related inquiries. I prepared a very basic decision flow chart that will help us determine the basic business need.

Let me outline just a couple of advantages that flow charts present. They help visualize what really takes place in the process and thereby help the viewer understand the process, find potential flaws, bottlenecks, and other less-obvious features within it. Since they are a clear visualization of the process, they can potentially reduce the time needed to learn and understand the details of a process. Flowcharts are an easy way of communicating the logic of a system or process to all concerned. They use standard symbols to depict various actions. They look professional and are easy to grasp since majority of business people are familiar with the meaning of each figure. Flowcharts can be used to map processes, aid brainstorming sessions, create marketing, sales and organizational charts, schedule diagrams and timelines, as well as track project progress.  

Based on the above, I believe that flowcharting our processes will help us answer questions coming from potential buyers. There is a variety of applications that can suit this purpose. I specifically reviewed Google Draw and Microsoft Visio. Per review of the associated license fees, I noted that Vision 2013 Standard is $299.99 per user license, Visio 2013 Professional is $589.99, and Visio Pro for Office 365 is $13 per user per month with annual subscription or $18 per user per month without a subscription. Google Docs Drawing is a free application. Despite the above referenced costs, I would recommend the use Visio 2013 Standard. I used both applications to create various basic flowcharts and it is my opinion that Visio is much more intuitive and provides a better visual expression of the process. Since our employees are already familiar with the Microsoft Office offering they should not take much time to get familiar with the usability of the application, and therefore I am convinced that the learning curve would not be significant. There are multiple free videos from Microsoft that we can utilize for free to bring our people up to speed, should they require assistance. Furthermore, I suggest that we assign the task of flowcharting to our Project Management Office employees as I see it as the most effective and efficient solution. Since we canceled all special projects and development initiatives, this group can devote more time to assist us. Subject matter experts are tied up in providing information for the data rooms and having them learn the application and then map the process may not be the most effective way of handling this project.  I estimate the need for up to 10 user licenses for Visio 2013 Standard, which would total to a cost of just about $3,000. I also suggest placing the flowcharts on our SharePoint site for easy sharing and review purposes.

I believe that our current need and potential benefit fully substantiate the associated cost of the software. Please second my recommendation and let’s get the ball rolling.

Best regards,

MKO

Accenture - Strategic IT Transformation To Be Continued...

Problem/Issue Statement

Accenture is a management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company helping clients become high-performance businesses and governments. The company faces a decision pertaining to the future of their IT infrastructure: whether to adopt CORBIT 5 IT standards that have the potential to recognize Accenture as a world class organization, or continue with the current single, global infrastructure that proved to be effective and efficient from the operational as well as financial standpoint.

Scope of the decision includes entire operations network for Accenture and its IT infrastructure across all company locations. The Company’s IT structure had always promoted streamlining operation within the organization and served as an example for all their clients.  Since Accenture operates in a field that is constantly changing and evolving the operational conditions pose many challenges, which are ultimately symptoms of a developing environment.

Situation Assessment

Accenture’s IT structure evolved from managing technology with a decentralized approach, in which each country chose its own IT platforms and had autonomy to run them, to a ‘one-firm’ approach with centralized implementation of its most critical systems. IT became a business within a business of the company. It transformed from being a cost center to a service organization conceived and driven by the needs of internal customers and stakeholders. It presented clear and verifiable service levels for each of the IT products and services offered while remaining competitive. The company’s fee structure is based on an established level of service on a transactional basis rather than on a periodical fixed fee schedule. Accenture chose Microsoft as a partner to have a single platform and common global applications that reduced overall expenditures and allowed for flexibility to grow though scalability. Microsoft provided Windows NT to run Accenture’s server and network infrastructure as well as SQL database for all data related tasks. Microsoft Outlooks is used for email together with various application provided by the Office Suite products. The Company chose SAP as its worldwide application provider for financial and human resources solutions. Accenture divided various activities into buckets and rationalized IT needs opting for outsourcing of services that are not highly confidential or differentiated competitive core. Any projects are considered based on ROI measures and alliance with corporate strategic objectives.

Such radical changes, although followed by tremendous success and economies of scale, were met with pushback from various levels of the organization. The decision to implement a new IT framework raises further questions of competitive sustainability in globally operated consulting industry. Accenture needs to evaluate whether the implementation of a new framework is aligned with the goals and focus of its IT functions.   

List of Plausible Alternative Courses of Action and Evaluation of Alternatives

The plausible alternative courses of action for Accenture include:

1) Forgo the decision of implementing any changes and focus on maintaining IT function that proved to be very successful through the IT infrastructure outsourcing, continue using single global vendor and accountability schemed for all IT initiatives. Accenture went through a journey of successfully transforming its IT capabilities. The Company more than doubled its workforce in size from 2001 to 2008. The IT organization managed to reduce spending per employee by 60% and reduce overall IT expenses as a percentage of net revenue by 58%. At the same time, the overall satisfaction of Accenture professionals with the IT tools and services is increasing.

2) Take the IT infrastructure to a higher level by implementing COBIT – Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology – a framework created by ISACA for information technology management and IT governance that defines a set of generic processes to manage IT. COBIT is a supporting toolset that allows managers to bridge the gap between requirements, technical issues and business risk.  It is based on 5 key principles for governance and management of enterprise IT:

1) Meeting stakeholders needs,

2) Covering the enterprise end-to-end,

3) Applying a single, integrated framework,

4) Enabling a holistic approach, and

5) Separating governance from management.

The COBIT components include:

a.   Framework – organize IT governance objectives and good practices by IT domains and processes, and links them to business requirements,

b.   Process descriptions – a reference process model and common language for everyone in an organization; the process map to responsibility areas of plan, build and run monitor,

c.   Control objectives – provide complete set of high-level requirements to be considered by management for effective control of each IT process,

d.   Management guidelines – help assign responsibility, agree on objectives, measure performance, and illustrate interrelationships with other processes,

e.   Maturity models – assess maturity and capability per process and helps address gaps.  

Each alternative needs to be evaluated not only from a cost perspective but also from a future benefit potential. CORBIT 5 implementation could have a potential to increase revenue by acquiring new customers interested in adoption of such a standardized framework. The framework offers further control and accountability, which can ultimately help the bottom line.  While Accenture already has a formal process for approval and implementation of new IT initiatives, it has little control over global operation and outsourcing activities in particular. The new framework has the potential for increased IT discipline and focus through a common set of metrics that would ease the evaluation process.

Accenture needs to evaluate the cost benefit structure of the potential implementation. According to ISACA website, internal use license see is $120 per user while consulting use license is $240 per consultants with volume discounts available for each option or $100,000 unlimited, enterprise-wide consulting fee. Site and commercial licenses run between $10,000 and $50,000. Depending on how many employees need to be licensed to meet the Company certification requirements, the cost can easily become significant. Accenture needs consulting advice that would outline the total cost of COBIT implementation as well as associated requirement.  

Recommendation

Based on the understanding of business requirements, evaluation of the alternatives, characteristics and future, long term benefits of each option, I believe that the logical and quality recommendation that will best suit the business needs would be to implement COBIT 5 at Accenture. While implementation of the solution will inevitably range in millions of dollars, the potential benefits, alignment of objectives and business goals as well as affirmation that the Company can ‘walk the talk’ approach would fully substantiate the monetary output. It will take the Company’s service offer to the next level. Some important factors that need further information are the training, certification and implementation requirements. I would like to see the consultant’s research before signing off and committing to serving as the project champion.

Presentation

If I were presenting the case, I would ensure to highlight all strategic considerations involved in making the decision (what’s in it for me as a company). The C-Level executives need to be aware and fully understand the financial and operational implication of the CORBIT 5 implementation when evaluating each alternative and deciding on a course of action that is in best interest of the Company. I would break out all objectives that CORBIT 5 presents and compare them to Accenture objectives to depict the alignment. I would also create a cost comparison of the framework and underline the potential benefits; maybe even suggest some actions that would reduce the cost, if plausible.  I would research and provide information of other alternatives (if possible). I would also try to obtain information on other companies, including Accenture competitors, to see if implementation of this framework can be supported by customer feedback or if Accenture will be a pioneer in this undertaking.