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Chapter 14 Managing Projects 579

change, since the company’s growth would add an automatic call distribution system and e-mail
many new elements to the chain. Therefore, the system that routed users across all time zones to the
change management team spent extra time with employees most able to answer their questions. For
Westinghouse’s supply chain staff members to help example, Westinghouse expected that there would
them understand the new project and its impact on be many questions about passwords, access issues,
their day-to-day routines. The project team recruited time entry, and purchase requisition management
power users from the supply chain organization and after the new system went live, so the company
discussed specific project details with business unit provided extra staff to answer those and other
leaders. These meetings also helped gain support frequently asked questions. This “temporary help
from supply chain executives who could better desk” handled over 2,000 inquiries during the first
understand the link between the information sys- three weeks of the implementation. The project
tems project and their business goals, and then artic- team also set up a blog where users could share tips
ulate this connection to other users. and solutions.
Next, after mapping the risk associated with The cutover to the new SAP system went
each element of the SAP re-implementation, smoothly, and the company plans to use many
Westinghouse had to finally switch, or cut over, of the techniques that it learned from the imple-
to the new system. To handle that event, Flynn mentation in the future. It plans to use the blog
worked with business leaders to recruit coordina- as its primary communication method for support
tors for every site in the organization. Each site solutions and other Synergy projects, and future
coordinator had a list of responsibilities and a additions to the SAP suite will be much easier than
checklist to complete prior to the system going the sweeping big-bang change.
live to ensure each site was ready when the switch
Sources: David Hannon, “Westinghouse Electric Company Sees
was flipped. Westinghouse dedicated extra staff
Global Standard Processes as the Foundation for Future Business
to answer employee questions in the problem Success,” SAP InsiderPROFILES, January–March 2012 and www.
areas designated by Flynn. The company created westinghousenuclear.com, accessed April 23, 2012.

CASE STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Identify and discuss the risks in Westinghouse 4. Should other companies use a “big-bang”
Electric’s Cornerstone project. implementation strategy? Why or why not?
2. Why was change management so important for Explain your answer.
this project and this company?
3. What management, organization, and technology
issues had to be addressed by the Westinghouse
project team?

DESIGNING FOR THE ORGANIZATION

Because the purpose of a new system is to improve the organization’s
performance, information systems projects must explicitly address the ways in
which the organization will change when the new system is installed, including
installation of intranets, extranets, and Web applications. In addition to proce-
dural changes, transformations in job functions, organizational structure, power
relationships, and the work environment should be carefully planned.
Areas where users interface with the system require special attention,
with sensitivity to ergonomics issues. Ergonomics refers to the interaction of
people and machines in the work environment. It considers the design of jobs,
health issues, and the end-user interface of information systems. Table 14.5

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