Whirlpool Delivery Methods: A Case Study

Many organizations face the challenge of deploying a consistent project methodology. The challenge becomes more significant for global organizations such as Whirlpool Corporation which have a large number of IS projects cutting across business units, geographies and functional areas. In 2010, Whirlpool Corporation, a global leader in the appliance industry, deployed a new waterfall-based IS project management methodology - Whirlpool Delivery Methods (WDM) - as part of a strategic IS transformation initiative. This paper examines Whirlpool's journey over the past 2 years including the key levers used to drive adoption and diffusion such as the role of IS leadership and project tools. The findings from the Case Study, including Survey feedback from 176 respondents, indicate the need to balance project rigor with speed and flexibility and the importance of tools to support project governance. The paper contributes a practical perspective to large-scale IS project methodology deployment.