Ford Suv Hybrid Project

Team Races to the Finish

Ford is taking a huge leap forward in the emerging hybrid market, and putting their name and reputation at stake on this project. Ford, while being the oldest car manufacturer in the US was not the first to introduce a hybrid vehicle in the US market. However, they will be the first to introduce a hybrid SUV. A successful entry could help them establish a strong foothold on this market segment and be the bar that other manufacturers will measure themselves by.

At the point our case is presented to us, Ford has already been through the conceptualization phase. They want to introduce a hybrid SUV that still delivers on power and performance, but also can attain fuel efficiency of 36 mpg. Their concept also strives to lower emissions and drastically lowers the overall environmental impact. The planning phase actually spans several stages, from concept to planning, to actually delivering the vehicle to market consumers. Once the project entered the execution phase it hit a wall. Wright was needed to take an objective look at the overall project, and with an eye toward mile-stones and deadlines, while organize and keeping the momentum going.

Everyone on a project brings different skills and strengths. Having a project manager, or managers, increases the chances of tapping into these resources and utilizing them to the betterment of the overall project. It’s very obvious that Patel’s strengths lie in the development phase of the project. His creativity most certainly helped to shape the direction of the project, however, his creativity and drive for perfection became an obstacle for the forward momentum of the project. Wright’s strengths lie in being able to organize the team, focus their direction, and prioritize the tasks, all while working toward the execution and termination stages.

As a project manager in my own job, I can relate all too well in the struggle of scheduling and prioritizing the project tasks. While the...