Instructions

Using your learning from MBA 635 and MBA 690, explain why your organization is well positioned to carry out the project, including how the concept fits with the organization’s core competencies and the type of corporate culture that will offer the best possibility for successful implementation. In addition, recommend the key roles, responsibilities, and qualifications of the cross-functional team that will be responsible for implementing the project. Although you may not always be able to provide the names of the specific individuals who will occupy those roles, you should explain the specific skills and experience required for each and the contributions each member will make, including what your own role will be in the process and contingency plans should the proposed team composition need to be modified.

For additional details, please refer to the Milestone Three Guidelines and Rubric document and the Final Project Guidelines and Rubric document.

Milestone 3: Company and Key Personnel

Introduction

Successful project implementations require full support from the company as well as the human and non-human resources and core competencies in the company. A company’s strategy and project implementation rates are successful based on the company’s suitability, feasibility, and acceptability. The suitability, in this case, determines L.S Starrett Company’s ability to implement the autonomous trucks and an integrated system in the quest to rebrand its logistics and STD departments. Suitability can be achieved through the SWOT, PESTLE, and Porter’s Five Forces analysis tools that identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, external pressures, and forces (Tapera, 2014). Through this analysis, a company’s core competencies are determined, which form the basis of this paper. The paper evaluates and analyzes the core competencies of Starrett Company, including the influence of its corporate culture and qualification of its workforce in the effective and efficient implementation of the project.

Suitability of Starrett in Project Implementation

L.S Starrett Company has a rich history and commitment to the development of high-quality precision tools and customer service providence. In the industry, the company competes based on its reputation characterized by class for quality, the innovation of its patented tools, and, most importantly, its commitment to customer service while building strong and long-lasting customer relationships. The customer base for the company is vast, ranging from small end retailers or customers to large-scale corporations and agencies (Market, 2020). These aspects have created a higher competitive advantage edge where customers can purchases products and tools that are not present in their competitor’s product segments. Therefore, the company focuses on customer-centric solutions such as rebranding its logistics departments and making the delivery of the products timely, efficient, and effective.

Many customers prefer purchasing tools from Starrett Company because of its high quality, innovative and patented tools that are not present among other competing companies, and their reliability to supply and deliver to both small end and large based companies. The innovative and intrapreneurial aspect in Starrett gives the company an added advantage over its competitors to manage and carry out customer-oriented strategies to improve and satisfy the broad customer base (Market, 2020). The critical aspect that shapes the control and ability to carry out this project lies in the company’s highly competitive nature, which is viewed as an essential organizational function. In addition, the support of its corporate culture, core competencies, and a well-equipped cross-functional team will ensure the high and successful implementation of the autonomous trucks and an integrated system. This is in the quest to meet its customer-oriented strategies of high customer service providence and long-lasting customer relationships.

Organizational Core Competencies 

Core competencies in a company outline the unique set of skills, technologies, resources, techniques, knowledge, and experiences, among others that contribute to customer benefits, are inimitable by rivals and maximize its competitive advantage (Arikan, 2016). The implementation of the rebranding project significantly aligns with the company’s core competencies, as it has the staff, sets of skills, technology, resources, and competence necessary. The SWOT and VRIN analysis conducted in the company identified four core competencies that will aid the implementation of the project. They include leadership and staff competencies, intellectual property rights, housing conventional and advanced equipment, technological competencies. These core competencies hail from the company’s internal strengths and align with the implementation of the project at hand.

Primarily, Starrett Company possesses both leadership and staff competencies, whereby the executive leaders and the management work towards one vision. The vision of ensuring quality, the innovation of its patented tools, and, most importantly, its commitment to customer service while building strong and long-lasting customer relationships. The achievement of this vision is carried out by the financial support of the leaders and the investment in skilled, dedicated, and well-equipped employees. Starrett Company values diversity and inclusion of its workforce, which enables the company to acquire different, diverse, and unique skills, set that act as a critical competence (Arikan, 2016). The company has its workforce skilled with specialized skills, dexterity, and is maintained through training and apprentice programs. The presence of highly skilled employees in all departments shows the suitability of the company to develop an integrated system that will oversee and facilitate the movement of the autonomous trucks and the entire STD department. In addition to dexterity, the company is endowed with unique marketing skills in the Communication and Marketing department that plays an imperative role in the implementation of the plan (Starrett, 2020). These marketing skills will help reach all customers through direct and indirect channels and incorporation of digital, traditional, and content marketing strategies. The department uses strong market research, strategic marketing, market data to facilitates its marketing and sales.

Secondly, Starrett Company values innovation and incorporation of progressive technologies in its tools, operations, and systems. Over the years, the company has been using progressive technology to make its business strategies and models more effective and efficient. This has also lowed human error cases and increased precision, which is its core value and competence that maximizes its competitive advantage. The company’s production, harvesting, and cropping processes are all managed using progressive technology and innovative strategies. This minimizes the operational costs, improves reverse logistics of spoilt materials while maximizing product quality and consistency (Starrett, 2018). This core competence will highly help in the implementation of the rebranding project, as it will involve introducing disruptive technologies. The introduction of the autonomous trucks will not be a very new incidence that the company and staff cannot manage since Starrett is known for its innovative and new technology products. Moreover, the development of the integrated system will be conducted efficiently due to the presence of advanced technology and the availability of skilled, equipped, and SME employees. The company has a reputation for inimitable resources and products that allows it to be ahead of the competition and maintain high leadership in the industry. This shows, without doubt, the integrated system and the implementation of the autonomous trucks will be conducted uniquely and efficiently

Starrett Company has nearly 150 patents of its tools and processes. This shows how it parades its competence and competitive advantage in its intellectual property rights. It shows that the company has the resources, knowledge, and skills set not known to its competitors to produce unique products. It maximizes its competitive advantage from the economic benefits of nearly 150 patents (Starrett, 2020). The intrapreneurial aspect and knowledge from its R&D department will play a significant role in the development of the integrated system in addition to the technological advancements, housing conventional and advanced equipment that helps maintain manufacturing excellence. The advanced equipment and presence of physical facilities will aid in the successful implementation of the project.

Corporate Culture 

Starrett Company has a supportive and innovative corporate culture that encourages free communication and sharing of information among employees. Moreover, the organizational hierarchy is much flatter that makes leadership communication and followership easier and smoother. This shows that the implementation of the project will have support from both the leaders and the employees. An organizational culture that is supportive of the leaders and employees shows collaboration and teamwork, which are essential in successful project implementation (Starrett, 2018). Secondly, effective communication that follows open and two-way communication and information sharing is one of the most prioritized aspects of successful project management. Effective project implementation requires active communication of the involved stakeholders, as this implies that there is a productive exchange of skills, experiences, and knowledge. Successful project management uses an effective communication plan that demonstrates the platform for stakeholder’s communication and follow-ups (Starrett, 2018). Moreover, effective communication in project management requires a communication plan and a RACI chart to define team members who are responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed. As seen above, the organizational culture and hierarchy of management encourage free communication and information sharing, hence, adding advantage in the implementations of the project.

Starrett Company values diversity and inclusion of its workforce, which enables the company to acquire different, diverse, and unique skills set that act as a critical competency and is an essential aspect of the corporate culture. In addition, to support from the managed and effective communication, Starrett’s corporate culture is built on values of openness, teamwork, and mutual respect among leaders and employees. These values contribute highly to the successful implementation of the project as it creates an environment that encourages the autonomy of ideas among employees while working together as a team to attain the set objectives and goals  (ClA, 2019). An environment with management support encouraged autonomy, effective communication, diversity, and mutual respect has higher chances of successfully implementing projects that an environment without these crucial aspects. Employee relations in the company are high and stable relations, which translate to a customer-centric environment of increased customer service.

Key Roles, Responsibilities, and Qualifications of the Team

The implementation of the rebranding project of Starrett’s STD departments will require both human and nonhuman resources. As discussed above, the core competencies outline a company’s unique set of skills, technologies, resources, techniques, knowledge, and experiences, among others, that contribute to the successful implementation of the project. In this section, the skill sets and knowledge are discussed outlining the necessary team members, skill sets, and roles that will enable successful project implementation. Primarily, the key roles, responsibilities, and qualifications of the project team members will be based on the project’s schedule, critical milestones, and tasks  (PMI, 2017). The intended project team stakeholders include project sponsors, which is the Starrett executive management team, a project manager, five-team supervisors from the involved departments namely, ICT, STD, R&D, Communication & Marketing, and Security departments. In addition to an IT specialist, 20 team members, and two outsourced SMEs on the adoption of disruptive technologies.

The project sponsors who are the company’s executive management team will provide financial support through funding and will act as consultants, informants, and responsible for the risk management of the project. The executive team will involve the selected executives of the Board to perform the funding role and undertake the three critical roles, as stated in the RACI chart. The project manager, which is the role I will be taking up, will include activity and resource planning, organizing and motivating the set teams, cost and budget estimation, progress monitoring, delegation of roles, as well as the overall leading and management of the project team and delivery of the project (ClA, 2019). The qualification of the project manager is a bachelor’s degree in business management and other related fields with extensive related experience. Moreover, an added advantage would be for an individual with certification on project management. The team supervisors will micro lead and manage their four members from each department.

The supervisors will ensure all activities and tasks assigned to their departments are accomplished with high quality and ensure they meet the set requirement and specifications of the projects charter. They will monitor the four members to ensure they bring in the expected deliverables and accomplish their assigned tasks. Moreover, the supervisors will report the project’s progress to the PM during specified days in the communication plan, who in turn, will report to the executive team on overall project progress (Hudson, 2017). Acceptable qualifications of the department supervisors will include work experience as a team leader, high organizational and decision-making skills, and the presence of communication and leadership skills.

The 20 members from each department will perform their assigned tasks, work as teams, and report to their supervisors on the progress. The roles and responsibilities will depend on the milestone each department is assigned. For instance, the IT department will be responsible for the designing of the integrated system whereby the four IT members will conduct tasks such as system building, system installation, and checks. Secondly, the Marketing & Communication department will conduct marketing and communication aspects. The security department will be responsible for the testing of the system and the trucks, among other tasks (PMI, 2017). The IT specialist will work collaboratively with the IT department on the development and installation of the integrated system. Finally, the outsourced SMEs will provide guidance and evaluation of the technological aspect of the project. They will guide the project team members on the appropriate implementation of the disruptive technologies in the company. Their input and perspective will guide and drive the successful implementation of the project in Starrett and the effective accomplishments of tasks (PMI, 2017). The expected qualifications of the SMEs include extensive knowledge and expertise in disruptive technologies, most notably the autonomous trucks and software projects.

Specific Skills and Staff Experience 

The project team is comprised of 30 team members with specific duties, roles, and responsibilities, and qualifications. The qualifications and roles require specific skills and staff experiences of each member to ensure the projects team has adequate and comprehensive skill sets. The most preferred and specific skills in this project include leadership, communication, planning, risk management, and subject matter expertise in each team member. For instance, the project manager is expected to have leadership, critical management, and communication skills (PMI, 2017). These will help in the leadership and management of the teams and the project at large. In addition, the PM should possess scheduling and cost controls in budgeting to ensure the tasks of the project are accomplished as per the project’s charter and specification. The IT specialist must possess analytical, diagnostic, attention to detail skills. In addition to skills to manage technologies and architectural designs. SMEs in the disruptive technology and software project must possess problem-solving, active listening, and effective communication skills.

Most importantly, they should have the skills to map the pathway of competency and creating content that is essential in the project implementation. The team of 30 members requires staff experience among the skill sets and qualifications (PMI, 2017). The experiences align profoundly with the skill sets and qualifications of each tea member. They should possess experience in their assigned tasks for the smooth accomplishment of tasks and duties.

Contingency plans

A contingency plan is a set of actions designed to help in the response of an event in case the first plan fails. Many refer to this contingency plan as a backup plan or “Plan B.” The identified team is made up of 30 members, namely a Project Sponsor, a Project Manager, 5 Team Supervisors from the involved departments, namely, ICT, STD, R&D, Communication & Marketing, and Security departments, IT specialist, 20 team members, and two outsourced SMEs. On occasions when the team can be modified is when there are fewer members in the teams, or some fail to appear during the project implementation. Plan B, in case the project team needs to be modified, will follow three main activities (Tapera, 2014). They include identifying events that could trigger a missing team member, assigning each team four members with equal capabilities and skills necessary in task accomplishment, and designing clear guidelines on reporting and communication of the team members in case of an emergency prior. This in advance communication will enable prior planning; hence, the project implementation plan is not affected.

References

Arikan, D. D. (2016). A LITERATURE REVIEW ON CORE COMPETENCIES. International Journal of Management (IJM), Vol 7(3), pp; 120-127.

ClA. (2019, June 4). L.S. Starrett Company. The Wall Street Journal, p. pp: 1.

Hudson, A. (2017, December 20). The L S Starrett Company Case Solution. Retrieved from https://www.essay48.com/4676-The-L-S-Starrett-Company-Case-Solution

Market, C. (2020). Starrett L S Co’s Comment on Competitors and Industry Peers. Retrieved from CSI Market: https://csimarket.com/stocks/compet_glance.php?code=SCX

PMI. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge Sixth Edition. New York: Project Management Institute.

Starrett. (2018). THE L.S. STARRETT COMPANY: CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS . L.S. STARRETT COMPANY.

Starrett. (2020). Making tools in America Since1880. Starrett Company.

Tapera, J. (2014). The Importance of Strategic Management to Business Organizations. Research Journal of Social Sciences & Management, Vol 3(11), pp; 122-126.