The Quantum Bank

1. Who would you recommend Stacey select to serve as project manager? Why?
It would be Andy Dover because the only area Bill Fence seems to excel in is technical knowledge.
However, it appears from the case that Andy has the necessary experience to oversee the project.
Given the two candidates' backgrounds, it is likely that Bill would concentrate more on technical
problems while Andy's attention would be on the wider picture. This is especially true given
Andy's MBA and the fact that he spent a year rotating around different divisions at the bank. Bill
undoubtedly had exposure to several areas during his time working at the help desk, but at a
different level. Bill would undoubtedly have excellent technical credibility based on the standards
outlined in the book, whereas Andy would probably have sufficient technical credibility. In
addition, Andy was frequently seen carrying his planner, and the depiction of Bill's desk makes it
seem like Andy would have more administrative credibility. Additionally, Andy's profile implied
the necessary sensitivity expected of a project manager. Finally, Andy would be a good choice to
lead this project because of his background leading large-scale process improvement projects,
natural ability to see things as systems, and strong communication skills.
2. How would you recommend this project be organized? Functional project? Pure project?
Matrix? Why?
The project I can suggest is matrix project management because it would need input from
departments other than information systems, thus structuring it as a functional project would not
be acceptable. However, the IS department will be responsible for handling the majority of the
project's work, so other functional areas won't likely have enough to keep their employees busy
for the duration of the endeavour. As a result, a matrix structure would be ideal, where participants
from various functional areas might contribute to this project on an as-needed and part-time basis.
3. Do you agree with Stacey’s decision that the project should be staffed internally? What
are the major advantages of staffing the project with Quantum employees? Are there any
advantages to utilizing the services of an outside consulting firm?
Managing the project internally makes reasonable given the potential strategic importance of the
bank's online presence. Additionally, hiring just internal personnel for the project guarantees that
Quantum will retain all learning related to it. If the project was externally staffed, rival companies
of Quantum could easily build comparable capabilities by working with the same consulting firm.
There are benefits to hiring outside consultants, such as their potential better knowledge, larger
staffs, unique perspectives, and so on.