Question: Upgrading an Organization's Computers

Your organization earns $50 million in annual sales, has 500 employees, and plans to acquire 250 new portable computers this year along with another 250 next year. The goal is to issue every employee a company-owned computer, which they can use at work and at home. The computers will be loaded with antivirus software and productivity software to meet each employee's business needs. Your organization has decided it will purchase the computers from the same manufacturer to obtain a quantity purchase discount. To the extent possible, the goal is to have the same hardware and software for everyone to simplify the troubleshooting and support of the computers. The chief financial officer has asked you to lead a project team to define users' computer hardware needs and recommend the most cost-effective solution for meeting those needs.

Review Questions

1. Which classes of portable computers could meet the needs of your organization?

2. What are the pros and cons of each class of portable computer?

Critical Thinking Questions

1. Who else (role, department) and how many people would you select to be a member of the team? How would your team go about defining users' needs?

2. Do you think that only one manufacturer and model of portable computer will meet everyone's needs, or should you define multiple portable computers based on the needs of various classes of end user?