Teaching note for product 9B16C028.

In October 2015, a low-level staff accountant was suddenly ecstatic about his career prospects. The Chartered Professional Accountant recruitment process had been gruelling, but the end result made it all the more satisfying. After nearly two years of networking and getting to know firms while they closely evaluated him—and which concluded with seemingly endless interviews—the staff accountant had finally received job offers from his top choices. .....more

Vidalia onions are an important crop in Georgia and a carefully managed brand despite variance in product quality. To address this perceived problem, an entrepreneur developed a new way of testing the sweetness of Vidalia onions and certifying them for consumer identification. However, his company, Vidalia Labs, has altered the dynamics of the industry and is not supported by all farmers.

Fidelis is a large Canadian bank with several e-mail systems. The director of E-messaging must decide if it should standardize on one or more systems. He must analyze the various systems with costs for potential solutions ranging from $18 million to $100 million, and consider system complexity, technological nuances, and tradeoffs with technology standardization.

Tandesic Corporation was founded by three entrepreneurs to develop customer relationship management solutions. Funded at the height of the Internet bubble with plans for an initial public offering, the company has discovered that its core software product is undifferentiated and constrained by changes in technology. Faced with a financing gap and with less than 12 months venture capital funding remaining, a new chief executive officer is installed. .....more