Student Name:

Saad Saleem

CMS-ID

1256-2020

Course Name-:

Project Management
 CASE STUDY

CALL A TRUCK

THE NEW CEO CAT, Inc. just got a new CEO, James Carter. James was voted and selected by
the majority of managers who were former drivers. To the surprise of the majority of the
employees, the new CEO was not a former driver. He was a businessman who viewed CAT, Inc.
as a dinosaur, an about - to - be - obsolete business that used fax and telephone. The new CEO
had a new vision. The vision was to be in touch with customers by a new means that radically
changed the way people communicated. The means was known as a computer. This required
massive investments. Luckily, CAT, Inc. was in a position that could afford the changes. So, to
make his vision possible, he launched a number of operative and strategic changes. Among the
operative changes, James ordered a stop to many fax – based communications between his
people and customers and changed them to be fully computer - based. In that manner, CAT, Inc.
became the first company in its industrial history that was able to provide everything a driver would
need on the road, ordered by request through a computer system. However, because not many
people had computers at the time, the company also maintained a fair use of the raditional means
of fax and telephone, but limited them to minimal usages.
The information through the traditional methods was kept in the digital format, nevertheless. In
addition to the operative changes, strategic changes were many and in - depth. One example was
the new infrastructure. CAT, Inc. built the infrastructure that supported the new system and better
facilitated customer requests. Despite a number of positive changes, consequences were
inevitable. And one consequence went to the technology development group, where the old faces
were all laid off. In place of them, the company hired a new software group from a technology
company’ s technology group. Immediately after that, a training program with a new content that
supported the computer system was established. In addition, a call center was set.
Project groups arranged around their customers were also formed for the first time. The
projects related to new products and services that were performed in the call center were led in
the matrix way by project management. In other words, cross - function teams were initiated to
respond to the customer needs. But there was no standard procedure yet for managing projects.
There were so many things that the company would need to do in the next several years. But
now, CAT, Inc. was a new company inside - out.
Discussion items

1. What were other operative and strategic actions, not mentioned in the case, which might
have been executed to accomplish James’ vision?

Here are a more options that could have been implemented to achieve his goals;

Practical Steps;
Simplifying the user interface; Given that not everyone had access, to computers back then
designing a user friendly computer system for drivers would have been essential.

Providing training and assistance; Conducting training sessions for drivers on how to use the
new computer system would facilitate a smooth transition and ensure its adoption. Additionally
offering support would help address any issues users might encounter.

Promoting the system; Raising awareness about the computer based system could involve
targeted communication strategies such as distributing flyers sending out mailers or organizing in
person demonstrations for drivers.

Strategic Steps;
Forming partnerships with tech firms; Collaborating with established technology companies could
offer CAT, Inc. Expertise and resources to enhance their computer system.
Introducing computer based services; Diversifying beyond offerings might include providing extra
services like route planning tools, real time weather updates or communication features, through
the computer platform. To strengthen your visibility consider developing a website or digital
platform to improve customer communication and service delivery.

2. How do the changes affect the strategy of CAT, Inc.?

The new CEO made some big changes to how CAT Inc. does things, and it's had a real impact
on the company's strategy in a few key ways:
1. Going Digital: CAT Inc. ditched the old fax-based communication and really embraced using
computers to talk to customers. This shows that they're all about digital and real-time
communication now.

2. Putting Customers First: The new setup and project teams are all about focusing on what
customers want and need. It's a strategic move to make sure they're meeting those needs.

3. Embracing Innovation and Tech: CAT Inc. invested in a new software group and computer
systems, showing that they're all about using technology and innovation to stay ahead in the
game.

4. Teamwork: By setting up project teams with people from different departments, CAT Inc. is
making a strategic push to work together more closely and take a more integrated approach to
developing products and services.

3. What role did project management play?

Project management was a big deal in CAT Inc.'s makeover under James Carter, and it made a
real impact in two main ways:

1. Leading Teams from Different Departments:

The company formed project groups centered around customers. These groups brought together
folks from different areas like marketing, sales, and engineering to work on creating new products
and services for the call center. Project management took the lead in managing these groups in
a way that balanced the success of the project with the goals of each department. This shows
how project management was key in getting everyone to work together to achieve specific goals.

2. Meeting Customer Needs:

The project groups, with project management at the helm, focused on projects for new products
and services offered through the call center. This means that project management played a crucial
role in understanding and analyzing what customers needed based on their interactions with the
call center, and then turning that info into plans for creating new stuff. This shows how project
management ensured that the new systems were responsive to what customers wanted.

To sum it up, project management at CAT Inc. was at the heart of:

Leading and coordinating teams from different areas; to come up with new products and services.

Meeting the needs of customers; identified through the call center by turning them into project
goals.