I would also call them a "starting point".
It doesn't matter if Avila wasn't good enough to see it all the way through or, put another way, switching to an analytical organization was just simply over his head. He started the job.
And everyone says: "Gotta start somewhere."
That's, at least, what Avila did. As Lee said, he was bad at execution. That's on the list of reasons to jettison Avila.
We're all hoping Harris is the right guy to finish, or conduct properly, what Avila started. I think he is. I believe in him... proof will be in the pudding.
Just my 2 cents.