Contents,Our proposal is divided into the following sections:,Section 1 Introduction. What does Plaskolite want from this project? Section 2 Project Overview. What is Arthur Andersens perspective on software evaluations? Section 3 Project Approach. How will we conduct the evaluation? Section 4 Project Team Who will work on the project? Section 5 Project Timing. How long will it take? Section 6 Project Costs. How much will it cost? Section 7 Arthur Andersen. Why Arthur Andersen? Section 8 Project Resources. What are the qualifications of our team?,Our Understanding of Your Needs,Plaskolites overall goal is to evaluate and select an integrated customer service, distribution, manufacturing and financial software package that best supports your business information needs. To help achieve this goal, Plaskolite would like a Arthur Andersen to assist with the evaluation and selection of a new software package. The specific objectives of this project will be to: Define and prioritize business and information requirements Identify process improvement opportunities Research and identify viable software candidates Objectively facilitate the evaluation of the most appropriate software alternatives Define appropriate technical architecture Assist with vendor negotiations Plan the software implementation at a high level,Section 1: Introduction,Our Understanding of Your Needs,The key deliverables to meet your objectives for this phase of the project will be: High level business process maps Process Improvement Opportunities Software requirements and “knock-out” criteria Functional Technical Vendor List of potential software candidates Vendor demonstration scripts Software selection recommendation Software, hardware and services cost estimates High-level implementation plan Organizational impact assessment,Section 1: Introduction,Our Perspective,Our local experience with integrated software packages is deep and broad. Our Ohio Consulting practice, which includes Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati, has over 140 full-time consultants. Software implementation is the cornerstone of our practice. Below is a list of some of our recent engagements in Ohio.,Section 2: Project Overview,Arthur Andersens philosophy is to remain independent of software vendors. Consequently, Arthur Andersen can objectively evaluate integrated software packages against the information needs of our clients.,What Our Software Vendor Alliances Mean,Arthur Andersen does not sell software or receive any financial incentives from integrated software package vendors. However, we do maintain alliance programs with the leading software providers in the market. The purpose of these alliances is to establish a team of qualified personnel from the vendor and Arthur Andersen who can effectively serve clients by delivering integrated solutions to improve business performance. Alliance agreements typically provide the following: Arthur Andersen can sub-contract programming services at a discounted price Arthur Andersen receives discounted training for its professionals Arthur Andersen has access to software, product support and other resources By strategically aligning themselves with Arthur Andersen, key software vendors can focus on their core businesses - product development, training and support. Arthur Andersen has installed the alliance software packages at our Technology Innovation Centers for client demonstrations, training, testing and remote access. To capitalize on the collective knowledge we have gained in this area, Arthur Andersen has also formed a Competency Center of qualified professionals with deep expertise in packaged software implementations. Through an on-line software database, this center promotes information sharing among Arthur Andersen professionals on alliance products and projects on a global basis.,SSA,Section 2: Project Overview,Experience,Industry Expertise Best Practices/Process Skills Software Expertise Knowledge Capital,Our Perspective - Collaboration,We believe true business change can only be sustained by Plaskolite team members. We will serve as “Change Agents” challenging and partnering with Plaskolite during all phases of the project. We take a facilitative approach to ensure mutual ownership and a focus on collaborative efforts, positioning Plaskolite to own the selection criteria and decision. Our approach is relationship-oriented. We will work with you as a business partner in this endeavor, taking your agenda as our own, and seeing the project through to a successful completion.,Arthur Andersen,Hired Experts,Plaskolite,Plaskolite,Industry Expertise Best Practices/Process Skills Software Expertise Knowledge Capital,Experience,Typical Approach: Outsiders “drive” the solution Our Approach: We create an environment that enables you to develop deep skills and the final solution,Section 2: Project Overview,Our Perspective - Business Integration,Holistic Business Integration Approach Implementation of any s