Mercedes-Benz India

In December 2007, the management of Mercedes-Benz India (MBI), a fully owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, the 12th largest automobile manufacturer in the world, has decided to relocate to a new facility near Pune in western India. In overseeing the installation of information technology (IT) infrastructure at the new premises, the company's chief information officer (CIO) is dealing with some managerial choices, pertaining to IT architecture, IT tools and IT skill sets of the company. Each choice involves several trade-offs. The CIO's decision on each will have a major effect on the revenues, margins and competitive positioning of MBI in the Indian automotive industry.