Closer : the challenges of Evalyze´s future

• Autor(a) principal: Sobral, Iara Marlene da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/29712
• topic: Innovation; Growth; Divestment; Internationalization; Inovação; Crescimento; Desinvestimento; Internacionalização; Domínio/Área Científica::Ciências Sociais::Economia e Gestão

Closer was a data science company with three business units – consulting, outsourcing and nearshoring. The company ultimate goal was to be on the edge of innovation. Consequently, a huge investment was made in a new product, Evalyze. Evalyze was a software using Artificial Intelligence algorithms, for the optimization of contact centers’ operations and with high levels of efficiency and productivity. Evalyze required a total investment of 4 million euros and was facing implementation challenges as clients had to be convinced to switch from the software they had installed. Therefore, Closer was facing the dilemma of continuing investing in Evalyze or divest the product and focus on its other business areas. If continuing investing in Evalyze, the company was confronted with the options of whether or not to obtain external funding and expand internationally. This Thesis aimed to analyze how Closer should manage its business portfolio, guaranteeing the sustainability of the company and Evalyze’s growth. For this purpose, besides the Case Study, the Dissertation includes a Literature Review, providing insights about the industry and different growth strategies, and a Teaching Note that addresses relevant issues for the analysis of the Case Study in strategic management courses.