REPORT: PROJECT PROPOSAL


FOR THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF NEW HARDWARE


 


 


Objective: To aid profitability, maximize idle season of production facilities, promote innovation, motivate workforce


 


Contents:


Executive Summary


I. Details of hardware


II. Benefits for the Company


III. Marketability


IV. Potential Buyers


 


Executive Summary


            Using the research results and analysis of the project team, it is found that production and distribution of a new hardware can bring several benefits to the firm in accordance to cited objectives.  The new hardware has features compatible to the transaction needs of real estate industry both for agents and their clients.   


 


I. Details of the Hardware


The hardware will be manufactured and distributed by our company.  Its features include usual capacities of mobile phones with the benefit to real-time virtual tours to commercial spaces from the mobile device of real estate clients.  Our current production facility has produced the standard components for the prototype while some electronic parts and required software were outsourced from our treasured suppliers. 


 


The prototype has done a good job in being compatible with our facilities.  By improving the speed of set-up and re-training of personnel, the high demand in assembly lines can be easily addressed and production can take place.  The new hardware requires more working in LCD, receiver, memory and sound because of the higher requirement of real-time videos.


 


Accessing the right signal for the large amount of data is not a problem as our service providers agreed to support the platform.  This will allow the hardware to incorporate built-in antenna without reducing its coverage.  Thus, portability is acquired together with increased in functionality. 


 


With new internal design and larger internal spaces, the hardware can incorporate specific electronics for larger memory and processors.  This enables multi-viewing of five to ten (5-10) simultaneous videos without affecting the quality of each video.  The hardware is intended for background-oriented video captures compatible in viewing structures, spaces and colors. 


 


II. Benefits to the Company


As earlier indicated, there is no need for complete re-engineering of the current production line.  Efficiency of set-up can be retained through installation of conveyor belts to allow additional workings for this upgraded model.  These belts can also be used for the current models and serve as the site for quality control and inspection. 


 


Re-training of employees will focus on installation of electronic components.  At the end of the short-course, the workers will receive certificates and can use them for promotional undertakings.  Our partners and suppliers are supportive to the product development and willing to give shorter lead times and lenient credit proposals.     


 


The traditional value derived in distribution is apparently short to meet profit expectations.  The current operating and competitive environments became more challenging due to technological innovations.  The economies of scale in production of current product portfolio are undermined by seasonality of orders. 


 


Our on-call production workers have long being idle and machineries eat-up semiannual fabrication costs while we under-utilized production facilities.  As the market became sophisticated, we can re-structure our value-chain and use both distribution and production as key business areas.  At best, their integration can serve as pushing mechanism to attract wider market demographics and also pulling tool for production and delivery costs.           


III. Marketability (the ability of the product to be bought and sold)


As reports show, the real estate industry is expanding and becoming one of the most highly dense in both assets and market capitalization.  Real estate agents are all over the place, brochures are seen in each parked cark and e-mail promotions on house loans are bugging most of us.  The economy has indications of positive outlook that makes the idea of buying a home and property lucrative to households and investors. 


 


However, the marketplace for contracting real estate deals remain tedious and even traumatic (i.e. in the case of minimum satisfaction of the new owners) due to limitation to personal contact.  With the new hardware, the parties can evaluate their decisions using a wider scope of reference with the ability to assess each other contracts through similar conditions as in personal contact.  Busy investors and developers can also save time in getting quotation and going to far away locations using the technology.       


 


The hardware is compatible to the needs of conservative, time-constraint and on-the-go buyers.  It has a portable interface similar to their usual devices with usual features and functionalities.  The mark-up in price of the new hardware is dedicated to the improved video technology and signal coverage.


 


Companies can capture their real estate proposals anytime and anywhere while clients can view them on the same manner.  It comes with a headset which allows voice and video to be conducted simultaneously.  Its bigger screen can maximize the capture of the sender while the ability of the streamed video to be edited is perfect for the purposes of the receiver (i.e. for presentation and review).   


 


IV. Potential Buyers


At least fifteen percent (15%) of our current customers are directly attached to the real estate industry.  Another twenty percent (20%) are involved or connected in such industry.  With this, a total of thirty five percent (35%) or about fifty seven (57) small and large companies are in line with our market consideration.  We can invite interested companies in the launching of final prototype which is expected to be concluded within one (1) month from now. 


 


Explaining the features of the hardware can arouse their interest in using it to their operations.  The key issue in marketing the hardware is the outlook of real estate companies and their buyers.  Once we attracted any one of them, it will demand a respond to the other party.  Once we became successful with organizations, household marketing will be addressed.      


  


The initial online forums we have initiated showed that most of our current customers are positive about this product development.  They argued that our company has long not release new models for our mobile devices that using our old models and not buying new ones are preferred.  They said that slight modifications like changing the color of the case or style of handset is insufficient.  Their current operations are waiting for a breakthrough in mobile devices that can aid utilization of real time information and also the needs of mobile workers.


 


These statements are another sources of motivation required to re-think our current production facility.  From the initial exposure of prototype to the facilities, it proved that it can be produced without requiring additional costs from our coffers.  The initial reaction of customers would be gradual and so there is no substantial risks associated with re-engineering each aspect of old processes in an instant manner.  The idle seasons that the facilities would undergo can be used to focus increased production of the new hardware.  There is a win-win situation in the proposal.           


 


JUSTIFICATION


The CEO is both the primary audience and gatekeeper.  Reaching the primary audience is not a problem but I should be the one who must submit and present the report.  The secondary audience can be the different departments that will be called upon in the planning and implementation of the report.  This can include first and foremost manufacturing and finance which should be included in the analysis. 


 


Failure to consider these two departments can undermine the production and funding of the hardware.  The initial and watchdog audience is the team members which I lead.  To prevent spoilage, the details of the project must be confidential.  The team must avoid unnecessary distraction which can make the report complex and minimize the apparent benefits.  Members must be given due respect and recognition for their contribution to get the needed implementation support when the report is approved. 


 


As suggested by PAIBOC, audiences are the most important element of good business communication.  There are many purposes of the report based on the composition of audiences.  To minimize the effort and time of completing it, the needs of CEO and the two departments must be prioritized. 


 


This is compatible to the sub-headings of the report which includes elements in accordance to specific their interests (i.e. production dept = details of the hardware).  However, the different stance and expertise of the team members if not recognized can adversely affect their effectiveness as planners.  In effect, assuming that there are two types of planners; namely, rational and irrational, there are parts of the report that went like these using theoretical back-ups.       


           


For example, being rational involves analysis of all positive alternatives, say, of mitigating the decline in profits.  However, some members may see this task as costly and as delaying factors (i.e. which includes me).  Irrational methodology resolves this issue by attaching a single alternative and focus project effort on it. 


 


This is compatible in the current situation since I have already informally transmitted the proposal (i.e. the solution to the problem) to the CEO.  In contrast, irrational methodology’s indication in the report should be coupled with persuasive elaboration to replace objectivity.  Moreover, there are certain aspects of the report that requires rationality especially in the use of facts and figures (i.e. identification of markets). 


 


In accordance to irrational methodology, there is a need to suppress negative aspects of the proposal and highlight positive ones.  There might also incur a selection of the acceptable level of alternative.  To increase the attractiveness of the proposal towards addressing corporate objectives, the consequence (i.e. decline in profits and under-utilized production capabilities) will create its own niche objective. 


 


Benefits of the hardware, under rationality approach, should be cross-referenced to the corporate objectives.  However, the quality of the report based on subjective stance of CEO and bounded ability of the hardware makes the move with minimal relation to company-wide endeavor.  As an option, the proposal has benefits that can exceed the present problems.  Thus, increases its perceived performance and address corporate objective indefinitely. 


The report includes information according to the purposes applied to different audiences.  Some of the technical issues that may be of utmost interests to the two departments may adversely affect the interest of CEO about the report.  In these cases, the former are compromised in favor of the latter.  The benefits are clearly marked in the report.  In this part, there is a good portion of data attributed to the two departments because it is likely that the CEO will re-evaluate the stated benefits to the experts. 


 


Objections will also flow from the presentation of the preceding elements.  However, there is a need to de-emphasize complex adversaries or minimize and present solutions to potential problems.  In contexting the report, the CEO would be much concerned in the funding and implementation rather reasoning because of substantial trust on me. 


 


In view of two-person communication, there are hindrances that should be overcome.  First, the channel that is used is only in letter format.  Although personal and inserts the trust of CEO to me, the minimal cost and effort made to produce the report may suggest also minimal emphasis and dedication from my team.  To surpass this, the report embodies a comprehensive result of research and analysis. 


 


It also implies room for elaboration which I can apply after the CEO read the 4-page report.  The spoken word can accompany the limitation of the written report to emphasize the dedication of the team.  In some cases, an interactive communication can set in and so the report needs not to provide extensive explanations rather mere highlights of the team’s finding.   


 


It is also expected that the process of CEO’s decoding of the message can be disrupt by lobbying that can be directed to the two depts.  This is because the two key bottlenecks are financial side and risks (i.e. in cash flows which is a function of production and technology costs) associated with the proposal.  The CEO is too static about the profitability and “safeness” of having distribution activities as the most important business area. 


 


In this view, the report should emphasize the inability of this strategy to prevent decline in profits which is currently happening.  It also opens the bad effect of lack of innovation and stagnation.  Considering these aspects, the report includes relationship of costs/


threats and benefits/ opportunities.  This entail consolidated analysis of the production design and cash flows.  As a result, the sub-headings in the report are interdependent where the findings of one can explain the findings of another.        


 


The report should be simple and comprehensive yet informative and thoroughly researched.  This will deter the potential noise (i.e. hate of additional work) that may arise in the decoding process.  For example, as CEO, there are a lot of matters and concerns that could intercept the full attention to the report or also referred as information overload.  As a result, the title page should be able to suggest that the report intends to reduce the problems and burden of CEO. 


 


It contains the executive summary, table of contents and format of the report including the list of tables, graphs and other illustrations.  It also provides information with due respect to authority of the CEO.  Professional presentation is critical.  The thinking of CEO should be actively considered in the report.  To minimize the gap between CEO and my concern as project leader, conceptual depth and tackling the issue in a holistic manner is utilized. 


     


The CEO’s confidence over the traditional value of distribution and inability to impose abrupt solutions to curb the recent decline in profits reflected sensing-type of behavior.  This is a type of audience where reasoning is taken step-by-step and all necessary facts and issues need to be right.  This type requires the proposal to highlight its importance.  Being facts-oriented, the trust being given to me is a function of how well I present the issues. 


 


These facts, however, can be undermined by the CEO’s own experience like difficulties associated in reducing profit or lesser complexity of distribution-driven business.  As a result, the facts should have the ability to present the proposal’s contribution in maximizing profits and comparative upper hand to the current strategy.    


 


The report serves as support to my informal proposal to the CEO who required a paper report for a second look.  The fact that the CEO is willing to review the proposal has included the sympathy I need.  And so, persuasion using emotions (i.e. begging) is minimal in the report.  Persuasion using professional outlook (i.e. lobbying) will be tapped.  This would avoid spoilage of the emotional tolerance of CEO initially consumed.  The report will fix CEO reluctance to try new and unproved projects. 


 


The ego of CEO, in presenting facts, should also be protected to prevent annoyance towards the report.  This is obtained by using the words like “as you know” which indirectly present facts from the view of the well-informed audience.  Defensive and arrogant words are mortal sins while words which can result to negative reaction and academic language should be avoided.  As alternative, conversational presentation of words is preferred to make the report more responsive and mimic actual/ oral communication. 


 


Checklists


  • Use facts.

  • Without facts, use persuasion.

  • Focus on production and financial side.

  • Acceptance of rational and irrational approach to analysis.

  • Suppress negative aspects and highlight positive ones.

  • Use unbounded benefits.

  • No extensive explanations.

  • Interdependent sub-headings.

  • Comprehensive but thoroughly researched presentation.

  • Holistic view.

  •  Highlight importance of each alternative.

  • Show respect with CEO experience and level of knowledge.

  •  Use comparisons of the current conditions with the future using the proposal.

  • Avoid begging rather use lobbying statements.

  • Protect ego of CEO and prevent being arrogant, defensive, negative reaction and academic language.

  • Use conversational form of presentation of points.

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    Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com


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