The Problem with Priorities

For the past several years, Kent Corporation had achieved remarkable success in winning R&D on tracts.

The customers were pleased with the analytical capabilities of the R&D staff at Kent Corporation.

theoretical and experimental results were usually within $95$ percent agreement. But many customers still

felt that $95$ percent was too low. They wanted $9899$ percent. In $1989,$ Kent updated their computer facility

by purchasing a large computer. The increased performance with the new computer encouraged the R&D

group to attempt to convert from two$-$dimensional to three$-$dimensional solutions to their theoretical

problems. Almost everyone except the director of R&D thought that this would give better comparison

between experimental and theoretical data. Kent Corporation had tried to develop the computer program

for three dimensional solutions with their own internal R&D programs, but the cost was too great. Finally,

after a year of writing proposals, Kent Corporation convinced the federal government to sponsor the

project. The project was estimated at $$750,000,$ to begin January $2,1991,$ and to be completed by

December $20,1991.$

Dan McCord was selected as project manager. Dan had worked with the EDP department on other projects

and knew the people and the man$-$hour standards. Kent Corporation was big enough to support $100$

simultaneous projects. With so many projects in existence at one time, continual reshuffling of resources

was necessary. The corporation directors met every Monday morning to establish project priorities.

Priorities were not enforced unless project and functional managers could not agree on the allocation and

distribution of resources. Because of the R&D director$$s persistence, the computer project was given a low

priority. This posed a problem for Dan McCord. The computer department manager refused to staff the

project with his best people. As a result, Dan had severe scepticism about the success of the project. In

July, two other project managers held a meeting with Dan to discuss the availability of the new computer

model. $$We have two proposals that we$$re favoured to win, providing that we can state in our proposal that

we have this new computer model available for use,$$ remarked one of the project managers. $$We have a

low priority and, even if we finish the job on time, I$$m not sure of the quality of work because of the people

we have assigned,$$ said Dan. $$How do you propose we improve our position?$$ asked a project manager.

$$Let$$s try to get in to see the director of R&D$,$ asserted Dan. $$And what are we going to say in our

defence?$$ asked one of the project managers.

Project Management Case Studies Page $482$

Harold Kerzner, PhD$.$

QUESTION $1$

$1\mathrm{.}1$ What gave Dan McCord advantage to become the project manager? Give TWO $(2)$ reasons.

$1\mathrm{.}2$ Although Dan had leadership advantage, Dan is not excused from being developed. Give FIVE

reasons why Dan should be developed as a project leader.

$1\mathrm{.}3$ Discuss the impacts of failure to invest in developing Dan as a project leader.