Your company is Accu-Phi, a new but burgeoning player in the corporate accounting
software space.
Accu-Phi started out with a software offering that launched with a widely popular
freeware version which attracts advertising revenue. Later, the company produced a
premium version for an annual fee, which offers enhanced features and support. Initially,
marketing the software and running a sales and support call center was a big focus
for the firm.
The latest evolution in the company is a plan to offer consulting and training to
existing customers, which we will generally call “services.” So far, the company has
instituted a pilot services offering in one of its territories. The intention of the
pilot program is to assess the potential of making consulting and training a major
part of the overall business plan, with a nationwide rollout. This strategy comes
with a substantial increase in costs, taking the company from a relatively small development
firm with centralized staff to a multi-city, full services offering.
Various research projects will help the company in the coming period. One of these
is explained next.