Coca Colas Internal Consulting Teams - Assignment Example

Consulting Plan: Project Plan

As earlier noted, the objective of having an updated training guide for Coca Cola’s internal consulting teams is to standardize the processes. In this paper, the objectives of the project are laid out. They highlight the importance of having the project in the first place. Next, the reasons multiple levels of objectives are necessary for giving direction and focus to the project are discussed in the context of the current consulting project. Also, the manner in which the consulting project is aligned to the business needs is debated. Lastly, the overall goals and an assessment of the project needs are discoursed appropriately.

Objectives for the Consulting Project

The overall purpose of the consulting project highlights what will be accomplished. The objectives or goals should be as definite as possible. The benefit of these goals is that they underline the project. The goal of coming up with an updated training manual for internal consultants is to standardize the process, increase efficiency as measured by number of completed training tests and low employee turnover. Another objective is to make the training process easier for the employees.

Why Multiple Levels of Objectives are needed to Give Direction and Focus

Having multiple levels of objectives is important for a number a reason. Phillips, Trotter, and Phillips (2015) contend that majority of consulting projects lead to solutions. At particular times the project is aimed at preventing an obstacle, taking an advantage of an opening or even solving a problem. Alternatively, the project may be developed to come up with several practical solutions (Phillips, Trotter, & Phillips, 2015). It does not matter as to what the case may be as long multiple levels of objectives are determined. The importance of these levels is they describe what is to happen at as the particular project is at its implementation stage. Coca-Cola needs to have an updated training guide that will ensure all processes within the organization are standardized.

The first level objectives include reactions. The response of various stakeholders is critical to the successful completion of the project. The stakeholders must be kept up to date and aligned with the goals of the project (Kerzner, 2014). Any positive reaction will imply that the stakeholders are satisfied with the project. According to Phillips, Trotter, and Phillips (2015), the best project will have a win-win result for the consultant, as well as, stakeholders. Stakeholders, in this context, are all the individuals that will be involved in the project implementation process. For Coca-cola, these people include team leader that will oversee its implementation and the employees to be involved in the whole process. The team manager for the internal consultants will also form part of the stakeholders.

Coca-Cola will need stakeholder feedback to make necessary adjustments where they are needed. For example, the updated training guide may not fulfill some of the requirements it is supposed to. In their review, the managers may identify them, and it would be in the best interest of the project when such recommendations from stakeholders are taken into account. In essence, it is important that interaction between the client and consultant is maintained (Handley et al., 2007). On the other hand, internal consultants may intimate that some issues are difficult to comprehend, and that can prompt some changes to the consulting project.

Learning objectives are developed to ensure the various stakeholders know what is necessary to make the project a success. The anticipated outcomes will be communicated through the learning objectives. There are particular aspects of the training guide that internal consultants may not be privy of or have problems with, and such information would be used to make them easier.

Application objectives are another level of objectives that help clearly describe what is expected of participants and to what degree. The objectives in this level outline the steps of the process that are finalized. Some of the questions that will be answered include what new procedures will be carried out. The application objectives will help highlight why the new training manuals are necessary, and the changes will be incorporated. When the consulting project is completed, some impacts such as better training guides and processes will be realised.

All projects are always expected to have an impact. These results are expressed as measures improve. They are critical to gauging a firm’s performance in the context of the consulting project. Coca cola’s consulting project will have specific impact objectives that include improved customer service that can be measured through significant reductions in client grievances. These objectives would help guide the consulting project in the right direction. If the impact objectives are not fulfilled, then changes are necessary.

Aligning the Consulting Project to the Organization's Business Issues

There are three points at which alignment occurs (Phillips, Trotter, & Phillips, 2015). The first is at the start of the project where it is brought into line with issues of the business. The second is for the period of the project when the solution of the consulting is linked to business measure. Lastly, alignment happens through endorsement in the follow-up to ascertain the impact of the consulting project. In consulting project, there should be a strong relationship between needs and objectives. Using the V-Model, the five levels of evaluation are vital especially when there is a need to assess the effect of the project.

On the top most level which is level, five, the project payoff and return on investment are usually determined even before the project starts. A number of business input measures in this level are highlighted. For Coca-cola, they include productivity issues, inefficiency and customer grievances regarding the quality of service offered by the employees of the organization. Some of the intangibles that will be linked to the solution include stress reduction and job satisfaction. Some of the problems where solutions are required include inefficiency and unproductivity.

For level four, the focus is on the business needs that prompted the consulting need. At this level, the problems that prompted the project are highlighted and which include the need for productivity to improve. The same has not improved over the last three years. Lack of necessary knowledge about the business is very high, and job satisfaction is at its lowest in two years. When all these challenges put into consideration, it becomes apparent that there is a serious problem that needs addressing.

The particular performance or actions that must be changed to meet the needs of the enterprise are defined on level three. The causes of the problems the business is experiencing are explored in this level. It is usually imperative that each of the measures is investigated carefully to determine why it is at the position it is in. To obtain the necessary data, interviews may need to be conducted; financial information to determine productivity and number of customer complaints data will be used.

The next level of the V Model is level two where skills, knowledge and particular information required to take care of the performance needs are outlined. It is at this level where the issue of learning is looked at. Do the internal consultants comprehend what they need to do to make the project a success? The question of whether employees know about the importance of the project will be examined.

On the last level, project implementation preferences are defined. A picture of the anticipated outcome must be detailed, and staffs made to see the real importance of having the updated manual. The employees must not view this as another attempt to control them but something that is helpful and necessary to the organization and staff. According to Phillips, Trotter, and Phillips (2015), such points of view are necessary if the consulting project is going to succeed.

Discuss the Overall Goals of the Project

Some of the main goals of having updated training manual are to standardize the whole process. Efficient training manuals are not bulky, heavy of having difficult words. They should be easy to reference for all employees. Additionally, they are supposed to be relevant and provide the necessary information for employees (Barbazette, 2013, p. 59). They are also among the first things that employees are given when they start working so that they can get important information on how certain activities within the organization are done. Coca Cola has multiple work sites, and all employees must perform in the same way, and training manuals help in standardizing the process. The manual is critical for consistent and quality management. Therefore, the primary goal of the project is to standardize the whole process.

Another goal is to make the internal consulting staff effective in their respective roles. Well, updated manuals will have all the necessary information that the workers may require and thus help them in their tasks. The training manuals would be an excellent source of information for the employees and having the right information would also enhance their efficiency. Additionally, the consulting project would seek to reduce customer complaints regarding the services being offered.

Assess the Needs of the Project Based On the Model Selected

Before a project is initialized, it must be ascertained whether a problem exists that need solving. In certain circumstances, it is evident while in others, it is not. Payoff needs help underscore the need for a consulting project. For Coca cola’s internal consultants, there are payoff opportunities that are obvious and they include reduced efficiency in their performance. Another obvious problem or payoff opportunity includes the rising grievances over the past one year and a high turnover of critical staff owing to reduced job satisfaction. One the other hand, reasons that are not so apparent include the development of highly efficient employees.

Conclusion

Every consulting project must have particular objectives that must be fulfilled and which should be as definite as possible. Additionally, multiple levels of the projects would help steer the project in the right direction and focus. It is imperative that every project is aligned with the business needs one way of doing so by using the V Model. Lastly, assessing the needs of the project is an important process even before the start of the project. Payoff needs will help underscore the importance of the project.