Chris Johnson Case

A&D High Tech

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A&D High Tech |

Managing Projects for Success |

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Executive Summary:

Chris Johnson, an experienced technology project manager for A&D High Tech, was asked to meet with the senior managers to discuss taking over the company’s new web site project. The purpose of the project was to establish an online store to increase sales through the internet. Immediately after his transition meeting with senior management, CIO Matt Webb informed Chris that the CEO needed to know if he could complete the project by Christmas, which was only 6 months away. Although the plan had work scheduled from May 2003 to June 2005, Chris needed to determine if it was feasible to reduce the schedule by 15 months in order to meet his CEO’s needs.

Statement of the Problem:

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the likelihood that A&D HighTech will be able to implement an online store, comparable to that of its competitors, in time for the 2003 holiday shopping season.

Key Problems:

* Competitors are gaining market share with their continually improving online capabilities

* Company sells on friendly customer service which can be difficult to translate to the internet

* A&N needs to have internet sales to stay competitive through reduced SG&A expenses

Key Issues:

* Steep learning curve for the project manager

* Subject matter expert is no longer involved as the project manager

* Was build the right option?

* The company has a foundation as a regional player

* Project time and scope are crucial

* Were all the proper risks and costs evaluated when making the build vs. buy decision

* Why wasn’t a blend buy/build option considered

Background:

The team agreed to meet and share information virtually utilizing a wiki page. Using a Google site allowed the team to accommodate the time constraints of team members.