Acme Medical Imaging

Project Objective

a) What is the customer expecting from this product once it is delivered?

The customer demanded a cutting-edge product which is cost effective, has a high data throughput, flexible and compatible to use, expandable, adaptable and efficient in transmitting medical images. Once the product is delivered the customer will be expecting the product to meet its demands. That is, the customer will be expecting the product to;

• Reduce the cost of transmitting medical images;

• Provide a high data throughput;

• Be flexible and compatible among multiple vendor products;

• Be adaptable to make customer decisions easier;

• Be expandable if a customer’s network needs increased; and

• Be efficient in transmitting medical images.

b) Does everyone know with certainty what they are working on to meet customers needs?

Not everyone knows with certainty what they are working on to meet customers needs. Team members lacked clear product specifications with revenue, volume and cost targets. The marketing and sales teams lacked formal project schedule and information about launch dates. The engineers and technicians, without a formal project schedule, went about their design tasks in the manner they were accustomed to and not to the interest to meet time-to-market or a low cost target.

c) Can the project team define success?

Success can be defined by the project team based on the accomplishment of their given tasks. The project team was challenged to accomplish two major targets;

• To complete the new circuit board designs within two months; and

• To produce the new product at a lower cost.

d) Do the team members truly understand the importance of time to market for this project?

A project team which lack project plan, clear product specifications with revenue, volume and cost targets, formal commercialisation process, formal project schedule, personal interaction, and not enamoured with working overtime to make up for project demands, clearly...