mgt415a1

Note: The following problem is fictitious but employs names of, and news from, real organizations. The idea is to increase the reality of the situation, and to improve your awareness of various industries and organizations.

You have hired by Beech Acres Parenting Center (BAPC) as a project manager. One of your primary job responsibilities will be to assist the chief quality officer (CQO) in building a formal quality management program at BAPC. The organization has never had one before.

The CQO has some ideas on what to do first. "We need to get some improvement teams going," she said. "I know lots of companies that are using teams and they're working great for them. Getting lower level employees involved on teams first will be key, since they're closest to customers and key administrative processes."

Based on your background and training, is the CQO's plan the right way to go? Analyze the situation and present it along with your findings in a memo to the CQO. Some things to consider:

One key to this case is effectively stating the problem. Precisely what is the problem, anyway? Does it relate to teamwork, the fact that BAPC is just initiating a formal quality management program for the first time, or what?
How does your being new add to your challenge in this case and will you address it in your analysis and write-up?
One question that should be on your mind is what have other companies, perhaps similar to BAPC, done early in their quality journey? Remember to cite your sources.
In a related question, what have gurus recommended as good first steps when initiating a quality program? One resource might be Juran (1989). Another might be a quality management textbook.
Consider tables as an effective way for organizing the data you need to gather.
Remember to think "Conservative Next Step" in any recommendations you make.

Consider these points carefully. Doing this case well is tougher than it looks...to do it well will require outside research.

memo format sample memo tables graphs citations