Due to problems with the implementation of the new e-book initiative there have been a few changes at Harrison-Keyes. First, Meg McGill was fired and replaced by CEO William Guardo. William is not a supporter of e-publishing, but is willing to let his team prove to him that it is a worthy project. Hays Michaels has also joined the team as the Editorial Senior Vice President. Mary Smith is a human resources representative, which is helpful because there are many employees who are concerned about the impact of the new technology on their jobs. Some other problems that are plaguing the project include having the outsourced company, Asia Digital Publishing, under five feet of water and unable to complete the job. Other consistent problems are miscommunication, a lack of integration, missed deadlines, and a poorly designed marketing campaign. The CEO, William Guardo, is letting the project management team, headed by Jan Peters, take a month to pull together and fix these problems. If the problems are not satisfactorily solved within a month then he is going to reallocate money and other resources away from the e-publishing project. The following analysis reviews the issues and potential solutions.
Describe the Situation
Issue and Opportunity Identification
Harrison-Keyes is being given a second chance to develop a functioning and effective project that will enable the company to transition from print-only publishing to electronic publishing. In the past, Harrison-Keyes has failed to use the strategic management process as a useful tool. The company must now realize that there have been signs indicating growing frustration with its plans and the plan’s lack of contingency planning. Having ignored these signs, the company is finding itself in danger of eliminating th ...