You are the CIO of a Startup called Kitnip.  Currently, there are 20 employees supporting 500 customers in the Sacramento area. If the market share is gained, total employees could balloon to 300 in the next 5 years in accounting, marketing, customer support, and other administrative areas. Your business is in connecting individuals with cats with individuals who want to change their cat litter…for money.  Coupled with a plant-based, non-scented litter and other cat-related toys and accessories that are sold directly to consumers in an online store.  All litter changers are 1099 employees and thus not included in the expansion or the rest of this analysis.

Your startup just received Series C funding, where you are now tasked to become a more stable company with standardization.  Your CEO and President Harry Cat understand the importance of standardization but depend upon your expertise.  He wants to know what he should budget to give you to ensure you have the equipment and technology to “get everyone on the same page”.  His criteria for determining viability are mobility (prefers lightweight), costs, and aesthetics (looks nice).  Due to the startup nature, there is little standardization in platform or policy, with the exception of G Suite basic is purchased for all employees, however, beyond email little else is utilized.

Your initial analysis boils down to what should Kitnip provide its employees to conduct business and is G Suite basic enough.  Things like operating systems, monitors, laptops, phones, BYOD software, BYOD reimbursement could be considered for employee devices. Is G Suite Basic enough to also provide backups, collaborative capabilities, and productivity software?

Harry Cat has asked for a SHORT (no more than 2 pages w/o figures) decision memo stating in simple terms what is needed, why, and a dollar amount by year.  Any anticipated questions should be included in appendices with charts, figures, or forecasts.  Comparing costs to an alternate solution is suggested.

I. Background & Current Status:   What is the background for reaching this decision memo?  Where are the company and the department in the process?

II. Impact and Evaluation: What is the impact on the organization should a decision not be reached?  Why do we need to make this decision now?  What other factors could be involved in not coming to a decision? What key factors are we using to make the evaluation?

III. Options: What are the options that we will choose from?  Why did you choose them?  How can it mitigate the issues forecasted in section II?

IV. Analysis/Discussion: Conduct an analysis of the options against your criteria.  Discuss why one or two is better than the others.  (If you do a Matrix, if you run out of space put it in the back)

V. Recommendation: Bottom Line. What do you recommend, why, how much?