Description
For a good business case analysis, you must closely examine the issues with which the company is confronted. You must then articulate well-thought-out solutions with supporting quantified benefits that meet the Company’s strategic objectives and help drive Profitable Revenue Growth. A case analysis is not an essay or a report:
Case = A statement of quantified facts and reasons used to support an argument.
Analysis = A careful and methodical investigation of the component parts of a whole and their relationships in making up the whole. This requires critical thinking.
Your Assignment
Using the provided “SMB Case” material plus additional information that you have researched, write a Case Analysis that provides a solidly considered IT/IS digital transformation strategy recommendation to Janice (Senior Director of IT) that will help accelerate the growth of the business by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing, sales, inventory, and accounting functions. As you consider the elements of the case, think about the implications of the Digital Ecosystem Model as well as the IT Portfolio Model covered in class. These are your tools to make sure all relevant bases/topics are covered appropriately. The market opportunity is good so there is growing competition in the region from other larger, more technically savvy companies. You may want to do research to see what other industrial distributors are doing to stay competitive.
NB: You are writing this analysis for Janice (not me). As with all business writing, assume other people in the organization not directly addressed on the cover page may read your analysis. Be very careful what you say and how you say it. In this instance, assume all the senior executives will read your analysis.
Grading Rubric
Typical “A” cases are over 20 single spaced pages (about 8000 words). Grading will be on a point system based on content, clarity, and writing fundamentals. Points will be assigned as follows (For specific levels, consult the Canvas Assignment Rubric):
Points (100 Total possible points):
Critical thinking broken down as follows:
5 points – Executive Summary
40 points – Answer the questions thoroughly with clear supporting facts and in a business “voice”
10 points – Illustrative graphs and tables that prove your points
10 points – Go above and beyond (do extra research, citing respected sources) and/or exemplar writing (well-formed business/analysis style solid compare and contrast for proposed solutions and excellent business voice)
15 points – Proper Format
15 points – Authoritative references cited properly as endnotes (not footnotes) that prove the points in your analysis
Do enough research and use the references necessary to cover the topic adequately. You will probably have more than 15 references. Be sure to use respected sources – Avoid Blogs and Use the CRAP test.
Citing Wikipedia, CourseHero, Chegg or the like is not allowed. 15 points will be deducted for every citation instance.
5 points – A well thought out Network diagram (You must construct this diagram. A “clip art’ diagram is worth “0” zero points.)
Unformatted Attachment Preview
SMB Case – Rock Solid
Industrial Parts, Inc.
(The Case Detail for: Case Analysis, Presentation, and
Briefing)
The Case
Your Situation
You work for a family-owned industrial parts distribution business (Rock Solid Industrial Parts, Inc.)
located in San Jose, California. Your uncle, David Simpson, got you a summer job last year working at
RSIP as an IT Support Tech. They liked you enough to hire you right after graduation. The hours are
good, and the pay is outstanding allowing you to pay off your student loan quicker than most of your
friends. You are currently the only IT person at the company. They are even providing you with golf
lessons.
Your background and education (MIS
from SJSU) have made you the go-toperson for all technology related issues in
the company. As the only individual in the
company with “some” technical background, the Owner/CEO of the company, Philip Hurd, has come to
you for advice on what IT/IS systems the company should be thinking about implementing to enable
continued profitable revenue growth by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the business
overall. He understands it will be difficult to scale the business without implementing some process
changes supported by technology. You know the company is in the process of hiring a Senior Director of
IT, Janice Drake, who is very experiences but a relative newcomer to the industry. She may not be
onboard before the business analysis is due.
The Opportunity
The Executives have agreed on a 3-year strategic plan to grow the business by expanding into other
territories covering the entire west coast and mountain states. Current sales of $33 Million/year are
expected to more than double to $72 Million in that timeframe. Currently at about 36 employees, they
expect to increase their staff to over 70 employees to support sales growth. This is your big opportunity
to show what you can do to help drive the strategic growth plan as well as ensure the solutions you pick
today will continue to scale with the business over the next decade. A successful implementation might
get you a raise and will definitely look good on your resume.
Background
In the late 1930’s Philip Hurd’s grandfather, Hugh Hurd, started an industrial parts distribution company
in Sunnyvale California close to the Joshua Hendy Iron Works. Upon returning from the Pacific after
WWII, Hugh’s son Jack took over the business and moved it to its current location in South San Jose.
Throughout their high school years his sons Philip and Tim worked in various roles within the company
gaining extensive working knowledge of the industry. In 1970 Jack retired, leaving the business to Philip
and Tim.
Today, Philip (61 years old) and his brother Tim (59 years old), CEO and COO respectively, run the
company. Their high school buddy Don McCloud (60 years old) is the CFO. David Simpson has been with
the company for over 25 years, moving up the ranks to VP of Sales. The four C-level executives are
steadfast golf buddies, playing almost every Sunday at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club. Tom Smith,
Regional Sales Manager for the Pacific states is married to Tim’s daughter Becky. When David retires, he
will most likely become the VP of Sales. Philip’s son, Phil Jr, is planning to leave his finance job at
Northrup Grumman to join the business as CFO when Don McCloud retires in 5 years.
Having worked outside the family business for many years, Phil Jr. sees the potential for a significant
increase in revenue for Rock Solid and is the main strategic architect for growing the business. Being in
finance at Grumman, driving profitable revenue growth is his primary objective. His operation is heavily
supported by IT/IS, so he knows the potential benefits of technology use in a business. When his father
retires in 7 years, he will likely become CEO. He has counseled his father on what technologies might be
needed to expand the business. In one of their conversations, he explained to his father: “Digital
initiatives must not be confused with the real business transformation needed for Rock Solid to succeed
in the digital age. The former is mostly about enabling business as usual and ‘staying in the game,’ while
the latter is about building real, long-term competitive advantage.” He also commented: “Because we
are expanding our product/support offering to our customers with our MRO initiative as well as
expanding our reach into other regions, whatever we do must be scalable.”
The Strategic Plan Details
The strategic plan is to grow the company from current sales of $33 Million/year to $72 Million in three
years by aggressively expanding into southern California and the Mountain states. Jim Donner, a 27-year
veteran employee and rising sales star, has been chosen to lead the effort in the Mountain States. A
mixed model of direct and independent sales representatives supported by inside sales has worked well
for the company over many years, so the intent is to continue the model. The Field Salespeople are on
the road most of the time. They also work from home and may come into the office several times during
the week. Southern California will have a small satellite office in LA or San Diego and the new Mountain
States Region will have a regional office in Denver.
Functional Group
Expansion Year
C- Level Executives
Operations
Finance &
Accounting
HR
Marketing
Admin
Sales
IT
Current Staffing
Headquarters Office
San Jose
Current (Year 1)
4
5
4
1
1
3
Field Sales 10 + 1 RSM
Inside Sales 4
Apps Engineers 2
1 Technician (addition of 1
senior manager and 2 staff
planned)
3 Year Expansion Plan
Southern California
Mountain States
LA or San Diego
Denver
Year 2
Year 3
0
0
0
0
1 (Doubles as Office
1 (Doubles as Office
Manager)
Manager)
0
0
0
0
0
0
Field Sales 10
Field Sales 10 + 1 RSM
Inside Sales 4
Inside Sales 4
Apps Engineers 2
Apps Engineers 2
0
0
In this type of business, long-term personal relationships are particularly important. Sales reps tend to
bring their best customers with them as they move from distributor to distributor. Rock Solid is
intending to leverage this fact to grow very quickly by hiring experienced sales representatives from
competing distributors. Year two they will open the San Diego office followed by The Denver office in
year three.
Sales Staffing Table
Revenue
Sales Headcount
Accounting/Office Manager
Year 1
$40 Million
17
2
Year 2
$55 Million
33
2
Year 3
$72 million
50
2
The company plans to use technology to minimize operating overhead as they grow and to keep the
organization as flat as possible by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.
The Organization
The Headquarters’ organizational structure and operational functions are very typical of an old-line
industrial distributor. (Blue = Existing Organization Green = New Positions being added)
Advised by Phil Jr., Philip Sr. is driving the change. Having read about the benefits of CRM automation,
David, acknowledges the need for better technology as the sales force grows in number and territory
reach. Don McCloud, CFO, has serious reservations about changing anything. His tight control of the
financials has kept the company very profitable even during the “great recession” of 2007/2009.
Everyone in the company is making good money. His view: “Why change what isn’t broke?” Don is not
technical (he is an Apple user and gets his technical information from the Geek Squad). He does not
appreciate the importance of technology’s role in helping companies scale. Tim Hurd, COO, is on the
sidelines with a wait and see attitude. As an executive team, they have all agreed to give the Strategic
Philip Hurd
CEO
David Simpson
VP Sales &
Marketing
Marketing
Tom Smith
RSM
Pacific States
Don McCloud
CFO
Jim Donner
RSM Mountain
States
Tim Hurd
COO
Finance &
Accounting
Shipping and
Receiving
Inside Sales
Inside Sales
Janice Drake
Sr. Director of IT
Inventory
Management
Outside Sales &
Field Applications
Outside Sales &
Field Applications
Human
Resources
Facilities
Growth Plan a shot and on the advice of Phil Jr. they have hired Janice Drake as Senior Director of IT
from a small technology company in San Jose to manage the new IT/IS implementation. You will report
to her with a promotion if things go well. They are even thinking about remodeling the office space to
make it look more modern and inviting.
The company is not very technologically oriented. Today, almost everything is being done with older
desktop computers, paper forms, Excel and Quicken. The company has only a rudimentary online
presence and an antiquated Plain Old Telephone System (POTS). Most of the workers are conservative,
older (average age 55) and have been with the company for more than 25 years. They are comfortable
with computers but do not generally use Facebook or Text Messaging. Many do not even have
smartphones. In short – they are not very technically savvy and will likely be very resistant to change.
The current Field Sales Operation is very local. Even though the salespeople are on the road most of the
time, they generally work from home when needed. They come into the office every Monday morning
for a weekly sales update meeting (issues, resolutions, sales forecasting) that sometimes includes
training by key product vendors. During a brief conversation with David (VP of Sales and Marketing) you
discovered vendors often require both a whiteboard on which to draw diagrams and a projector for
PowerPoint slides during training meetings. Provisions must be made to continue these meetings to
include salespeople who are in remote locations or working from home. He also expressed concerns
about going ‘Digital’ when his people are on the road because Wi-Fi hotspots are not always readably
available in more remote areas.
The Warehouse Operations is automated to the degree that they use barcode scanners, however, there
is no automated inventory control and no LAN in the building except in the front office. Everything is
handled with Excel spreadsheets that are PDF’d and emailed weekly to the sales reps. Inventory
management is becoming an issue. Today there are 100K SKUs of record in inventory (some may be old
and no longer physically in stock or available). The number of SKU will grow by as much as 10% as they
expand into new maintenance and repair operation (MRO) service areas.
The communication utility point of
presence is in a small room toward the
front right of the building. AT&T
consumer ADSL plus consumer grade
switches are currently supporting the
company’s connection to the internet A
high-speed commercial grade fiber
internet termination is available but unused. There is no cable connection. An
old PC is being used as both an FTP and
a print server. The desktop PCs are old
and running Windows 7 – some still use
CRT monitors. The PCs are running
various older versions of MS Office and
Quicken is being used for the
accounting software. HR is completely paper based with payroll outsourced to ADP.
Your Task
There are many moving parts to a Digital Transformation. Your task is to understand the issues involved
and to apply new/modern IT/IS solutions to marketing, sales (mobile workers supported by an inside
sales desk), inventory & warehouse management and accounting to support the Strategic Growth plan.
To keep overhead expense growth to a minimum the entire business must become more effective and
efficient as it expands. Your budget is $250K to $750K. What do you recommend doing? How are you
going to implement the chosen technologies considering that the workforce is old and not tech savvy?
Knowing up to 80% of all IT/IS initiatives fail, what are you going to do to make sure you are the 20%
that succeed?
OMG – This is not Business Process Redesign or a Digital Transformation – This is a Digital Revolution!
Within about a month you must analyze the situation and develop solution recommendations in a
written format. After a review by the executives, you and your team will be expected to make a
presentation to the staff and answer tough questions about your recommendations. As is often
common, you can also expect there will be follow-up briefings with various executives on key points.
###
Specific Questions/Topics to be Considered in your
Written Case and Presentation.
There are several questions that you must consider in your analysis. Note: At some point early in your
analysis, you should consider which digital transformation design choice the company should use:
automation, information, re-design or paradigm shift? Look for best-in-class examples and major
competitors to inform and support your choice.
In your analysis, please address the following elements in the order given based upon your digital
transformation design choice [See the Expectations, General Guidelines, and Example documentation in
Module C for more specifics]:
1. Major Areas to Consider: Cover the four primary areas* in the exact following order:
a) Processes to be Redesigned [Put your quantified benefits here]
b) Technology (Software, Hardware, Data, Supporting Infrastructure)
Note: A case specific Infrastructure diagram is required. To describe the Infrastructure
requirements in this section you should use a more generalized diagram (Point-of-Presence
to the Access Points) so non-technical readers can gain a basic understanding of what is
required. Put the detailed Infrastructure diagram in an Appendix. The Network Diagrams in
the appendix must be complete enough so a third party (e.g., Network VAR) could use them
to implement a workable solution. Use the symbols provided at the end of this document
plus any other standard ‘Cisco’ network icons/symbols as required.
c) People (Non-tech savvy – How are you going to manage this?)
d) Structure [Write: “No structure changes anticipated.”]
2. What will the most difficult Technical (not People or Process) implementation task be? [Hint: It
is not the Infrastructure.]
3. What are the top 3 to 5 risks of your IT/IS digital transformation strategy recommendation? How
will you mitigate them? Do your research to discover what the experts say about digital
transformation/business process redesign success/failure. And remember, if you highlight a
Risk, you must always propose a solution to Mitigate the Risk. Cite your sources.
4. Timeline for the Implementation. Must cover the 3-year expansion plan. [Note: Is not possible
to do a budget unless the implementation timeline is complete/accurate.]
5. High-level Budget for the implementation (presented in a table). Costs for infrastructure
elements are often hard to get. Use the pricing provided at the end of this document as a
time/effort-saving aid. Warning – The pricing table is not exhaustively complete. It is not an
indication of all of the Infrastructure required. You will still need to do research on the other
costs as required. Cite your sources. Place a 3 Year Summery Budget table in the body of your
document. Put the detailed Budget Table in an Appendix. Break your budget into sections:
Technology (Software, Hardware, Data, Infrastructure) and Other. Avoid breaking tables across
page boundaries.
[Note: For your budget, Data Direct Costs are things like data sourcing (including legacy data
conversion), data governance, and data consumption/analysis. Think – you are
“touching/manipulating/controlling/securing” the data – that is a direct data cost. In general,
servers on- or off-premises are considered Infrastructure because they are general usage and
only “hold” the ones and zeros of the data. Careful: Some software apps come with their own
data repositories that you do not own or directly manage/control – This is part of the Software
Budget because you cannot separate it out.]
Some Helpful Information
SMB Overview
Over the past decade, the small business market has become a popular and increasingly contested
market for technology companies. While there are many definitions of what constitutes an SMB, the
most common are based on the number of employees. Generally, businesses with fewer than 100
employees are classified as small and those with between 100 and 250 are classified as medium. The
opportunity in the SMB market is significant; however, the large number of small businesses and the
low IT spend per business makes it a difficult market to penetrate. For example, according to Compass
research, there are 2.4 million businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees in the US and 2.3 million of
those have fewer than 100 employees.
Small businesses constitute the majority of businesses worldwide and they are growing at a faster rate
than large enterprises. In a market research study conducted by Compass, small business owners
identified their most important IT needs as: attracting new customers, serving existing customers
better, increasing employee productivity, lowering operating expenses, and improving collaboration
among workers. Now, more than ever, hardware and software technology companies are focusing on
providing SMBs the products they need to meet these challenges.
All businesses, regardless of size,
are organized into functional
structures.
In
smaller
businesses, individuals may take
on multiple roles. For example,
in a start-up, the CEO, CTO and
Director of HR may be the same
person, or a CFO may also do all
the accounting as well as mange
the financials. Functional groups
may report to different C-Level
Executives depending on a wide
variety of factors. For example,
IT/IS may report to the CEO, CFO
or COO. If the IT/IS department is big enough, it may be headed up by a CIO. In large enterprises, the
roles and titles are generally very well defined. Regardless, the various business tasks must be
accomplished, and, in a modern digitally savvy business, IT/IS generally supports these tasks.
HQ Operations
Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) is the location where most, if not all, of the important
functions of an organization are coordinated such as corporate management (C-level executives),
strategic planning, corporate communications, tax, legal, business development and M&A, marketing,
sales, engineering, research and development, finance, human resources, information technology,
corporate security, logistics and procurement.
Warehouse Operations
A warehouse is a building for storing goods. They
are generally large plain spaces with metal racks or
shelving to organize the goods for easy inventory
storage and picking for shipment. A warehouse has
loading docks to load and unload goods from
trucks. Larger operations may have cranes and
forklifts for moving goods, which are usually placed
on pallet racks. In very large operations, very
sophisticated robotics may be used (think Amazon).
To improve efficiency, most modern warehouses
will have inventory management system (IMS)
automation software with barcode scanners or RFID for tracking goods through receiving, storing, and
shipping. These automated systems are often tied directly to accounting and CRM systems to allow for
further automation of supporting processes as well as to allow salespeople better access to sailable
inventory.
Sales (Field Sales or ‘the field’)
B2B salespeople sell products and services to other businesses (not consumers as in B2C). B2B
salespeople often sell to professional buyers who are trained to get the best possible deal, they also
often sell to teams of decision makers, all of whom must be convinced that this product is the best
solution for their needs. Today, successful salespeople are experts in their customers’ businesses and
function more as consultants – strong personal relationships are particularly important.
B2B sales come in two general types. The first type is selling products that meet a business’s needs, like
office supplies or computer equipment. The second type of B2B sales is selling components that the
business will then use to manufacture its own products or to repair/replace their own equipment.
Sales operations can be complex and organized in several ways. Salespeople can be:
Direct – Directly employed and compensated by the company.
Representative (Rep.) – Independent (not an employee) of the company they are ‘representing.’
Usually paid on a commission plan of some type. Generally, representatives may sell other noncompeting, synergistic products as part of their product portfolio. In particular cases, a
representative might be considered “captive” in that they only sell one company’s
products/services.
The tools salespeople use today are more complex including CRM systems for tracking opportunities as
well as websites and social media for generating leads and communicating information to potential
buyers and specifiers. As a result, salespeople need a variety of supporting hardware (some combination
of Laptops, tablets, smart phones, even smart watches) and software (the most common being MS
Office, email, TXT messaging, pdf readers, video conferencing, CRM, and Malware protection) as well as
supporting technology infrastructure (Wi-Fi, cellular data and VPN connections) to do their jobs
effectively. Salespeople are often mobile (traveling by car, rail, plane) to visit customers requiring
consistent, always available, secure communications capability.
Industrial Distributor
An Industrial Distributor is an independent company that acts as a supply chain intermediary. They buy
products in bulk from various manufacturers, stock (warehouse) them and then sell/supply them to
businesses that then use the products in manufacturing or maintenance/repair operations. In general,
they do not sell direct to consumers or retail stores. In addition to carrying stock, they offer credit and
provide delivery services. Distributors may use direct and/or representative (in-direct) salespeople.
Industrial Products
Industrial Products are the products which are not
directly used by the end customers. They are
mostly used in Business to Business (B2B)
scenarios. Product types include raw materials,
machinery, electrical equipment, wire and cable,
repair parts, tools, and supplies.
Technology Software
Software refers to the software (e.g. MS Office, Adobe, Skype, Google, utilities, VPN, anti-virus….) used
on the Hardware employed by individual users to perform tasks using electronic technology. Note:
Software used by IT to control/manage/maintain/secure the Infrastructure (e.g. remote/cloud
management, security, privacy, helpdesk…) should be detailed in the Infrastructure section.
Technology Data Overview
Data is considered the data itself as well as the direct activities associated with the data: data sourcing
(including legacy data conversion), data governance, and data consumption/analysis. From a budget
standpoint “touching/manipulating/controlling/securing” the data – that is a direct Data Cost. In general,
servers on- or off-premises are considered Infrastructure and are part of the Infrastructure Budget
because they are general usage and only “hold” the ones and zeros of the data. Careful: Some software
apps come with their own data repositories that you do not own/control – This is part of the Software
Budget because it is employed by individual users and is difficult to separate it out.
Technology Infrastructure Overview
Technology infrastructure generally refers to the
enterprise’s entire collection of hardware, software,
networks, data centers, facilities and related
equipment used to develop, test, operate, transport
the data, monitor, manage and/or support
information technology services. Infrastructure does not refer to the hardware (e.g., Laptops, tablets,
smartphones….)
Note: As the complexity of the infrastructure requirement grows so does the complexity of its design
and implementation. Most SMBs do not have the required knowledge or skills so they generally use
Value-Added Resellers (VAR) to help. A VAR takes software, hardware and/or infrastructure technology
and implements it for a customer. The VAR is not the manufacturer of the equipment, however, is
expected to have a thorough knowledge to properly customize, install, test, and sometimes maintain
them for the customer.
As a business’s networking needs expand, the need for managed switches increases. A switch works
in the data link layer, connects nodes of the same subnet together and forwards packets to the correct
port by analyzing the MAC address. Managed switches are essential for larger networks and those with
voice or video traffic (video conferencing) which needs to be prioritized above data traffic to ensure
high quality feeds. Another important feature on managed switches is Power over Ethernet (PoE) used
to supply power to devices such as wireless access points or IP phones so that these devices can be
installed in locations that lack easy access to a power outlet. Power over Ethernet is injected onto the
cable at typically 48 volts DC. This voltage allows efficient power transfer along the cable, while still
being low enough to be regarded as safe. One of the additional benefits of PoE is that it does not require
a certified electrician to install unlike a 110V power outlet thus potentially reducing instillation costs.
The furthest distance a PoE switch can transmit simple data over Ethernet is 100 meters (the Ethernet
standard). A PoE Ethernet Extender, however, can lengthen that span up to 4000 feet.
Routers work in the network layer are used to connect to the internet and to send traffic between
Local Area Networks (LANs). A router analyses the IP addresses and routes a packet to the correct
destination through the proper gateway. Hence, routers are used for interconnecting networks rather
than connecting nodes in a subnet (use a switch for this). Routers connect physically separate networks
into one seamless network for the end users. Routers also provide additional security and protect
against denial-of-service attacks and other security threats.
Wireless networks consist of Wireless LAN controllers and access points (APs). Wireless products range
in complexity from simple standalone access points that are easily installed and require little or no
setup to more complex networks consisting of multiple APs integrated into a seamless m an a g ed
network.
In an industrial setting, AP specifications,
placement and antenna design become more
critical to maintain speed and connectivity than in
a consumer application, particularly in buildings
with reinforced concrete and/or metallic structures
causing interference and multipath reflections.
Warehouse and manufacturing spaces can be even
more problematic because of both signal blocking
structures and electrical interference issues. A standard consumer AP will not perform well in these
types of environments. To help solve this problem, APs with MIMO and beam forming technologies use
multipath reflections to gain significant signal strength, avoid dead spots and improve reliability.
Improved reliability translates to a greater coverage area for a given data rate.
Warning: Too many Access Points can cause serious cross-interference. While it is possible to implement
by trial and error, generally a certified installer experienced with industrial implementations will need to
be corrected to do a wireless survey. If you are not sure what this mimplies – Google it.
More advanced infrastructure technologies include security, Unified Communications, and wireless
technologies:
Security – Most vendors today build security features into every product they sell. In addition, many
vendors also sell other security products such as spam blockers, firewalls, and identity management
software. With the growing prevalence of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) systems to address threats
that lie within the perimeter of the firewall are required. ALL devices connected to the network must be
protected. This includes PCs, Macs, and smartphones.
For the past few decades, a corporate virtual private network (VPN) has been the go-to answer for
connecting to work when away from the office. It is simple, affordable, and relatively secure. However,
the discussion now has a new wrinkle – zero-trust. Zero trust network access operates by assuming that
the device or user is not authorized for access, and then authenticating each connectivity request. This
approach limits the attack surface area and provides scalability. The security debate often focuses on
which method to choose: VPN or zero-trust. However, another option is to combine both technologies.
Deploying a VPN in the short term is helpful while moving to a zero-trust approach later in a secure
infrastructure buildout.
Unified Communications – Unified Communications (UC) is a broad category that refers to applications
that combine voice, data, and video over the same network. Combining voice and data networks
generally saves businesses money because they only must maintain one network and allow for new
productivity features such as accessing voice mail on the desktop. Most UCs have the ability to redirect
incoming IP calls to different designated phones, such as cellular phones. Users can also transition active
calls between their desktop and mobile phone without interruption.
Historically, PBX (public branch exchanges) were used as the network to carry voice traffic. However,
with UC, voice traffic can be converted into packets and passed over an IP network and reassembled on
the other end. The most popular UC products for SMBs are IP telephony solutions, such as Cisco’s
Smart Business Communication System that combines a network foundation with security, wireless,
and voice applications all in one system. Cisco is the worldwide leader in Unified Communications
followed closely by Microsoft. Some UCs are Cell Phone based. Today, more CRM providers are
integrating UC into their offerings. One of the barriers to adoption of UC has been the upfront capital
cost, which many SMBs are not willing to undertake even though UC will save money over time through
lower telecom and network maintenance costs.
Infrastructure Hardware Help
Finding pricing and infrastructure symbols can be frustrating and time consuming. Please use the
symbols and costs listed below as starters for the required Infrastructure diagram. (Yes – There is more
to it than you think!) You are not expected to be an expert, however, you must demonstrate a basic
understanding of the infrastructure requirements. You will need to do some research/reading about
SMB Networking. It is suggested that you check out what Cisco has to say on the subject before you
start. Remember, Rock Solid is a ‘small’ business but not a consumer or an enterprise level company.
Keep it simple and easy to manage.
Note: Be careful with your Budget – Firewalls, Cloud Management, and other Infrastructure services
often require subscriptions. You must include them in your Budget.
Warning: Below is a “starter” cheat sheet. The “cheat sheet” is designed to help you with the case. It is
only a “starter” not the entire network. It may not have or be the appropriate elements of the
Infrastructure required. There is more to the network infrastructure you must consider. You must think
through the complete end-to-end network requirements before you start using any of the symbols or
you may layout a network that will not work. If your network does not at least get a signal all the way
from the Internet to an Access Points (AP) in the building – You will get a “0” (zero) for the Network
Infrastructure. I would suggest you consider the Hardware first and how it will connect to the network.
Then consider the Internet connection at the Point of Presence (PoP) and what infrastructure equipment
must be in the “server room”. Simply stating: …. “ATT services” or “Comcast Business” will not cut it.
You must specify what equipment is in the Server Room.
Symbols And Costs As Starters For The Required Infrastructure Diagram
Type
Modem
Description
High Speed ADSL
Network Symbol
Avg. Cost
$200
High Performance 1Gig DOCIS
$270
High Performance DOCIS Modem/Router w/WiFi 6 & Firewall)
$600
Firewall
High Performance Managed Commercial Grade
w/VPN
$1000
Router
Standard Unmanaged
$2500
Managed w/Firewall & VPN
$300
Managed w/Firewall, Wi-Fi 6 & VPN
$500
Unmanaged 8 Port
$140
Unmanaged 24 Port
$250
Cloud Managed 8 Port w/PoE
$1500
Cloud Managed 24 Port w/PoE
$2000
Unmanaged
$200
Cloud Managed
$350
Switch
Access
Point
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Business Case Analysis
Expectations, General Guidelines, and Example
Updated Fall 2023
Submission of a Case Analysis is required for successful completion of this course. It is part of
your Capstone experience. Read and understand the Expectations and Guidelines very carefully –
Your grade will depend upon it. A Case Example has been provided at the end of this document.
This document is broken into four main topics:
I
