1. Explain how you would execute your roles as project manager of this project.

2. As the project manager, how would you manage trade - offs?

3. How would you recommend this project be organized? Functional project? Pure project? Matrix? Why?

4. What criteria would you use in selecting resources to serve on your project team?

5. From the available resource pool, who would you select to be on your project team? Why?

MINI CASE 

Southern Care Hospital (SCH) is a large, nonprofit regional hospital located in the southeast. Several years ago it contracted with the healthcare division of a major medical equipment supplier to provide Six Sigma training to a group of its hospital employees. Since that time, numerous waves of Green Belts and Black Belts have been trained including people across all job ranks and representing most departments. Green Belt training entails two weeks of formal in - class training while Black Belt training entails the two weeks of Green Belt training plus an additional four weeks of training. Both Green Belt and Black Belt training require the completion of a Six Sigma project in addition to the in-class training. One challenge currently facing SCH is significant levels of dissatisfaction from the medical staff regarding the three - day lead time it currently averages the nuclear medicine department to turn around the results of stress tests. In this case, “lead time” is defined as the elapsed time from when the stress test is ordered by a physician until the time when a radiologist from the nuclear medicine department signs off on the test results. Stress tests are used to determine the amount of stress the heart can endure before either an abnormal rhythm or insufficient flow of blood to the heart develops. Typically, the stress test is administered by increasing the level of difficulty as a patient walks on a treadmill or rides a stationary bike. During the stress test vital statistics are collected and monitored, including the patient’s heart rate and blood pressure. Discussions with the medical staff indicate that they desire maximum lead times of a day and a half. You have been selected to manage a Six Sigma project focusing on reducing the lead times associated with receiving the results of stress tests. Based on your past experience with similar projects, you have identified 20 major activities. SSH’s steering committee has further granted you permission to select up to four team members from the available resource pool to staff the project.