Question

Suppose you are preparing to recommend that top management install a new heating system which uses the cogeneration process. The following information is in your files.

• History of the development of the cogeneration heating process
• Scientific credentials of the developers of the process
• Risks assumed in using this process
• Your plan for installing the equipment in the headquarters building
• Stories about the successful use of cogeneration technology in comparable facilities
• Specifications of the equipment that would be installed
• Plans for disposing of the old heating equipment
• Costs of installing and running the new equipment
• Advantages and disadvantages of using the new process
• Detailed 10-year cost projections
• Estimates of the time needed to phase in the new system
• Alternative systems that management might want to consider

1. Identify the audience in this scenario and describe this audience’s concerns.

To facilitate your audience’s understanding and support of this recommendation, remove irrelevant topic(s) and categorize the relevant ones as high, medium, or low priority. Explain also what motivates you to label each category of topics as high, medium or low priority.

Answer 1

The audience for this decision would comprise of the following stakeholders-

1. Chief procurement officer- Her main concern would be to look for speedy and easy procurement options.

2. Chief financial officer- her main concern would be to ensure monetary cost - benefits of the acquisition and budget availability.

3. Head of the electrical engineering division- her main concern would be to understand technological specifications of the project and its technical viability.

4. Chief Sustainability officer- her main concern would be on the efficiency and sustainability of the proposed system.

5. Head of the operations and maintenance division- her main concern would be the see the effect of such installation on operations and maintenance viability.

6. Chief Architect of the company- her main concern would be to see whether the proposed installation is in line with the structural design of the headquarters building.

B. To facilitate the audience decision and save time, the following information will be removed from the discussion-

1. History of the cogeneration heating process.

2. Success stories use of cogeneration technology in comparable facilities.

3. Alternative systems

While the remaining one's are categorized in the below mentioned priority according to their importance in making a final decision-

1. Equipment specifications- High (The procurement and electrical engineering divisions would require this information to make their decision).

2. Risks assumed in using the process- High (The operations and maintenance division as well as sustainability officer would require this information to make their opinion).

3. 10 year cost projections-High (the finance head would look to the overall running costs to maintain the system to decide on financial implications).

4. Scientific credentials of the developers- Medium (this will be a concern for procurement and engineering division just to be sure that the process is reliable).

5. Costs for installing and running the equipment-High( This will be a an important concern for the finance head to make her decision.

6.Installation plan- Medium (The architect and operations divisions would be interested to understand it to make their opinion).

7. Time estimates for installation of the system- Low( This may be a secondary concern for the oprations and engineering divisions).

8. Plans for disposal of the old systems- Low( this will be a secondary concern of the sustainability officer and finance officer).