Cases - Twelve Hospitals Handoff and Electrical Broom and Supply Company

Refer to the TWO cases in Chapter 13, Project Closure and Benefits Realization: 1. Twelve Hospitals Handoff (page 504) AND 2. Electrical Broom and Supply Company (page 521) Answer the questions noted at the end of BOTH cases. - Twelve Hospital Handoff Projects When construction on the new Norton Brownsboro Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, was 7 months from completion, it was time to start the transition from project to smooth operations. Previously, to help set up the patient processes, subject matter experts from other Norton facilities were brought in for consultation, particularly regarding how patients would want the processes to work. As one example, rather than the usual waiting‐line patient registration system, patients register themselves at kiosks. Since 700 new hires for the hospital had to learn how to operate 51 information systems on 13 technologies, 12 projects were set up to train them. To help with the training, the operations people were brought in early to facilitate a smooth transition and hear any concerns or needs from the new hires. In a hospital, project failure and closure are not an option since lives are constantly at stake. As it happened, the projects finished on schedule and the hospital opened by its due date and almost $3 million under budget. Questions How much attention do you think is usually given to the handoff from a project team to an ongoing staff? Would you classify this as a closure by addition, by integration, or by extinction? Why? Source: K. Hunsberger, “The Best of the Best.” PM Network, Vol. 24. - Electrical Broom and Supply Co IMSCO began manufacturing and distributing electrical brooms to industrial customers 43 years ago. Mr. Bretting, President of IMSCO, has been toying with the idea of using IMSCO’s manufacturing and distribution expertise to begin making and selling consumer products. He has already decided that he cannot sell any of his current products to consumers. In addition, if IMSCO is going to go through the trouble of developing consumer markets, Mr. Bretting feels very strongly that their first product should be something new and innovative that will help establish their reputation. He thinks that the expertise required to develop a new product exists within the company, but no one has any real experience in organizing or managing such a project. Fortunately, Mr. Bretting is familiar with a local consulting firm that has a good reputation and track record of leading companies through projects such as this, so he contacted them. Three months into the project, Mr. Bretting contacted the program manager/consultant and mentioned that he was worried about the amount of risk involved in trying to introduce such an innovative consumer product with his current organization. He was worried that the project was oriented too strongly toward R&D and did not consider related business problems in enough depth. (This was a complete about‐face from his feelings three months earlier, when he had approved the first plan submitted with no changes.) Mr. Bretting suggested that the consultant modify the existing project to include the introduction of a “me‐too” consumer product before IMSCO’s new product was defined and tested. Mr. Bretting thought that some experience with a “me‐too” product would provide IMSCO management with valuable experience and would improve later performance with the new product. He allowed the R&D portion of the project to continue concurrently, but the “me‐too” phase would have top priority as far as resources were concerned. The consultant said she would think about it and contact him next week. Questions If you were the consultant, what would you recommend to Mr. Bretting? Would you continue the relationship?