Keflavik Paper Company Case Study Essay

Keflavik Paper Company Case Study Essay

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Keflavik Paper Company Case Study Essay

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Case Study 3.1 Keflavik Paper Company

Keflavik Paper is an organization that has lately been facing serious problems with the results of its projects. Specifically, the company’s project development record has been spotty: While some projects have been delivered on time, others have been late. Budgets are routinely overrun, and product performance has been inconsistent, with the results of some projects yielding good returns and others losing money. They have hired a consultant to investigate some of the principal causes that are underlying these problems, and he believes that the primary problem is not how project are run but how they are selected in the first place. Specifically, there is little attention paid to the need to consider strategic fit and portfolio management in selecting new projects. This case is intended to get students thinking of alternative screening measures that could potentially be used when deciding whether or not to invest in a new project.

Questions

Keflavik Paper presents a good example of the dangers of excessive reliance on one screening technique (in this case, discounted cash flow). How might excessive or exclusive reliance on other screening methods discussed in this chapter lead to similar problems?

Assume that you are responsible for maintaining Keflavik’s project portfolio. Name some key criteria that should be used in evaluating all new projects before they are added to the current portfolio.

What does this case demonstrate about the effect of poor project screening methods on a firm’s ability to manage its projects effectively?

Case Study 4.1—In Search of Effective Project Managers

This case involves Pure swing Golf, and illustrates the problems when organizations attempt to locate competent project managers without any systematic plan for identifying and training good potential candidates. They are discovering that the “voluntary approach,” whereby new project managers are solicited seemingly at random from around the company, simply does not work. Many of these individuals likely do not have the skills or a reasonable understanding of what it takes to manage projects effectively.

Questions

Imagine you are a human resource professional at Pure swing who has been assigned to develop a program for recruiting new project managers. Design a job description for the position.

What qualities and personal characteristics support a higher likelihood of success as a project manager?

What qualities and personal characteristics would make it difficult to be a successful project manager?

Online Efficiency & Cost of Production Discussion

Additional Information: Because the decision about relocating manufacturing operations to the United States is so important, the board of directors at Auto Edge continues to systematically discuss every aspect of the situation.

The following week, CEO Lester Scholl meets you for coffee to discuss next week’s board meeting.

“I’m hearing good things about you,” he says. “Ingrid and George tell me you’ve been very responsive and helpful.”

“That’s good to hear,” you say. “I’ve enjoyed working with them.”

“We’re both busy, so I’ll get right to the point,” he says. “One of the main objectives of any business is to be efficient. Without efficiency, the company is essentially losing money. Am I right?”

“Absolutely,” you say.

“What must Auto Edge do,” he says, “to obtain economies of scale with production? How do we know that it has achieved economies of scale? Conversely, how do we know if it is achieving diseconomies of scale?”

“That’s a good question,” you say. “I can understand why you ask.”

But before you can respond, Lester’s cell phone rings. After a minute, he ends the call and stands.

“I have to get back to the office to handle an emergency,” he says. “Would you send me an e-mail with an answer to my questions, please?”

“No problem,” you say. “I’ll get it to you before I leave work this afternoon.”

“I appreciate it,” he says. “Thanks.”

Keflavik Paper Company Case Study Essay

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