Typically, a project manager is assigned to oversee the project after the business unit has
completed its market studies. This presents a problem in the opinion of the person interviewed
in this study. Much of the project scope has been formalized by this time, particularly in terms
of product definition and the manufacturing technology. Formalizing the project scope is
proper, but bringing the project manager into the project afterwards creates problems. The
company parent to this project management organization has been very active in developing
alliances and partnerships with suppliers, and many of the process technologies that will be used
in the manufacturing process have already been selected and locked-in by the time the project
manager is assigned.