Product details

The case was written from an entrepreneurial perspective, although it may also be used as a strategy and internationalization case. It describes the birth and the first years of Observit, a company which has focused on developing top range video surveillance solutions, customized to clients' needs. The two founding partners, former students of the IST - Instituto Superior Tecnico (Lisbon Technological Institute), saw a good opportunity in vision through a computer, obtained the necessary technical competencies and already counted on a good number of clients and reference installations in large Portuguese organizations. After the initial start up phase and attaining business stability, the focus moved over to growth and professionalization of the organization, in which some factors are particularly relevant: hiring, geographical and product expansion, structuring, control, etc. There are three alternatives for growth: expansion and standardization of products, internationalization and installation of other complementary systems. This being the central question in this case. Other relevant aspects of the case are the starting up difficulties, the need to be constantly selling, the importance of the university, the importance of credibility, the challenge of growth, delegation, culture, etc. Focus are also on the tools leaders have at their disposal to make an organization more professional: budgets, structures, responsibilities and dependencies.