Essay on Successful Project Management
Three partners in a consulting business provide the services of designing and implementing information system for physicians. The company purchases the necessary software and hardware, adds customized software, implements the system for the clients and performs user training. The company primarily targets individual physicians and small medical companies; the costs of typical projects range between $10,000 and $40,000 (Gido & Clements, 2014).
One of physicians who used the company’s services joined a large regional practice consisting of 6 offices and 2 pharmacies. The practice employs more than 200 people. The practice prepared a request for proposal for consulting companies. These RFPs were sent to large consulting firms while the considered company did not receive a RFP. However, the physician who worked with the target company asked whether the partners would be interested in getting the RFP and competing for the project.
Paul Goldberg was quite enthusiastic about the project since it allowed the company to enter a larger consulting niche and earn a reputation. Maggie Pressman is concerned because of the lack of time and the need to complete existing projects. Steve Youngblood is doubtful whether the company will be able to complete the project of such size and difficulty.
Major Problems
The key problem in the case is the target company’s decision on whether the participate in the project of automating the regional medical practice. The major concerns are the following:
- a) large consulting companies already started working on RFPs;
- b) the company might not have sufficient expertise to complete the project;
- c) the personnel is quite busy now and the company might lack people and resources to complete the project.
Analysis and Alternatives
The target company did not receive RFP along with other companies because of two reasons: 1) the company was small and was not considered as a potential bidder by the purchasing manager; 2) the purchasing manager was not aware that this company might be interested in completing the project. Third possible cause is the lack of personal contact between the target company and the purchasing manager of the regional medical company.
The team is currently being considered as a candidate to submit a proposal because an employee of the regional medical company recommended them and put in a word for them. The communications between the purchasing manager and Dr. Houser along with the good impression which the team made on Dr. Houser in the past made this opportunity possible for the team.
It might be reasonable to develop a bid/no bid checklist for helping determine whether the team should submit a proposal (Kerzner, 2013). Key factors for this checklist are 1) competition, 2) the opportunity to enter medium business niche in information systems consulting, 3) company reputation, 4) availability of necessary expertise, 5) availability of resources to prepare a proposal and 6) availability of resources to complete the project. Factors 1, 2 and 3 have high weight and factors 4-6 have medium weight. The team has strong position pertaining to factors 2, 3 and 5, while factors 1, 4 and 6 are associated with the team’s weaknesses.
It is possible to identify three possible alternatives: 1 – the team rejects the RFP and does not submit a proposal,2 – the team submits the proposal and completes the project with its current staff and 3 – the team submits the proposal and hires additional staff with relevant expertise to complete the project.
Recommendations and Conclusions
It is reasonable to weight each alternative according to the bid/no bid factors and to choose the alternative which allows to use the team’s strengths while minimizing their weaknesses (Vida, 2012). Alternative 1 will result in weakening the company’s reputation (factor #3) and the team will miss an opportunity to expand its business and to enter a new business niche (factor #2). Furthermore, the team will not be able to strengthen its competitive position (factor #1).
As for alternative 2, it allows to use factors 2 and 3 for the benefit of the considered team, but the company might lack expertise (factor 4) and resources (factor 5) to complete the project; furthermore, any failures or poor performance might affect the company’s competitive position (factor 1) and damage the company’s reputation (factor 3). Therefore, although alternative 2 is more viable than alternative 1, it is a risky option.
Alternative 3 allows to balance the risks: the company will strengthen its position in relation to factors 4-6 as the team will hire employees or contractors with the relevant expertise and will increase its pool of resources. Furthermore, the team will be able to prepare a more impressive proposal if it manages to involve key contractors with relevant experience. Alternative 3 also allows the team to benefit from factors 1-3. Therefore, alternative 3 is the most viable option: the team should hire additional contractors with proper experience to prepare the proposal and to complete the project.
Do you like this essay?
Our writers can write a paper like this for you!
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...