Case Notes/Answers
American Constructors Inc. World Outreach Expansion
Project By Leanne Miele, Kenneth Klassen
Discussion Questions:
1. What are the key issues Grott is dealing with?
2. Identify the stakeholders who have an interest in this project.
3. Develop a project timeline based on the most likely times given in the case.
a) Can the building be completed on time?
b) What will be Grott’s largest challenges and potential problems? How can these be overcome?
, 810D16
Teaching Note
AMERICAN CONSTRUCTORS, INC.: WORLD OUTREACH EXPANSION
PROJECT
CASE SYNOPSIS
Tom Grott, project manager for American Constructors Inc. (ACI), sat down with his team on September
24, 2009 to evaluate the progress of their building expansion project in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The team
had been working on the World Outreach Church expansion project for more than a year already and it was
nearing completion. Originally scheduled for completion by March 2010, the project deadline was pushed
ahead to December 14, 2009 at the request of the client, who desired to use the property for the Christmas
season. In an effort to maintain the reputation of ACI, which had grown to be known as middle
Tennessee’s premier contractor, Grott and his team needed to determine if the December 14 deadline was
feasible.
TEACHING OBJECTIVES
This case was designed for use in an undergraduate or MBA operations management or introductory
project management course. Developed to aid instructors in facilitating discussions of key project
management concepts, the case content allows for an analytical approach to covering the basic skills in
planning a project, including precedence relationships, critical path, due dates, uncertainty (PERT tasks),
crashing, etc. It can be used to teach students the use of MS Project or other project management software.
It can also be used for a less analytic, more managerial discussion of project management. The case is
illustrated from the perspective of the project manager. During the case discussion, the instructor can bring
out points regarding what actually happened (included in this teaching note) that help round out the case
discussion.
American Constructors Inc. World Outreach Expansion
Project By Leanne Miele, Kenneth Klassen
Discussion Questions:
1. What are the key issues Grott is dealing with?
2. Identify the stakeholders who have an interest in this project.
3. Develop a project timeline based on the most likely times given in the case.
a) Can the building be completed on time?
b) What will be Grott’s largest challenges and potential problems? How can these be overcome?
, 810D16
Teaching Note
AMERICAN CONSTRUCTORS, INC.: WORLD OUTREACH EXPANSION
PROJECT
CASE SYNOPSIS
Tom Grott, project manager for American Constructors Inc. (ACI), sat down with his team on September
24, 2009 to evaluate the progress of their building expansion project in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The team
had been working on the World Outreach Church expansion project for more than a year already and it was
nearing completion. Originally scheduled for completion by March 2010, the project deadline was pushed
ahead to December 14, 2009 at the request of the client, who desired to use the property for the Christmas
season. In an effort to maintain the reputation of ACI, which had grown to be known as middle
Tennessee’s premier contractor, Grott and his team needed to determine if the December 14 deadline was
feasible.
TEACHING OBJECTIVES
This case was designed for use in an undergraduate or MBA operations management or introductory
project management course. Developed to aid instructors in facilitating discussions of key project
management concepts, the case content allows for an analytical approach to covering the basic skills in
planning a project, including precedence relationships, critical path, due dates, uncertainty (PERT tasks),
crashing, etc. It can be used to teach students the use of MS Project or other project management software.
It can also be used for a less analytic, more managerial discussion of project management. The case is
illustrated from the perspective of the project manager. During the case discussion, the instructor can bring
out points regarding what actually happened (included in this teaching note) that help round out the case
discussion.
