Originally Posted by sunfish
This is where the fun starts...........
What will now happen is that each little empire in EK and QF will vigourously defend its turf in endless wars until one or another side is defeated and absorbed, or management loses its taste for misery and consultants.
The only way to make these things work is strong management from the top. The head honcho needs to make the call, and give the two sides a deadline after which a decision will be imposed.
Leave them to it, set up the deadline meeting and if they haven't done it then you commence outsourcing BOTH sides. Give them the heads up that you will be releasing tenders in 2,3 or however many months and will consult with them on the final documentation.
Of course, if they manage to pull off the integration in the meantime then you won't need to outsource, choice is then theirs.
With your hospital example the simple answer to both of those arguments is to draw up a requirement spec, let them know that both sides are more than capable of meeting the needs of the other and you want to know how it will be done collaboratively with a full plan in 60 days.
On day 60 they present their plan, if they bring back a load of crap then you go to the market and effectively replace the management, the odds are that the Spotless' of the world will happily take the workers over, clearly the issue lies with management.
Of course, it's not quite that simple but you get the gist of it.