Technology Introduction

Project Management: Technology Introduction

A manufacturer in the automotive industry sought to introduce a major new range of products, replacing an existing range. This involved the design, building and installation of new equipment, production lines, and establishment of the supply chain for bought-in products. The product range had to be launched to the market through several distinct distribution channels whilst the old range was phased out.

This involved creating a project plan for the introduction of the new range, along with ongoing management of the project. The project plan covered the following areas:

• Time to meet the required schedule
• Resources to meet budget
• Quality to the required specifications

The project was separated into two distinct stages. Stage 1 was the development of the project plan, which involved negotiations with all internal and external stakeholders. This included agreeing project definition, objectives and outcomes. Workshops were conducted to:

• identify all the project steps (macro and micro)
• identify resource requirements
• cost all project steps
• determine critical paths
• verify the proposed timeline
• establish project milestones for critical paths
• identify project risks.

Stage 2 of the project involved managing the execution of the project on an ongoing basis. This included:

• Maintaining the timeline (update and amend)
• Flag issues to the Project Leader as they arose (resourcing, cost & time)
• Ensure decisions were made
• Document / minute critical decisions and meetings
• Run mini-workshops to get team through difficult situations / issues
• Check actual "on the ground" progress
• Provide a unifying direction
• Continue to challenge the critical path

• The new production facilities were fully commissioned and producing the required production volumes
• The project was completed on budget and to specifications
• The new product range was introduced in time for the required season.