DURHAM

COLLEGE
SUCCESS MATTERS PROJ1204 — Project Communications

Individual Assignment # 1
Performing Stakeholder Analysis
You are provided along with this document with a short case study on Marriott's Hotel Bedding Program
describing a project undertaken in their organization. As the Project Coordinator for a similar project for Hotel
8, you have been asked to assist the Project Manager with generating a profile or stal<eholder register for your
project based on the findings from Marriott's project. This stal<eholder register will then assist the Project
Manager and other team members with planning for the communications that will need to be delivered
throughout the course of the project.
Please provide the answers to the following questions:
(Please provide examples, samples and clear references when you are doing the research on these questions)
1. Create a listing of what you believe could be the stakeholders for the project. This listing should be
made via the use of a stakeholder register template. Note: a minimum of 10 stakeholders should be
identified for this exercise. Hotel 8 although not has large as Marriott has a similar structure

Name Position /Role Internal / Main Expectation

external
Customer A person who is using the External To get best services
services
Government Makes rules and External To maintain law
regulation to follow
Project sponsor Providing funds for Internal To gain profit
project

Project leader To manage the whole Internal To supervise and communicate team
team

Project team Group performing under Internal To get support from other teams in project
member team leader

Functional Take care of a specific Internal Rectify problems in project

managers department

Suppliers Provides goods and External Have long term supplies in company
services
Vendor who offers an item to External Provide all notices as per contract in advance
clients
Executives High officials in the Internal To have direct report of profect
company who govern the
organization
Resource Managers for providing Internal Maintain a highly skilled workforce
manager the material for project

[ CITATION www \l 16393 ]

Extracted from MDP272a: Project Communications Management
 2.Can you provide some ideas as to how to best identify stakeholders early in a project? Provide
some ideas around tools and techniques that would be used to do this.

While selecting partners in project we should use proper tools to identify right stakeholder for project
because once the project starts its very hard to do.

Complete information about stakeholder

As a project leader we should have full knowledge of project while selecting an appropriate stakeholder. Different
methods should be used to judge the potential of the stakeholder, relevance necessities and  relative significance of
each stakeholder to others in the project or company  [ CITATION Moi16 \l 16393 ]

Project charter

This task is a report which approves the presence of project plan as undertaking administrator. This record
contains useful data. For example, the task targets, expenses, timetable and requirements.[ CITATION Fah \l
16393 ]

Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a good method to gather all the useful information required for identifying stakeholder for a
project. Partner distinguishing proof is a nonstop procedure which occurs until the point when the task ends. You
need to continue searching for partners all through the task life cycle.
3.Who is responsible for stakeholder analysis on projects? Why?
All the professional who are involved in task are responsible for stakeholder analysis for example boss
shareholder, government, senior executives and public Partners can be the two associations and individuals, at the end of
the day you should speak with individuals. Along the analysis make sure to distinguish the right individual partners inside
a partner association. List of interested people in project are prioritized according to their ability[ CITATION Rac \l
16393 ]
4.When should a review of the stakeholders be done on a project? Why?

Reviewing of the stakeholder should be done early. The main focus of the project is on planning
strategies, setting the path for team members, risks and outcomes of the task. Reviewing should be done
before the final submission of the project report which gives a full scenario of a successful cycle of
project.[ CITATION BPA \l 16393 ]

Grading for this project

This individual assignment is worth 10% of your overall class mark and will be graded as follows:
25 % will be awarded for providing a clear, visual representation (template) of the stakeholders that you
have identified for this project. (see question 1 above)
10 % will be attributed to your analysis of each of your stakeholder. Analysis should be added to the
listing above and describe why you need to pay attention to each specific stakeholder based on their role
on the project. You can use the PMI O descriptions of influence, power, involvement and impact as a
guide to accomplish this. You will need to flag the individuals which you perceive to be critical to the
success of the project. Remember stakeholders are those individuals or groups that are impacted by the
project and will have a negative or positive influence over this project life cycle.
30 % will be awarded for responding clearly, concisely and completely to each of the questions (see
questions 2, 3 and 4 above). This should be provided on a separate document.
 25 % will be awarded for stating clearly your references for this assignment as well as providing examples
to support your responses.
10 % will be awarded for delivery of the assignment on time; showing creativity and care taken to the
overall formatting. (i.e. clean of grammatical errors, complete, use of template, fonts, colours...)
Assignment is due on may 23 rd before start of class,
A dropbox has been created in DC Connect to let you post your worl<.
Marriott Bedding Program
Marriott International Uses Project Management to Upgrade Bedding
Worldwide
Headquartered in Washington, DC, Marriott International, Inc.
is one of the leading hospitality companies in the world with
more than 2,400 properties in 68 countries and territories. As a
management company, Marriott is responsible for daily
operations in both company-operated and franchised
properties. Marriott has an extensive portfolio of brands
including full-service hotels and resorts, limited-service hotels
like Fairfield Inn by Marriott and corporate housing such as
Marriott ExecuStay. In 2004, Marriott International set out to
upgrade their bedding across all Marriott brands by providing
new sheeted duvet covers, soft linens, down pillows and
pillow-top mattresses for their customers.
Background
The Marriott Bedding Program set out to develop and
implement a bedding package for over 628,000 beds across 10
Marriott lodging brands in two years, giving Marriott a new
look and more comfortable amenities. The US$190 million
global renovation required seamless coordination of resources
from interior design, operations, finance, owner relations and
public relations.
In addition to transforming the Marriott brand, the finished
product gave the company an important advantage and unique
selling point over competitors. As bedding choices became a
focal point of lodging industry competition, it was imperative
for Marriott to conform to a tight project timeline with strong
compliance across the Marriott system in order to reap the
rewards of competitive advantage.
The new bedding was part of a comprehensive initiative to
transform the look and feel of all Marriott brands to create a
more comfortable hotel experience for all guests Thus the
project team, composed of Project Management Professional
(PMP)-certified project managers managed by a program
manager out of Marriott's Lodging Program Management
Office (PMO), conducted extensive market, product
development and product and operational testing research to
get inside the minds of their customers and affirm that the
linens products adhered to their requirements.
The program manager was strongly supported by the Lodging
Program Management Office. Her duties included maintaining
communication among all parties, conducting regular team
meetings with clear agendas covering upcoming milestones,
identifying issues or risks and recognizing major
accomplishments. She facilitated communication between the
various headquarters' teams, regional teams and properties,
identifying and employing the most appropriate method of
communications depending upon the type of information
being conveyed and the urgency of the message.
Challenges
One of the most ambitious projects undertaken by Marriott
International, the Bedding Program produced several
challenges on a global scale that the company had to
overcome throughout the project lifecycle if it was going to
prove successful in the end.
Marriott had an existing bedding standard prior to the Bedding
Program initiative in 2004. However, with the differing ages
of hotels and different brands came a great deal of variation in
bedding specifications. In some cases, mattresses, especially
in limited service hotels, were of various heights. In order to
comply with the new standards, some properties had to
purchase new mattresses. Other properties had to order special
linens for higher mattresses. Box springs were different
heights off the floor so properties had to precisely measure
bed heights from the floor to the top of the box spring in order
to purchase bed skirts of the appropriate length. King-sized
beds existed in three different sizes, impacting the length and
width of sheets that had to be ordered. With so many moving
parts and dependencies and 21 internal project teams, the
project scope became a clear challenge. Project teams had to
work across time zones, languages and a variety of cultures
and government regulations to achieve a successful outcome,
making effective and efficient communication and
coordination a significant challenge.
Marriott Bedding Program
Stakeholder endorsement of the Marriott Bedding Program
was essential for implementation since owners and
franchisees would bear primary responsibility for the
necessary financial investment. Owners and franchisees are
required to comply with Marriott standards and the
introduction of new operational measures, but if they are not
supportive of a change, the implementation process can be
significantly delayed. In addition, at the time of the Bedding
Program, some properties had just opened and the new
bedding standards required them to dispose of relatively new
linens, which posed a financial burden for some.
With more than 143,000 employees worldwide and over 200
direct project associates, implementation of the bedding
program required significant changes in hotel management
processes. Thousands of people including housekeepers and
laundry associates had to learn how to switch the new bedding
out and also maintain the new standard form for each room
and each linen change. Training had to be specific to the
bedding packages designed for different brands. Additionally,
property management teams needed to be educated about the
rationale for the bedding change and the linen ordering
process. Other training complications centered on a language
barrier between property managers and housekeeping and
laundry associates and the need to train all staff at the same
level. In addition, some properties experienced staff turnover
during the implementation process, requiring additional
training for new personnel.
Much of the bedding Marriott sought was manufactured and
distributed from overseas companies. This created a sixmonth
lag time between the time an order was placed and when
linens were delivered. In addition, across all brands the
Bedding Program involved over 1,850 different products such
as mattresses, pillows, sheets, pillow cases, etc., which posed
a challenge of tracking and distribution.
Solutions
In order to address the challenges brought on by such a
multifaceted project, Marriott's PMO needed to set forth
specific processes and procedures to keep the lines of
communication open between the different departments and
levels of involvement in the project.
2
The massive scope of the Bedding Program presented a
challenge in itself. To bring the project down to size, the team
implemented several project management techniques, the
most important being communication. Project teams used
meetings, emails, status reports, memos, conference calls,
conferences, wordless videos, how-to videos and pamphlets,
photos, the internet and Marriott intranet to communicate to
the global audiences affected by the program. Solid record
keeping and documentation also played a large part in
keeping the team organized with the numerous elements of
the project.
In addition, the project had several levels and processes, all
depending on project teams and milestones, thus it was
important to ensure that dependencies between project teams
and key milestones were identified in a timely manner. For
example, a priority for one project team might require the
support of a second project team, but might not be a priority
for the second team. The program manager had to help
facilitate these issues in order to keep the project within the
set objectives - timeframe, budget and expected results.
Project requirements were documented and publicly discussed
at the very beginning of the program. As the project
progressed, new requirements or additional scope changes
were evaluated against the initial requirements and risks
identified.
To combat the challenge brought on by variations in product
sizing and mattress heights. Marriott asked individual hotels
simple questions and converted the answers into a database
that helped the Procurement Team create a preliminary order
and cost estimate for each hotel. This information also aided
the team in planning, manufacturing and distribution needs.
Properties were trained in the use of the inventory model
through telephone conference calls.
With over 10 different brands, Marriott had to devise a plan to
adapt the bedding to each brands identity. To do this, two core
bedding teams were established: one responsible for
Marriott's full service brands and one for the limited service
brands. These teams were in charge of identifying the new
bedding concept for each brand, developing the specifications
to support those concepts, projecting systemwide
implementation costs and on-going operating costs,
conducting market research with consumers, testing products
in hotels, establishing the new bedding standards, creating
training and implementation materials to ensure proper
execution and conducting conference calls with properties
during implementation to provide assistance and monitor
progress.
Customer research proved critical to gaining the support of
owners and franchisees as it demonstrated the compelling
guest desire for new bedding. Additionally, product testing
in properties was essential to show that the new bedding
could be properly implemented in hotels of various sizes.
Negotiating competitive pricing was important, especially to
Marriott Bedding Program
those hotel owners who opened a new property within a year
of the Bedding Program. Marriott negotiated with vendors to
obtain the best possible pricing so that owners would be
encouraged to use
Marriott's procurement process. The negotiation process
proved to be a challenge itself since Marriott could not
forecast the volume of bedding purchases until the orders were
placed, but owners would not commit to purchasing the
bedding without price quotes. The procurement team
negotiated preliminary pricing, prepared property-specific
quotes for all properties and then obtained signed agreements
from the owners. Continuous communication proved
invaluable to gaining the support from property owners and Results
franchisees.
With the help of more than 200 employees worldwide
To resolve the challenges brought on by Marriott's complex participating in the program as members of specialized project
procurement process, Marriott contracted an outside teams, the Marriott Bedding Program completed the
distribution company to receive, repackage and ship the bulk conversion of 628,000 beds into a fresh, white, luxurious yet
of the bedding to the properties. This allowed the properties to modern ideal of comfort on March 31, 2006, two years after
receive complete orders - a Marriott requirement that reduced commencement. The project came in under budget at US$190
the risk of storage complications at properties that received million with 95 percent of properties converted over by the
items piece-meal. Within Marriott, each distribution team was end of QI 2006.
responsible for tracking actual and projected shipments and
shortfalls by item, by week. The distributions and Marriott Bedding Program Key
procurement teams met with vendors every week to review
manufacturing schedules and overseas shipping status reports
Achievements
and plan how to address shortfalls. The project accomplished sponsor goals of large
improvements in guest satisfaction and revenue
To overcome language barriers while training staff, the project improvement. Market research has shown that
team developed wordless training videos and job aides with increases in guest satisfaction translate into customers'
photos to demonstrate how the beds should be made. To keep intent to return to the hotel for another stay, resulting
up with staff turnover, Marriott leveraged an intranet web site in higher revenue.
where department or initiative information could be posted
and easily accessed. Additionally, the project team conducted The individual property owners are pleased with the
property conference calls during the ordering process and results as they are seeing higher revenue at their
when the linens were shipped to reinforce written individual hotel properties.
communications and ensure no confusion was created by a
change in managers. With the help of the Marriott public relations team, the
project received a large amount of media exposure in
In addition to the transformation of all bed linens across all addition to several awards for their initiatives.
Marriott brands and properties, the company saw an
opportunity to save money and become more environmentally Through the linen reuse program, individual properties
friendly through the establishment of a linen reuse program. are achieving an 11 to 17 percent savings on hot water
The program mandates linens to be changed only as needed, and sewer bills in addition to helping conserve energy
upon guest request and between stays. This allows the hotels and water.
to conserve energy and water as well as reduce energy costs.
The Marriott Bedding Program was a top three finalist
for Project Management Institute's 2007 Project of the
Year award.
0 2012 Project Management Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. "PMI" and the PMI logo are marks of Project Management Institute, Inc.
For a comprehensive list of PMI marks, contact the PMI Legal Department. ORG-6035-2011(01-12) 3
 Marriott's Bedding Program: Finalist for PMI's 2007 Project of the Year
Katy Breuer, Vice President, Operations Planning, Marriott International
John Whitwell, Vice President, Program Management Office, Marriott International

Introduction
The Marriott Bedding Program is one of the most ambitious programs that Marriott has ever undertaken. The
project team developed and implemented a compelling bedding package for more than 628,000 beds across 10
Marriott lodging brands throughout the world in two years. This was an enormous undertaking for all
stakeholders, requiring seamless coordination of resources from interior design, operations, finance, owner
relations and public relations, among other groups. The stakes were high, with bedding choices becoming a
focal point of lodging industry competition. It was critical for Marriott to conform to a tight proj ect timeline
with strong compliance across the Marriott system in order to reap the rewards of a competitive advantage by
comprehensively introducing the new bedding packages in the company's portfolio of hotels in a short amount
of time. Marriott established the project in QI 2004, developed the specifications and tested the product in Q2
2004 through QI 2005, ordered the bedding in Q2 2005 and implemented the new bedding standards in over
95% of the properties by QI 2006.

The new bedding was part of a comprehensive initiative to transform the look and feel of all Marriott
brands to create an exceptional and rewarding experience for all our guests. In addition to high-thread-
count sheets and multiple pillows, the replacement of traditional bedspreads with freshly laundered linens
is allowing Marriott's bedding to be regarded as the cleanest and freshest of any major hotel chain.

Project Successes and Challenges

Successes
Overall, the project came in under budget, on time, and with high compliance. It accomplished the project
sponsor goals of large improvements in guest satisfaction and revenue improvement. Market research has
shown that increases in guest satisfaction translate into customers' intent to return to Marriott for another stay.
This results in more revenue. The owners, who were responsible for the financial investment in the new
bedding, have been extremely pleased with the results.

0 2007, Katy Breuer and John Whitwell 1

Originally published as a part of 2007 Global Congress Proceedings - Atlanta, GA, USA
 PIVfl
Another benefit of the Bedding Program was a tremendous amount of media exposure for Marriott, which
resulted from innovative media and public relations campaigns promoting the new bedding. Marriott received
several awards for those initiatives.

Challenges
Implementation of the Bedding Program was complicated by the following factors:

Dramatic variations in the current state of bedding across Marriott brands and individual properties.
Marriott had an existing bedding standard; however, primafily because of the differing ages of
hotels, there was a great deal of variation in bedding specifications. For example, existing mattresses
—especially in limited service hotels were of various depths. This meant that some properties, in
order to comply with the new standards, had to buy new mattresses. Other propenies had to order
special linens for deeper mattresses. Box springs were different heights off the floor, which meant
that properties had to precisely measure bed heights from the floor to the top of the box spfing in
order to purchase bed skirts at the appropriate length. King beds are in three different sizes,
impacting the length and width of sheets that had to be ordered.
To address these issues, each North American property inventoried its current state of bedding. To aid
in this process, the project management office (PMO) developed a sophisticated Excel spreadsheet
model that asked individual hotels simple questions and converted the answers into a database that
helped the procurement team create a preliminary order and cost estimate for each hotel. This
information also aided the procurement team in planning manufacturing and distribution needs.
The enormous scope and complexity ofthe project. More than 2,400 propenies in 65 different
countries (plus the United States and Canada) were involved in this project. More than 628,000 beds
had to be transformed. Twenty-one intemal project teams, consisting of representatives and subj ect
matter experts from various company disciplines, were created to focus specifically on the numerous
components of this project, making effective and efficient communication and coordination a
challenge. Proj ect teams had to work across time zones, languages and a variety of cultures and
government regulations to achieve a successful outcome.
Adapting the project to meet the specific needs of each of 10 different Marriott brands. Bedding
specifications had to be developed for the individual brands and then communicated effectively to
all stakeholders.
Gaining supportfrom external stakeholders. Foremost among Marriott's external stakeholders are the
hotel owners and franchisees. Their endorsement of the Bedding Program was essential for its
implementation, since they would bear primary responsibility for the necessary financial investment.
Marriott leveraged the account management team, which had good relationships with each owner, to
obtain individual buy-in and commitment.
Critical to gaining the support of owners and franchisees was the presentation of customer research that
demonstrated the compelling desire of guests for new bedding. Additionally, product testing in
properties was essential to show that the new bedding could be properly executed in hotels of various
sizes. Negotiating competitive pricing also was an important component of gaining support from
owners and franchisees. Although owners and franchisees are required to meet Marriott's required
specifications for a new standard, they are not required to purchase the products from Marriott-
contracted vendors. For the bedding program, Marriott negotiated with vendors to obtain the best
possible pricing so that owners would be encouraged to use Marriott's procurement process. The
negotiating challenge was that Marriott could not forecast the volume of bedding purchases until the
orders were placed and owners would not commit to purchasing the bedding without price quotes. The
procurement team negotiated preliminary pricing, prepared property-specific quotes for all 2,210 North
American properties, and then obtained signed agreements from the owners. In total, 94% of the
owners purchased the new bedding through Marriott Procurement.
Associate training: Implementation of the bedding program required significant changes in hotel
management processes. Thousands of people, including property management teams, more than
40,000 housekeepers and more than 10,000 laundry associates, had to learn how to transform their
bedding and then maintain it. Training had to be specific to the bedding packages designed for

0 2007, Katy Breuer and John Whitwell 2

Originally published as a part of 2007 Global Congress Proceedings - Atlanta, GA, USA
 different brands. Other training complications centered on the fact that housekeeping and laundry
positions often are staffed by

PIVfl
associates who do not speak or read English. To overcome these challenges, the project team
developed wordless training videos and job aides with photos to demonstrate how the bed should be made.
Complex procurementprocess. Marriott procured many of the bedding products from overseas. This
created a six-month lag between the time an order was placed and when linens were delivered to the
properties. Marriott contracted an outside distribution company to receive, repackage, and ship the bulk of
the bedding to the properties. This allowed the properties to receive complete product orders—a Marriott
requirement that reduced the risk of storage complications at properties that received items piecemeal.
Across all the brands, the bedding program involved over 1,850 different products. Each distribution team
was responsible for tracking actual and proj ected shipments and shortfalls by item, by week. The
distribution teams and procurement team met with vendors every week to review manufacturing schedules
and overseas shipping status reports and plan how to address shortfalls.

Special Management Methods

Always a leader in the lodging industry, Marriott has been in the forefront of applying proj ect management
processes to the hotel business. The bedding program presented the company an opportunity to use those
processes on a scale never before attempted. The project management tools were adapted to the particular
needs of a service industry and the specialized products of the hotel business, but the basic processes were
essential to completing the proj ect on time and on budget.

An important outcome of the bedding program was the expansion of the positive perception of the PMO. The
Marriott organization, especially at the senior management level, became more aware of the important
contributions of the project management role and processes in managing projects effectively. The PMO, staffed
with PIVIIcertified Project Management Professionals (PIVP@), was originally formed to increase speed to
market. Other proj ects had been completed using project management techniques, but the Bedding Program
was the first largescale, system-wide program with very aggressive implementation deadlines that was managed
by the office.
According to members of the various project teams, a major benefit of the proj ect management by the PMO
was that the team members did not have to focus on how the proj ect would come together; they only needed to
concentrate on delivering their particular component of the project with an understanding of how it impacted
the overall project. The project teams also said they were well informed about the overall progress of the proj
ect and that updates following the completion of their component of the proj ect allowed them to continue to
feel integral to the project's success. As a result of the successful implementation of the bedding program and its
resulting improvements in guest satisfaction, the PMO has gained additional credibility and respect within
Marriott and is continuing to assume responsibility for widespread programs. By leveraging the lessons leamed
from this proj ect and others, additional successes with project management are anticipated.

Project Management Techniques

Concentrated attention to employing good project management techniques throughout the bedding program was
critical to the ultimate success of the project. The following explanations illustrate how those techniques were
used:

Communication: Consistent communication throughout the organization was vital to keep the project
moving forward smoothly. The project scope required that a variety of communication methods be
used, depending on the type of information being conveyed and the urgency of the message. Proj ect
teams used meetings, e-mails, status reports, memos, conference calls, conferences, wordless videos,
job aides, photos, the Internet (www.Marriott.com) and the Marriott intranet (Marriott's Global Source)
to communicate to the global audiences affected by the bedding program.
0 2007, Katy Breuer and John Whitwell 3

Originally published as a part of 2007 Global Congress Proceedings - Atlanta, GA, USA
 Documentation andproject management: These processes were well executed throughout the project.
Solid recordkeeping, establishing clear goals, and defining specific deadlines and proj ect targets
helped keep the project on track, ensuing that it was completed on time and within budget. The
processes were tested during the early phase of product implementation. During the ordering process—
with critical deadlines looming—the program manager had to take a leave of absence for four weeks
due to a family emergency. The solid documentation amassed up to that stage of the proj ect allowed
Katy Breuer's supervisor, John Whitwell, to smoothly assume the proj ect management lead and keep
the project teams

PN'II
moving forward on schedule during her absence. Also, the comprehensive documentation process made
the transition back to Ms. Breuer's management just as smooth.
Unified alignmentfrom senior management: Clear support for the Bedding Program existed at all
levels of the Marriott, starting with the chairman and CEO, J. W. Marriott Jr. This allowed decisions
to be made quickly and at a senior level in the organization. Ms. Breuer had access to executive
leadership and could leverage their influence and decision-making as needed.
Recognition: Recognition was an important tool used throughout the proj ect to keep team members
motivated and working hard. Achievements of key milestones were acknowledged at team meetings
and in status reports. Personal congratulatory letters, framed photos and impromptu celebrations
marked special accomplishments and built team camaraderie. Whenever possible, team members were
recognized publicly. For example, during the Pajama Rally at corporate headquarters, all team
members wore buttons indicating they were part of the bedding team and were acknowledged publicly
by Mr. Marriott in his comments. A celebration at the end of the project included a reception and,
again, a public acknowledgement from Mr. Marriott for each team responsible for the success of the
proj ect. Ms. Breuer was individually acknowledged for her key role in managing the project. Her sole
comment was, "It was a team effort." Leveraged temporary professionals in procurement
process: The procurement team relied on a few skilled Marriott procurement agents to manage the
North American Lodging (NALO) bedding procurement; however, the team needed more people to
handle the volume of work. The quantity of orders submitted exceeded expectations; therefore, it was
necessary to develop a strong group of trained individuals quickly. The procurement and accounting
teams were staffed with only five permanent staff members and over 50 temporary workers. The
interview and training processes for the temporary workers were rigorous and ensured that the
resulting team was qualified and motivated. When the proj ect was completed, supervisors offered
temporary team member's letters of recommendation and assistance in obtaining job positions in
Marriott. Almost every person who desired a job in Marriott after working with the Bedding Program
was hired.

Project Integration Management

Proj ect integration was implemented in the Bedding Program by combining related projects into a program.
Initially, the PMO was responsible for a portion of the overall program, but it quickly became evident that it
would be more efficient to leverage teams across all the brands. Some of the ways that the PMO facilitated the
proj ect integration are as follows:

Identifying dependencies between project teams: It was important to ensure that dependencies between
project teams and key milestones were identified in a timely manner. A priority for one project team
might require the support of second project team, but might not be a priority for the second team. The
program manager had to help facilitate these issues. An example is the public relations team's staging
of the Pajama Rally at corporate headquarters. The goal of the event was to showcase the new beds for
both headquarters associates and the media. Members of the procurement and core teams were needed
to support the marketing team in the execution of this event. This successful press event, occurring
relatively early in the implementation phase, created huge momentum and helped gain support for the

0 2007, Katy Breuer and John Whitwell 4

Originally published as a part of 2007 Global Congress Proceedings - Atlanta, GA, USA
 proj ect from owners and franchisees. As a result, bedding orders were generated even before the
procurement team had finalized all the pricing. The momentum fueled by the event reverberated
through every project team and at every property as guests asked about the new bedding and when it
would be installed in the hotels.
Clearly identifying, documenting, and tracking requirements: Project requirements were documented
and publicly vetted at the very beginning. As the bedding program progressed, new requirements or
additional scope changes were evaluated as compared to the initial requirements and risks identified.
For example, the risk that additional product testing would be required to gain owner support for the
project was identified in the initial requirements. Alternative plans were considered to ensure that the
need for additional testing would not interfere with achieving the project goal on time and within
budget. Throughout the project, as an issue surfaced with one team, the other proj ect teams were
quickly made aware of it and could therefore be proactive in identifying solutions and managing the
response.
Planning: Each portion of the project started with multiple planning sessions, which allowed each of
the project team members to communicate their vision of that stage of the project and to bring issues to
the surface. The high quality of the team members contributed to the value of the planning process.
Each team

PN'II
separately planned the key components of its work and established deadlines, and then the team plans
were integrated into a comprehensive work plan.
Aligning and integrating: It was not only important to align the goals of each project team, but also ensure
that those goals were all aligned to the end goal of implementing the Bedding Program at the property
level. Team members were often unacquainted with each other; therefore, part of proj ect meetings had
to focus on team building, aligning around project goals and clarifying roles and responsibilities.
Additionally, it was important for each team member at headquarters to understand that the
management staff of each property would be managing an operating business while this major change
was occurring and that the change would be disruptive to daily operations. Accordingly,
implementation plans and materials needed to be sensitive to and supportive of the needs and concerns
of the hotels.
Even extemal stakeholders such as vendors had to be made aware of the significant level of change
management required at the property level to manage this implementation. Just one step in the
process involved multiple tasks. For example, when linens were shipped to hotels, the boxes had to
be stored in a secure location, the linens washed, and all the bedding changed in the rooms while the
hotel was fully operational and guests were occupying the rooms.

Key Project Teams

Nearly 200 Marriott associates served as members of specialized proj ect teams throughout the life of the
Marriott bedding program. The key project teams and their responsibilities were as follows:

Core Bedding Teams: There were two core bedding teams: one responsible for Marriott's full service
brands and one for the limited service brands. These teams were in charge of identifying the new
bedding concept for each brand, developing the specifications to support those concepts, proj ecting
system-wide implementation costs and ongoing operating costs, conducting market research with
consumers, testing products in hotels, establishing the new bedding standards, creating training and
implementation materials to ensure proper execution, and conducting conference calls with properties
during implementation to provide assistance and monitor progress. These teams consisted of
representatives from Marriott's departments of brand management, market research, operations,
finance, program management and interior design.
North American Lodging (NALO) Procurement Team: This team was in charge of communicating
with 2,210 propenies in North America to create a bedding order specific for each property.

0 2007, Katy Breuer and John Whitwell 5

Originally published as a part of 2007 Global Congress Proceedings - Atlanta, GA, USA
The procurement team had to price the order for each hotel and send the quotation to the hotel owners
for approval. The initial plan called for placing orders with bedding manufacturers after owner
approval was received. However, the six- to nine-month lead time required for manufacturing and
shipping the bedding from overseas resulted in a plan adjustment for vendor orders to be placed prior
to owner approval. The procurement team worked with the distribution company (American Hotel
Register) to ensure orders were received and delivered to the hotels in a timely manner.
Owner and Franchise Services Team: This team was responsible for initially convincing owners and
franchisees of the business imperative of the Bedding Program in order to gain their support and
agreement with the necessary financial investment. Throughout the project, this team kept owners and
franchisees informed of the project's status and worked with them to coordinate implementation. The
more than 50 account managers who were part of this team worked with owners and franchisees to
help them understand the operational implications of the bedding transformation, its anticipated
operational costs and expected returns in guest satisfaction. This team also ensured that orders were
submitted to procurement in a timely manner.
IVALO Regional Operations Teams: There were four regional operations teams—one each for the
East, Central, West and Canadian regions. These teams were instrumental in identifying potential
issues, building and maintaining support for the bedding program among property management teams,
and working with individual properties to track implementation progress.
Distribution Teams: Six distribution teams were responsible for ensuring that the correct quantity and
type of bedding items were shipped to each property. The primaw distributor, American Hotel Register
(AHR), was responsible for receiving the bedding from a variety of vendors (primarily overseas
manufacturers), stocking, repacking and shipping the majority of the bedding items to each property.
Coordination among the distributors was critical and was managed by the PMO and NALO
Procurement Team.

PIVfl
Marketing Team: The marketing team was responsible for promoting the new bedding through print,
outdoor and online advertising, public promotions, and by producing collateral materials for properties
to use. The marketing team employed innovative ways of capturing customer attention, such as
printing large, eye-catching advertisements of the new "Revive" bedding campaign and posting them in
major airports throughout the world. The "Revive" campaign won numerous awards, including two
global, multi-industry awards for innovation. Another unusual marketing technique was "wrapping"
hotel shuttle vans with advertising.
One of the most unique techniques employed by the marketing team centered on a live billboard
unveiled in Times Square in New York City in May 2005. Dubbed the "mSpot S the live billboard was
a glassenclosed guest room replica that showcased Marriott's latest innovations in design, luxury
bedding and bath, and technology. A series of special events, including live music by Ciara and
Collective Soul, and appearances by local media personalities, aided in building excitement and
interest in the live billboard.
This marketing adventure won the Ex Award, a global, multi-industry award.
The team also created a highly engaging, highly interactive website that gave customers a chance to
interact with Maniott's new room. Experiencemamott.com won numerous awards.
Public Relations Team: This team promoted the new bedding through a number of media events, public
relations announcements and interviews. Aware that the success of the new bedding program would be
significantly enhanced if Marfiott associates acted as "ambassadors" for the program, the public
relations team wanted to involve them personally in this exciting new venture. Therefore, the bedding
program was introduced at colporate headquarters with a "Paj ama Party Rally. " Displays of the new
bedding for each hotel brand were set up in the lobby and halls of the corporate office and associates
were invited to come to the party dressed in their favorite pajamas, bathrobe or other suitable
sleepwear. Chairman and CEO J. W. Marriott Jr., and his sons Stephen, John and David all came to the
party dressed in pajamas and robes with the Marriott logo. Media also were invited to attend the event
and widespread coverage resulted. The "hotel bedding wars" was a predominant media story in 2005,
drawing attention from much of the major national print and broadcast media. For example, the Today
0 2007, Katy Breuer and John Whitwell 6

Originally published as a part of 2007 Global Congress Proceedings - Atlanta, GA, USA
 Show did a segment comparing hotel bedding that focused on the beds of five different hotel chains in
Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. The new Marriott bed was featured and discussed positively by
Travel Today host Peter Greenberg and weatherman Al Roker.
International Lodging Team: This team, made up of Colporate Operations and Market Operations,
addressed the needs of Marriott's intemational hotels, assuming responsibilities covered by all the other
NALO teams already identified. International procurement was complicated by the fact that Marriott
has hotels in 67 different countries, each with individual requirements and restrictions regarding
imported goods.
Marriott Linen Donations Teams: Many of the replaced linens were still in good, usable condition. In
keeping with Marfiott's core value of contributing to the communities in which it does business,
embodied in its "Spirit to Serve Our Communities" commitment, MalTiott encouraged properties to
donate replaced linens to local charities. To facilitate these contributions, Marriott, together with
owners and franchisees, launched the Marriott Linen Bank, working with United Way to donate
replaced linens to community agencies and disaster relief organizations around the world.
During the implementation phase of Marriott's bedding program, the Gulf region of the United States
was struck by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The proj ect team worked with local hotels in the areas
affected by the hurricanes and nearby evacuation locations to accept donations of used bedding from
hotels throughout the U.S. to help support relief efforts. The local hotels worked with the Red Cross
and other relief organizations to ensure that the bedding went to people in need.

Summary
The executive sponsor of the project, Bob McCarthy, president of North American Lodging, said "Marriott
Intemational's bedding program was a resounding success. Completed on time and on budget, the program
proved to be a masterful example of the best way to start, manage, and implement a large-scale initiative. The
results exceeded our expectations in development, testing, communications, creating procurement and support
channels, and roll out to over 2,400 hotels worldwide. "

PN'II
Always an industry leader, Marriott recognized the value of formal project management and established a
project management structure well before any other lodging company. The Lodging PMO has increased our
competitiveness by:

Increasing speed to market

Focusing project resources on key deliverables Ensuring processes to
reduce proj ect setbacks Improving communications and alignment.

Our bedding project exceeded the expectations of all our key stakeholders—senior management at
corporate headquarters, hotel management staff, Marriott owners and franchisees, and most importantly,
our guests. The success of the bedding program has underscored for our company the immense value of
project management.

0 2007, Katy Breuer and John Whitwell 7

Originally published as a part of 2007 Global Congress Proceedings - Atlanta, GA, USA
 PN'II

0 2007, Katy Breuer and John Whitwell 8

Originally published as a part of 2007 Global Congress Proceedings - Atlanta, GA, USA