Microsoft Latin America

Mauricio Santillan, regional vice president for the Latin American division of Microsoft, has introduced a new performance measurement system to help his country managers formulate and control strategy. Microsoft Latin America's priorities are rolling out of an entirely new corporate database software package and devising a strategy to combat software piracy. Santillan uses the measurement system to motivate country managers to establish locally-relevant strategies that will be aligned with the region's global priorities. This case shows how a Balanced Scorecard system can be useful to help managers in emerging markets learn about the importance of strategy and become better general managers. Also illustrates that a strategic measurement system can be implemented even in an environment where reliable data may be difficult to acquire.