Business Escalation Management: A Case Study - Resolution of a Business Relationship Deterrent

Business Escalation Management framework was conceptualized as a governance and issue resolution channel for complex business relationship scenarios demanding immediate attention from the management. Escalation in a business engagement scenario is often a deterrent to the overall health of the relationship. In organizational business units, there are possibilities of misalignment between the customer´s strategic objectives and developmental execution mode to effectively identify, manage and execute the projects in line with the targeted goals. There is often a chasm between business objectives and their fulfillment through project management activities. Due to the amount of complexity required to meet customer demands for performance, features and customization, possibilities of conflicts across concerned stakeholders is high. In corporate world, escalation situation is likely to be a competition in risk-taking or at least resolve, and a matching of local resources, in some form of limited conflict between two sides, provided that the other side did not negate the increase by increasing its own efforts. This framework is defined and institutionalized as a diagnostic tool for the management of conflicts which can otherwise destroy the relationship beyond repair. This paper describes various features of the framework, different phases and procedural steps that lead to the resolution of the escalation and details of a case study where this framework was deployed.