Southern Kentucky University Bookstore

The Southern Kentucky University (SKU) bookstore is beginning a major project of automating its inventory system. The bookstore is organized into four business units: Textbooks, General Merchandise—insignia merchandise (sweatshirts, coffee mugs, etc.), General Books, and Convenience (candy, soft drinks, and so on). Lisa O’Brien, the bookstore manager, has decided to name each business unit supervisor as the project manager of his or her area’s automation project. Each department has its own information systems person assigned so Lisa feels that each area can work independently to meet her deadlines for completion. The project is scheduled for completion right before school starts in the fall, with staggered “Go Live” dates for each of the business units. Each unit will do its own data entry and then work with the others on testing and implementation. Missy Motz is the supervisor of the Textbook division of the bookstore. Missy is concerned that her department will not have enough resources to complete the automation project. The Textbook department is always swamped with book orders from professor’s right before school starts. Missy thinks she has enough staff to handle the data entry, but is concerned about supplying personnel at the times and quantities required as the implementation is phased in over each of the business units. Missy knows a little bit about resource allocation techniques. She remembers that one of the most effective allocation techniques is to work first on the activity with minimum slack, so she instructed her staff to approach any tasks they are assigned as members of the project team on that basis.

1. What is the best way to schedule resources for the Textbook division?

2. What complications are added by making these project four separate projects?

3. How could Missy effectively lead her division and the other divisions—even though the other divisions do not report to her? Who does she need to involve in her project audience?