Some Random Stuff

FINAL EXAM

You have over 10 years experience as a business senior manager for several industries.  You are a recruiter’s dream because any company would love to hire you while they make their huge recruiting bonuses.  You have worked in manufacturing, public accounting, banking, and private corporations of which you have positively contributed in the past.  You are very intelligent, witty, and well educated.  You get along with your bosses and your staff.  Senior executives and staff ask your advice on business operations, accounting and finance issues, HR issues and even personal issues.  You are a very well rounded and seasoned senior manager.

You are now the new Senior Operations Director for a privately held manufacturing company.  Your major responsibility is the oversight of the whole company’s operations.  You were hired to do some changes to the company’s operations and how it operates, increase revenues, decrease spending, implement policies and procedures, etc.  You report to the President/Owner of the company.  The company has been in the business for over 40 years, family owned corporation and several hundred employees.  The managers are either family, extended family, or friends of the family and may I add, a closely-knit family.

AREAS OF CONCERN:

1.  Purchasing and Inventory Control is headed by the President’s oldest son.  He is the overall manager for the 10 divisions. Purchasing is done by every 10 divisions of the company.  Each division has their own purchasing officer.  Also, sales manager can make inventory purchases on his/her own.  Quarterly inventory has been done differently by each division.  All invoices for purchases are received by each division then forwarded to the main accounting department.  Late and double payments to vendors are frequent occurrence. This has been the process since day one and it seems everybody is ok with it.  During yearly physical inventory several inventories are scrapped for obsolescence.

1. Collections Department is headed by the President’s daughter in-law.  Several customers are over 90 days late in payments.  All 10 divisions are not collecting enough money on time.  Each division has their own way of collecting money.  Each division has several hundred customers over 90 days.

1. Two divisions are not making money at all.  However, the company pays lease, minimal staffing, taxes, and inventory to keep these facilities.  The President/Owner does not believe it should be closed because he thinks the business will pick up on those places very soon.

REQUIRED:

1. Identify the culture of this company? Identify the stakeholders.
2. Identify barriers, advantages, and limitations.
3. Using the Fishbone diagrams or Ishikawa diagram, identify causes/effects of problem:
4. Using the Decision Making Steps, how would you resolve these issues.

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DECISION MAKING STEPS