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Jim Prather, Co-founder & CEO YouData. Background UT BBA Accounting Deloitte & Touche Houston, NYC Pearson Corporate HQ Mindscape The Learning Company Mattel Corporate Radar YouData. Pearson – now an international media company. 1994: Pearson buys Mindscape.
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Jim Prather, Co-founder & CEO YouData • Background • UT BBA Accounting • Deloitte & Touche • Houston, NYC • Pearson • Corporate HQ • Mindscape • The Learning Company • Mattel • Corporate Radar • YouData
1994: Pearson buys Mindscape • Mindscape: started as a brand of The Software Tool works, a software and computer game publisher. 1st CFO role – for Mindscape when Pearson purchased Mindscape
Points of Pain -- Mindscape 1. Slow, clunky transaction processing systems organization level: operations 2. Spreadsheet chaos: every sales person had his or her own sales totals organization level: management
Context Issues Strategic Context (when Pearson bought Mindscape): Mindscape lacks reports to help strategic planning for new product development and retiring products. Management Context: Mindscape lacks reports to help good decision making to help manage sales staff and product inventory. Operations Context: 1. Mindscape transaction processing is slow and inefficient. 2. Sales personnel are not as efficient as they could be. 3.The warehouse runs out of products too often (causing back order complications) and stores more than is needed of other products.
Beautiful New System Management Reports $ 2 million ! ? !
Re-set Priorities New Priority: Management reports to improve strategic product planning. High New Priority: Management reports to better manage sales staff and inventory. High Old Priority: Stream line sales processingand inventory tracking. New: Transaction processinggood enough. X High Low
Scope Schedule Resources Priority Switch Scope Change $ 200 or $300 k NOT $2 mill NewAction Plan:Oracle db &Crystal Reports Quick fix focus onmanagement reports 2 or 3 months NOT 1 - 2 Years ??
Culture Shift Again 1998: Pearson sold Mindscape to The Learning Company for $150 million
Context Issues – The Learning Co. Strategic Context :1. No monthly financials.2. Quarterly financials available 45 days after close of quarter. Management Context: CFO ran spreadsheet financials on his laptop. Operations Context: Spreadsheet chaos
Cultural shift again when Mattel buys The Learning Company for $3.6 billion !
Context Issues Strategic Context: Mattel requires monthly financials for strategic decisions. Management Context: Mattel requires complete reporting system for timely management decisions. Operations Context: Mattel requires complete reporting system for fast and efficient operations—production, supply chain, sales, etc.
Scope Schedule Resources Cost small % of Mattel Resources $ 10 to 15 million spenton initial hardware costs whatever it takes
Mindscape – recap history • Mindscape: started as a brand of The Software Tool works, a software and computer game publisher.
www.YouData.com • 6 month development cycle to first release • Direct advertising model • Strong national & regional advertising focus • Pilot at UT
Non-functional Requirements Phones ?All browsers ?
