The Utilization Of Microsoft Visio

Dear Mr. Pereira,

As you may know, I have been assigned a new project, which involves the usage of Microsoft Visio in our work environment.  Thank you for this opportunity and I hope my findings will be beneficial with your decision making.

Visio is a program offered by Microsoft to facilitate in the creation of interactive diagrams.  This allows users to create and share their diagrams with coworkers, as well as, allow their coworkers to make comments or changes to the diagram.  Visio diagrams can shared through SharePoint, which is the program which allows transparency throughout the company by sharing files with coworkers. 

The diagrams created through Vision can be a simple one layer diagram or a multiple layer diagram.  This multiple layer diagram can be data linked, which means, connected to a Microsoft Excel workbook or to an Access Database.  When linking the Visio diagram to Excel or Access the data numbers reflected within the diagram will be updated as the data is updated in Excel or Access.  This allows for real time data sharing throughout the whole corporation.

This program can be very beneficial for us on our daily tasks by improving how we display our Account Executives standings.  With Visio, we can create diagrams which show each Account Executive their weekly, monthly, quarterly and even yearly rankings when it comes to planned sales calls and actual performed sales calls.  These diagrams can be linked to the database, which we already have created, and will constantly be updating as the weekly sales reports are submitted by the Account Executives.  The diagrams can then be shared through SharePoint, which then we can either allow them to edit or read only.  By doing this we are allowing the Account Executives to comment on why their sales calls numbers have dropped or rise, or even just add any comments at all. 

The cost of adding Visio to our already existing contract with Microsoft will not be a substantial cost to us as we already have a Volume Licensing Agreement.  Our agreement allows for addition of other Microsoft products with a volume key in order to give us the capability of downloading Visio on multiple computers and laptops.  The cost of Visio for us will be $500 dollars due to the program being purchased as an add-on.  Our learning curve will also not effect out daily productivity as our Account Executives already know how to add comments to a Word document, which Visio works the same way.  The only person who will have to know how to link the data to diagrams and personalize each diagram with each Account Executive’s personal data will be me.  Due to the research I already have performed on this programs, I can honestly say, we could potentially begin the implementation of this program tomorrow without effecting my daily tasks.

As you can see, Visio could potentially increase our Account Executives productivity by providing them with real time statuses.  This can motivate them to achieve their goals and show them where their problematic areas are before their quarterly and yearly reviews with their manager.

I hope you take my finding into consideration when making your executive decision on whether or not to purchase and utilize Microsoft Visio.

If you have any question, please do not hesitate in letting me know.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Couto