1. Each member of the Team reads and carefully studies the handout "Memo to describe organization of a memo" and the attached paper "How to Write Better Memos." These are the guidelines you will use for this memo and for other memos in the remainder of the course.

2. Your Team members are to write a professional Memo to your Customer introducing yourselves. First impressions are very important, so do a quality effort. You should provide background information on each of the Team members. Also, explain why your Team is qualified to provide a high quality solution to the Customer's needs.

3. Since I want to be able to provide feedback to the Team, you are to email your memo as an attached MS Word document to me BEFORE you email it to your Customer. After you receive an "OK" from me, you must email the memo to your Customer before 3 PM Wednesday September 15, 2004.

The Team is to write a report on your investigations for your project. The purpose is to become knowledgable of the Customer and the problem domain before the first meeting with your Customer. Depending on the project, different sections will be more appropriate. This report is due by 3 PM Wednesday September 15th, 2004. In your investigations include the following:

1. Learn about your Customer, his or her company and products by looking at his/her web site if known. Also, do a Google web search on the Customer and his or her company. In your report summarize what you have learned that may be important to the project solution.

2. Using the web and library resources, investigate similar approaches/products and the competition. In your report, note the names of the products/approaches/competition and any aspects that may be important to the product solution, e.g., special features or interface.

3. Even though you have not met with the Customer, it is good to be prepared. As a Team, brainstorm ideas for approaches to the project. What are the important issues? What further information is needed? What skills does the Team need to develop?

   Have the recorder record all the ideas. Assuming the facilitator keeps the Team on track, the time-keeper should not allow this to proceed more than a half hour.

   During a brainstorming session, the members should not worry about the feasibility of each suggestion. The primary purpose of brainstorming is to generate a lot of ideas. Also, the Team members should be receptive to all suggestions. Please don't be judgmental and say such comments as "That's a stupid idea!" Make sure everyone has the opportunity to participate.

   Add the recorded suggestions to your Team Notebook.

   The Team combines the good ideas generated by the brainstorming sessiona and includes them in their Investigative Report.