ACME Consulting Tableau Dashboard

ACME Consulting, a US-based consultancy firm with a workfoce of approximately 100 individuals, has been offering its services for seven years from its headquarters in Oklahoma City. The organization has established connections with several local universities, including University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, University of Tulsa, and University of Central Oklahoma. Through these partnerships, ACME Consulting provides internships for business students, furthering its commitments to nurturing the next generation of business professionals.

Prior to the pandemic, ACME Consulting primarily served clients in the southwestern region of the United States. However, the pandemic has expanded the firm's services to a national level, and they are now exploring the possibility of adding a new office location to facilitate growth. The current employee demographic of ACME Consulting is balanced, with a roughly equal distribution of male and female employees. The consultants who undertake the majority of travel are typically between the ages of 25 and 40.

Task

After conducting surveys among current employees, ACME Consulting has determined that cost of living is a key factor in considering the potential new office location. Additionally, the company prioritizes the availability of flight destinations in their search for a new location. As consultants, our recommendation should take these priorities into account when making suggestions for the company's expansion.

Location

To determine the optimal location for ACME Consulting's new office, the current location in Oklahoma will serve as a baseline. Oklahoma boasts a competitive Cost Index of 87 and a sufficient number of airports at 5. However, as the cost of living in any new location will likely be higher than Oklahoma, a maximum increase of 20% to the Cost Index (87 to 104) has been deemed reasonable by ACME's employees. To meet ACME's requirement for multiple airport options, a minimum airport count of 5 has been established.

Upon considering various locations, Illinois and specifically the city of Chicago stands out as the recommended location for the new office. Illinois has a Cost Index of 94.50, which represnts only a modest 8.62% increase from Oklahoma's Cost Index. Additionally, Illinois offers a robust airport infrastructure, with 6 airports and 106 available flight destinations from Chicago's airports, significantly more than Oklahoma's airport options. While the other states considered may have a lower Cost Index, they do not provide as many flight destinations as Illinois.

ACME Consulting has prioritized employee satisfication, as evidenced by their emphasis on cost not being a concern and their connection to American businesses. Based on feedback from surveys sent to employees, it is inferred that the qualities of a good airline included comfortable seats, reliable WiFi connectivity, and minimal delays.

Considering the demographic of the consultants who will be traveling, customer satisfaction does not seem to greatly impact their ratings. However, it has been observed that those who fly business class instead of economy class provide consistently high ratings for all airlines. Given ACME's focus on employee satisfaction, it is recommended that ACME employees fly business class for maximum comfort and overall satisfaction. The specific airline to e recommended will depend on the destination of the flight and whichever is more convenient.

The recommended approach to minimize the impact of property damage or loss while traveiling with Delta/Northwest is to put policies in place that encourages employees to carry minimal items on their trips. Additionally, based on the high number of TSA claims at Chicago airprots and Delta/Northwest's record of 48 flight incidents, the highst amongst the available airlines, we do not recommend this airline for ACME. Instead, ACME should consider other airlines such as US Airways/America West, United/Continental, Southwest, Hawaiian, American, or Alaska Airlines. However, the specific airline for recommendation will depend on the flight destination and the level of comfort and overall satisfaction the employee requires.

Conclusion

In summary, ACME Consulting should locate their new office in Chicago, Illinois as it offers a reasonable cost of living, an ample number of airports, and an extensive amount of flight destinations. The recommended airline is Skywest with 85 destinations. ACME should implement policies for employees to carry less items on trips to minimize the risk of damage or loss. Employees are also recommended to keep personal devices in carry-on or in hand.