Explain the potential risks to macon

Assignment Help Project Management
Reference no: EM131242633

MACON, INC.

Macon was a fifty-year-old company in the business of developing test equipment for the tire industry. The company had a history of segregated departments with very focused functional line managers. The company had two major technical departments: mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. Both departments reported to a vice president for engineering, whose background was always mechanical engineering. For this reason, the company focused all projects from a mechanical engineering perspective. The significance of the test equipment's electrical control system was often minimized when, in reality, the electrical control systems were what made Macon's equipment outperform that of the competition.

Because of the strong autonomy of the departments, internal competition existed. Line managers were frequently competing with one another rather than focusing on the best interest of Macon. Each would hope the other would be the cause for project delays instead of working together to avoid project delays altogether. Once dates slipped, fingers were pointed and the problem would worsen over time.

One of Macon's customers had a service department that always blamed engineering for all of their problems. If the machine was not assembled correctly, it was engineering's fault for not documenting it clearly enough. If a component failed, it was engineering's fault for not designing it correctly. No matter what problem occurred in the field, customer service would always put the blame on engineering.

As might be expected, engineering would blame most problems on production claiming that production did not assemble the equipment correctly and did not maintain the proper level of quality. Engineering would design a product and then throw it over the fence to production without ever going down to the manufacturing floor to help with its assembly. Errors or suggestions reported from production to engineering were being ignored. Engineers often perceived the assemblers as incapable of improving the design.

Production ultimately assembled the product and shipped it out to the customer. Oftentimes during assembly, the production people would change the design as they saw fit without involving engineering. This would cause severe problems with documentation. Customer service would later inform engineering that the documentation was incorrect, once again causing conflict among all departments.

The president of Macon was a strong believer in project management. Unfortunately, his preaching fell upon deaf ears. The culture was just too strong. Projects were failing miserably. Some failures were attributed to the lack of sponsorship or commitment from line managers. One project failed as the result of a project leader who failed to control scope. Each day the project would fall further behind because work was being added with very little regard for the project's completion date. Project estimates were based upon a "gut feel" rather than upon sound quantitative data.

The delay in shipping dates was creating more and more frustration for the customers. The customers began assigning their own project managers as "watchdogs" to look out for their companies' best interests. The primary function of these "watchdog" project managers was to ensure that the equipment purchased would be delivered on time and complete. This involvement by the customers was becoming more prominent than ever before.

The president decided that action was needed to achieve some degree of excellence in project management. The question was what action to take, and when.

QUESTIONS

1. Where will the greatest resistance for excellence in project management come from?

2. What plan should be developed for achieving excellence in project management?

3. How long will it take to achieve some degree of excellence?

4. Explain the potential risks to Macon if the customer's experience with project management increases while Macon's knowledge remains stagnant.

 From Project Management: Case Studies Fourth Edition by Harold R Kerzner.

Reference no: EM131242633

Questions Cloud

Analyse actions of hotrod in relation to image restoration : PRS303 Hotrod and the Case of the Lethal Floormats Case Study. Provide advice to Hotrod's CEO and senior management on the strategies to implement in order to recover their loss in reputation, Analyse the actions of Hotrod in relation to image resto..
Prepare a paper describing essential elements you would use : Prepare a paper describing the essential tools and/or elements you would use to combat resistance to organizational change. Be sure to address The role of shared diagnosis.
Develop a more reliable writing process : If you were Vicki, how might you train Steve to develop a more reliable writing process? How could you use the steps described in this chapter to help him slow down and think through the stages of his writing?
Identify and justify a market segment for your product : Identify and justify a market segment for your product in the given country that is suitable to increase export opportunities. Please justify your choice of segment using analysis to support. You should also mention any limitations of the secondar..
Explain the potential risks to macon : What plan should be developed for achieving excellence in project management? Explain the potential risks to Macon if the customer's experience with project management increases while Macon's knowledge remains stagnant
Discuss the requirements for remote administration : Discuss the requirements for remote administration, resource management and SLA management. It may be useful to consider Morad and Dalbhanjan's operational checklists for Child Protection's data file exchange and payroll services. This section sho..
Discuss possible security risks internet and network attacks : Suppose that you had product plans and details on the August Online Technology computer network. Discuss possible security risks, Internet and Network attacks which might impact the safety and privacy of the product. Suggest possible security tool..
Mathematically formulae a linear optimization model : Burger Office Equipment produces two type of desk, standard and deluxe. Deluxe desks have oak tops and more expensive hardware and require additional time for finishing and polishing. Standard desks require 70 board feet of pine and 10 hours of labor..

Reviews

Write a Review

 

Project Management Questions & Answers

  Project management maturity models

Select one of the project management maturity models and create a 1- to 2-page paper that shows the benefits it will bring to the organization.

  Evaluate the projected beginning and ending inventory

Is the production planner following a chase demand or a level capacity strategy and evaluate the projected beginning and ending inventory for each period

  Establish a formal systems development process for company

Assuming you have two (2) promising tools and techniques, suggest three (3) or more ways you can foster a team environment when one analyst does not get his or her way.

  Assuming the basic fixed-order quantity inventory model

Assuming the basic fixed-order quantity inventory model fits this situation and no safety stock is needed, which of the following is the reorder point (R)?

  Describe the different organizational structures

Describe the different organizational structures as it relates to project management. Discuss at least two (two) different roles that project managers can play in organizational leadership.

  Deduct expense of replacing asbestos

The company has found that the replacement material is 10% less efficient than the asbestos insulation. Should Malloy Industries capitalize or deduct the expense of replacing the asbestos insulation? Explain.

  Project management1 explain different risk preferences and

project management1. explain different risk preferences and utility curves used by project managers?note risk

  Create a wbs for the scope of the project

Analyze the various activities required for this project and provide an estimate of duration for each activity based on the number of resources available for the project. Include assumptions and basis for each estimate

  Cost of home improvement for resale

What is the estimated cost for the Tolstoy's house if they use contractors to complete all of the house

  Are these advantages sustainable against the competition

What is the mission of the firm? What business is it in? How well is its mission understood throughout the organization? Five years fromnow, what business does it wish to be in?

  Ways to create-distribute project performance information

What are some ways to create and distribute project performance information?

  Design a job description for the position

What qualities and personal characteristics support a higher likelihood of success as a project manager and characteristics would make it difficult to be a successful project manager?

Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd