Analysis of Communication Challenges and Potential Solutions: Case Study of a Laboratory Information Management System Project Team

Analysis of Communication Challenges and Potential Solutions:

Case Study of a Laboratory Information Management System Project Team

Author: Kevin J. Hricko

September 30, 2008

Analysis of Communication Challenges and Potential Solutions:
Case Study of a Laboratory Information Management System Project Team

This paper examines the communication challenges observed during the execution of a project to design and deploy a global Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to support worldwide research and development in a major pharmaceutical company. LIMS applications are software components for the management, business process standardization and information sharing efforts of a large research organization that result in new modes of operational performance across the enterprise. Business operational processes, human resources for administration and the application software comprise the entire system.

Worldwide Research and Development (WWRD) within the company is comprised of multiple functional areas, management lines and multiple locations throughout the world. Variations in business operations have led to divergent business processes, inconsistent management and communication of scientific data. A team of individuals from key functional lines, such as Informatics (computing science team) and the various research organizations was assembled from the main sites located in Sandwich, England and the American sites of Connecticut and St. Louis to create a virtual global team that would infrequently be collocated during the project.

The team had the challenges of firm schedule deadlines and limited budget to harmonize global business processes, customize the LIMS software, deploy and assist in adoption of the system within global WWRD. The team was led by an American project manager that reported to a Governance Board with members from the different sites and business lines. The Project Manager (PM) had matrix-based authority over dozens of... [continues]

Read full essay