PARTI PHILOSOPHY AND CONCEPTS FLEXIBLE BENEFITS SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AT SHAHA M

Question

PARTI PHILOSOPHY AND CONCEPTS FLEXIBLE BENEFITS SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AT SHAHA MEDICAL CENTER CASE 1.2 system that would reduce the cost and improve the service of its employee benefits coverage new system would have to meet four goals: improved responsiveness to employee need management of Shah Alam Medical Center decided to procure and implement a s, add ce objec- resent- nancial Systems (FS), and Information bility, better cost management, and greater coordination of human resour atives from four departments-Human Resources [HRI, Fi Services lIS)-and six te tives with business strategies. A multifunctional team of 13 members was formed with rep chnical experts from the consulting firm of Hun and Bar Software (HBS Early in the project a workshop was held with participants from Shah Alam and HBS to clarify and finalize project objectives and develop a project plan, milestones, and schedule. Project com- pletion was set at 10 months. In that time HBS had to develop and supply all hardware and soft- re for the new system; the system had to be brought on-line, tested, and approved; HR workers employees had to be educated about and enrolled in the new benefits process; and the enrollment The director of FS was chosen to oversee the project. She had the technical background and had to be trained how to operate the system and load existing employee data; all Shah Alam data had to be entered in the systerm had previously worked in the IS group in implementing Shah Alam's patient care information system; everyone on the team approved of her appointment as project leader. She selected two team leaders to assist her, one each from HR and IS. The HR leader's task was to ensure that the new system met HR requirements and the needs of Shah Alam employees. The IS leader's task was to ensure that the new software interfaced with other Shah Alam systems Members of the Shah Alam team worked on the project on a part-time basis, spending roughly half their time on the project and the other half on their normal daily duties. The project manager and team leaders also worked part-time on the project, although each gave the project priority. Shah Alam's senior management had made it clear that meeting project requirements andt deadlines was imperative. The project manager was given authority over functional managers and project team members for all project-related decisions. im QUESTIONS 1. What form of project management (basic, program, etc.] does this case most o resemble? The project manager is also the director of FS, one of several departments that will be cons of her being selected? that they give the project top priority 2. affected by the new benefits system. Does this seem like a good idea? What are the pros an Comment on the team members part-time assignment to the project and the expectat 4 Much of the success of this project depends on the performance of team member not employed by Shah Alam, namely the HBS consultants. They must develop the enti hardware/software benefits system. Why was an outside firm likely chosen for such important part of the project? What difficulties might this pose to the project manager an meeting project goals?

Explanation / Answer

Q1) The form of project management the case most closely resembles is Basic Project Management with a Matrix structure as it involves managers from various functional units as project team members.

Q2) Below are the pros and cons of selecting Financial Systems (FS) Director as the Project Manager -

Pros

1. The director had the technical background and a previous project implementation experience with IS group in implementing the patient care information system. This will help in the implementation of the Flexible Benefits System.

2. She also possesses the core Financial knowledge and experience required for implementing the benefits system and ensuring the project is within budget.

Cons

1. As the other functional managers share the same designation and position for their respective functional units, there might be a conflict of power resulting in various interpersonal issues in the project.

Q3) As the project is a system implementation and is an additional responsibility for the members out of their regular duties, assigning them part-time to assist the consulting team in the implementation is a good strategy. In case of any issues while implementation which might require the assistance of the team members, the expectation for them is to pitch in and work on the project on priority.

Q4) The reason for choosing outside firm HBS in implementing and deploying the system is -

HBS consultants bring in their expertise and competence in the area of systems implementation with a dedicated team solely working on the project which helps Shah Alam employees to focus on their core responsibilities and tasks while pitching in for the project when required.

The difficulties this decision might pose to the project manager include -

1. Difficulty in controlling the team members

2. Possibility of a compromise in quality of the work

3. Possibility of delays and exceeding budget if not closely monitored.

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