MediSys Corp.: The IntensCare Product Development Team Harvard Business School Case# 4059

1. MediSys Corp (Case
1)
Abhirup Rudra
319
Subject: Production & Operation Management
Instructor: Prof. Arun Kumar
4059

2. Brief Background of
MediSys
• Private - US Based medical device manufacturer
• Founded in 2002
• Annual revenues in 2008 - $400 M
• Total employee: 1750
• Makes institutional products - caters to hospitals
• Entrepreneurial culture
• Speed was the USP: speeding product development
through the use of cross-functional teams
2

3. GOOD Practices
• Small but profitable. Encouraged innovative thinking, had
entrepreneurial culture
• New president, Art Beaumont, was hired to play a strategic role for
preserving the innovative culture and to re-stimulate the rapid growth
• They tailor-made product according to customer needs and
responses
• They introduced a new parallel system for product development.
• Most of MediSys professional Employees embraced cross functional
team design
• Developed an executive team and implemented a strategy for
growing the business swiftly
3

4. BAD Practices
• Debate on Modular design
• Non-Compliance with the deadline given - Very aggressive
deadlines
• Conflict between employees regarding cross functional team
design and parallel development process
• The employees were not open, patient and trusting each other
• Software developed overseas was notoriously problematic in
the medical diagnostics field
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5. Problems
• Missing deadlines due to unreasonable delays
• Competitors as potential threat - Modular design not
implemented
• Less team synergy
• Less entrepreneurial spirit and more of a command
and control spirit after Art Beaumont’s entry as CEO
- Cross functional team activity disturbed.
5

6. Solution
• Re-establish team synergy
• Have more transparency
• STOP outsourcing crucial software which serves as
key DNA to products
• Parallel development should be implanted & carefully
monitored
• Should bring in modular design
6

7. Thanks :)