Reducing It Costs at Level Manufacturing

Reducing IT Costs at Level Manufacturing

Proposal

Topic

This proposal identifies several problems at Level Manufacturing Corporation (LMC) and identifies a set of specific solutions. The fundamental problem is that the overall costs of IT, within LMC are increasing, yet the perceived value of IT contribution to the business is decreasing among both management and employees.

Problem

The business problem to be solved is how to reduce IT costs, yet improve its effectiveness and contribution to the business.

Approach

Use cloud computing to reduce IT costs and consolidate and enhance LMCs business applications.

Methodology

Move most of LMCs major on-ground IT functions to the cloud. This will both reduce the required hardware, infrastructure and other costs of maintaining and supporting application, database and Web servers. It will also reduce the IT staff required to support these applications:

1. Allow LMC to hire talented system analysts that can recommend the appropriate cloud services.

2. Support the programmers and DBAs that are knowledgeable in development in this environment.

This will be accomplished through identification of current IT structures that will provide the highest business payoffs by moving them to a cloud computing environment and the identification of the type of cloud solution to recommend.

Phase I

Problem

The business problem to be solved is how to reduce IT costs, yet improve its effectiveness and its contribution to the business.

Company Background

Level Manufacturing Corporation (LMC) is a company that designs and manufactures electronic parts for electric and hybrid vehicles. The specific focus of the company is sub-assemblies that regulate voltage levels throughout all of the systems in the vehicle. Unlike conventional automobiles, trucks, SUV and other vehicles, electric and hybrid vehicles require higher accurate, filtered power that has tolerances of less than +/-.01 volts. Having grown rapidly from...