Amy Morton is marketing manager at Gleason Printing. For nearly seven months she has been researching the printing needs at Metro Alliance for Wellness, a consortium of hospitals and therapy centers in Uniopolis.

Amy figures that, excluding forms and billing, Metro contracts for about $800,000 in commercial printing business each year. Granted, some of the jobs involve special imaging or sizing that doesn't match Gleason's printing capabilities. But there's about $600,000 in business that Gleason could do well. It's been rumored for some time that Metro is looking for a printing supplier to get involved in its internal operations, setting up a communications network for electronically transferring images and text - primarily for shared creative input and rough copy checking - that would enable even more rapid and efficient contact with its various stakeholders.

Indeed, Metro's CEO often appears on the lecture circuit talking about harnessing technology, the efficacy of the "virtual organization," and the need for the modern enterprise to "negotiate favorable terms" with all its stakeholders. Morton has also researched the systems and intranet parameters that Metro needs for this vision. Assuming Metro bought all the hardware, any printer in or on the setup would have invest approximately $400,000 installation, training, and testing - and, frankly, the numbers could well be twice the estimate.

Morton was grateful for Metro's enthusiastic response to her proposal for some "in-context research," which basically would be a chance to live with Metro systems and personnel to better understand the issues and activities at Metro. Still, she needs to review what might come from the research - she is just not sure if Gleason should seek the business.

2. What approach might Amy take in securing Gleason Printing as a customer?
4. What hurdles does she face in doing so?
6. Explain how Amy can overcome the objection that Gleason might have to the $400,000 initial investment for technology.
8. Should Gleason seek the business? Why or why not?