Case Study: Project Selection and Change Management

In a Kerzner (2003) case study, Corwin Corporation is an internationally known rubber products manufacturer with a reputation for quality. Corwin’s management is conservative and favors expanding markets for existing product over new product development. The company receives frequent requests to manufacture specialty products. A strict management policy and a risk adverse culture results in a 90% no bid on specialty product inquiries. However, Corwin selected to respond to a bid from one of its customers. The project was a complete failure and cost Corwin its relationship with the customer. This case study examines the mistakes Corwin made during the initiation and execution of the …show more content…

Senior management failed to engage in and support the project. Three of the four decisions makers were out of town during the proposal process. Due to the short turnaround requirements for the proposal presentation, senior management was unable to participate in the proposal process. In addition, senior management stayed at arm’s length during execution and only engaged once they became aware of major problems with the project. If senior management had been involved at the onset they might never have accepted the project.

Line managers were engaged too late in the process. Once the proposal was accepted, the project manager attempted to engage the line managers to obtain the resources needed to support the project. However, the line managers became upset because they were not involved earlier in the project. The project manager expected the line managers to provide resources to support the project but did not give them any opportunity to provide input during the proposal process. They were resistant to providing resources after the fact. If Corwin had involved its line managers early in the process, they might have been able to provide information that would have influenced the proposal.

Corwin decided to purchase all the projects raw material prior to formal contract signing. The procurement decision exposed Corwin to unnecessary risk. If a problem had developed between the companies before contract signing, Corwin might have