Stephanie Sundiang BSTM 1A

Deepwater in Deep Trouble

1. What type(s) of controlfeedforward, concurrent, or feedbackdo you think
would have been most useful in this situation? Explain your choice(s).
Feedforward control would have been the most useful type of control in this
situation. The Deepwater Horizon accident had massive implications for the
health of workers and nearby residents, the economy, and the environment. BP
had a responsibility to take the potential dangers of their drilling operation
seriously and plan for potential problems. There should have been backup
protections to prevent accidents like the one that occurred. At the very least they
should have practiced concurrent control. At the first signs of a problem they
should have taken whatever actions were necessary to prevent the type of
disaster that occurred.
2. Using Exhibit 18-2, explain what BP could have done better.
First the company needed to measure their actual performance. They needed to
look at their practices and analyze the data that they were receiving from
engineers on the site to determine whether or not the work was being completed
in the proper manner the external regulations set by governing bodies for oil
drilling operation. When issues were discovered they needed to be taken
seriously by people at all levels of the company and appropriate action needed
to be taken to prevent the explosion which endangered both BP employees and
residents in the area. Management needed to act quickly and in whatever
manner was necessary to prevent the identified problems from escalating.
3. Why do you think company employees ignored the red flags? How could such
behavior be changed in the future?
There are likely multiple reasons. It sounds as if the company was putting
pressure on those involved in the project to complete it quickly regardless of any
issues that may arise so that they could gain the upper hand on their
competitors. Due to the obsession with competitive advantage and profit, the
company failed to foster a culture that placed any value on safety and
environmental issues. Some of the engineers brought these issues to light but
they were routinely ignored by management. This creates an atmosphere
discourages employees from identifying problems.
4. What could other organizations learn from BPs mistakes?
Organizations should use this disaster as a reminder that putting profit before
safety can cost far more in the long term. BP is now subject to billions of dollars

in fines due to their negligence. Other organizations should also use this as a
lesson that cultural values are fostered by upper management. If upper

management ignores safety violations, ethical breaches, and other issues these
issues will also be ignored by lower level employees. There is no incentive for
employees to uphold high standards of work if upper management does not
value the same.
Baggage Blunders
1. What type of controlfeedforward, concurrent, or feedbackdo you think
would be most important in this situation? Explain your choice.

Students should realize that all three types of control are necessary. Ask to give
examples of how each type of control could have been implemented in the
building and test of the British Airways terminal.
2. How might immediate corrective action have been used in this situation? How
about basic corrective action?
Immediate corrective action could have been used in this situation to avoid
further damage to consumer confidence in the new terminal and British Airways.
While regulations would prevent actions such as the passengers carrying their
luggage to the terminal, greater communication between the terminal staff and
customers would have elevated some of the stress and delays from occurring.
3. Could British Airways controls have been more effective? How?
Any project of this scale is bound to have some problems. It would be unrealistic
to have all of the elements working perfectly on the first day and issues like the
broken hand dryers are an everyday occurrence. From the last paragraph in the
case, students will see that British Airways did attempt to test the terminal. One
area that might have been improved by more effective control mechanisms was
the training of terminal personnel.
4. What role would information controls play in this situation? Customer
interaction controls? Benchmarking?
Considering the benefits of benchmarking, a good example of how not to
implement a baggage transportation system can be found at Denver
International Airport. The automated baggage system implemented in 1995 at
an initial cost of 186 million grew by $1 million per day during months of
modifications and repairs. Over the years, the system never worked well, and in
August 2005, the airport eventually abandoned the system.