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Client Case Study: Cobra BioManufacturing

Recently we’ve helped Cobra, a medium sized contract biotechnology manufacturing organization, to introduce a formal project system, building a matrix of cross-functional teams to increase customer focus and service for each of its key clients.

Cobra has a great and growing reputation and a pool of highly talented, committed staff. The challenge was to align their efforts and ensure that demands of delivery were met for the highest priority tasks; to maximize their utllisation of people and facilities and to eliminate delay.

We assessed views from across the company and presented an analysis to the senior management team (SMT) that identified areas for attention such as the identification of common objectives, conduct of project meetings and the communication of actions. We also talked in depth to the newly appointed project managers. The latter were convinced at the outset that a strong leadership approach, without direct authority – the classic matrix model – would be all but impossible, in dealing with teams of strong and experienced functional managers, but we proved them wrong!

With our help the SMT was reorganized to incorporate cross-company planning at the highest level. Senior managers began to express a strong and unified message about the importance of organizing around key customer needs and the behaviours necessary to collaborate to meet them. More prioritisataion of SMT agenda items ensured that crucial decisions were dealt with. We ran sessions for senior and middle-level functions all across the business, clarifying the matrix model, its demands and benefits, and allowed them to express their concerns fully. Also we coached the project managers and helped them to address their new role.

Cobra now has an efficient project system. Regular team meetings address key issues in a brisk, action-oriented way. Multi-team membership is the norm, and organized smoothly.

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Contact Us for more information about this case study and some references.