Does mobile parking have the potential to make parking meters obsolete? Why have parking meters by mobile parking not yet taken place to a larger extent? Can the entrance of mobile parking providers be considered disruptive innovation? How does the business model of ATB differ from that of mobile parking providers? What alternatives does ATB have to react to new entrants? SAMPLE MEMO: From: Insert name here Date: SUBJECT: NAME OF CASE AND RECOMMENDATION TOPIC This recommends … Implementation will take place within days of approval. Improved sales, reliability, profitability, productivity, and/or reduced costs will result from these actions (state specifics). Sales (Name), Finance (Name), and Manufacturing (Name) concur (If applicable). Background ● These key facts help explain why we are thinking about this situation today. ● At times, the background paragraph is a good place in a recommendation memo to document the gap between the “real” and the “ideal”. When you use it this way, be sure it sets up each of the reasons in the “Basis for Recommendation” section of the memo. ● Do not include obvious or unnecessary facts. Do not include information found while looking into the situation. This is for information that caused us to look into the situation. ● It is best to simply tell a simple and concise story. Recommendation ● This describes what we are going to do and how we intend to do it. Limit this section to major points. Implementation details and caveats are discussed in the “Discussion” section following the “Basis for Recommendation” section. Basis for Recommendation ● We state our most important reason here. It is numbered, underlined, and stated in a full sentence. We present data here to prove the claim made in point 1, making sure that the first sentence of this section clearly extends from the data. The claim must be the inescapable conclusion of the data. If there are more than four rows of data, use an exhibit (i.e. refer to Exhibit 1). Exhibits must be clearly labeled and numbered. ● We state our second most important reason here. We present data to prove the claim made in point 2. (3 points are typical) Discussion: (optional) ● Here we discuss a) implementation details, and b) qualifiers, such as risks and rejected alternative solutions. Next Steps: ● Here we tell the readers exactly what we want them to do and when we want them to do it. We also lay out a timetable of key milestones to implement the recommendation. A throw-away schedule should be prepared if high stakes are involved.
