Scenario  Routine Memo

Patricia Irving, head of Wascana Investments Inc., recently invited your firm to send her information about one of your company's accounting software packages, the Zedex III Solutions software. She asked your sales director, Victor Boudeli, to submit a routine memo to her describing this product's practical features.

Victor asked you to write a routine memo describing the Zedex III Solutions software's ability to deal with large volumes of information. He also wanted you to emphasize your company's strong record of customer satisfaction.

Wascana Investments Inc. is a small brokerage firm that employs 50 financial managers serving more than 7,000 clients. The current accounting system in use at Wascana was developed for the company two years ago by a third party. However, it was poorly designed and is now inadequate for the company's needs. Wascana requires a new accounting system to track the hundreds of financial transactions the company handles on a daily basis.

Your company, Zedex Development, is a software production firm specializing in providing custom accounting solutions for clients such as banks and investment brokers.

Victor Boudeli has asked you to write this routine memo on his behalf and send a copy of this memo to Jason Tucker, Chief Information Officer at Wascana Investments. Jason is an accountant and has recently completed training as a certified network analyst. Boudeli also requested that you forward copies of your memo to Barbara Miller, Zedex President, as well as to a group of Wascana investors.

Questions/Tasks

4. Who is (are) the primary reader(s) targeted by this memo? Refer to Figure 5.3 Asking the Right Questions to Profile Your Audience on page 98 in your textbook to provide an explanation.

5. Describe your professional relationship with your primary reader(s). Refer again to Figure 5.3 on page 98 of your textbook.

6. Given your answer to question 5, what tone should your memo convey? Support your answer with examples. Refer to pages 98 and 99 in your textbook.

7. In your opinion, how knowledgeable is (are) the primary reader(s) about the subject of the memo? Explain. Think about your readers' knowledge of computer products, accounting systems, and information management prior to sending your memo.

8. Should you expect a negative response, a positive response, or a neutral response from your primary reader(s)?

9. Identify your secondary readers and describe their specific information needs.