Redesigning project management at Kimberly‐Clark Europe

Kimberly‐Clark is a leading manufacturer of packaged goods, such as Andrex, Kleenex and Huggies. In 1997 it was struggling to build market share in Europe, despite a strong UK presence. By 1998 failures in Europe led the company to issue a profit warning. A report by management consultants in mid‐1998 identified three key weaknesses with project management in Europe: a lack of standards and discipline; unclear management roles and lines of authority; and the setting of unclear objectives and unrealistic deadlines.