Question: Doug Bloom has always loved technology and is very excited about the opportunities to gather, store, and share market knoledge and information. Six months ago he signed a deal with a vendor, Primary Software, that would provide a comprehensive custom software package for his sales force. Among the package's features are a database, a contact and schedule manager, a proposal generator, a GPS (global positioning system), and a price and specification estimator. Doug wants to tie his sales force to every other department in the office and eventually the company, allowing everyone to operate more efficiently by having realtime access to customer activities, product information, and other necessary information.
When he called Primary today, however, he learned that the project had fallen behind schedule and that the beta version wouldn't be ready for at least three months (it had been promised to him in one month). The vendor apologized, saying, "It's the best we can do." Doug was aghast. He had already purchased laptops for his salespeople, expective the software to be running internally by the time the shipment of laptops arrived. He had also based year-end sales projections on the increased productivity and sales he expected as a result of automating the company's sales process.
Coincidentally, a salesperson from another vendor, All-Bright Software, called Doug to discuss some industry information he thought Doug would find useful. After a few minutes, the conversation turned to Doug's software problem. The vendor offered his company's services, promising to complete the project within two months, and offering extensive training and support that surpassed what the current vendor was offering. The price would be about the same, but Doug had already paid $12,000 in unrecoverable dollars to Primary. Doug said he needed time to consider the offer.
Questions: 1. Should Doug be patient and wait for Primary to complete the job or should he risk going with All-Bright?
2. What other options does Doug have?
3. Are ethical issues involved?