Case Studies
Engineering Works in Yorkshire - A Typical Case Study
Background:
This was already a fairly successful family owned business employing about 15 staff. The managing director/owner was fed up with the constant aggravation of staff problems that arose in running the business to the extent that he was considering chucking it all in and just "getting a job somewhere else". None of his staff were taking sufficient responsibility for their areas, so the buck always stopped with him.
Consultation:
Working with the owners over two separate weeks, put in some management basics such as:
1. Working out the company's mission statement so that their long term objectives, purposes, plans, and products were fully codified, aligned and known by all employees.
2. Put in a formal structure to the company by the implementation of a functional organisational structure which flows both vertically and horizontally.
This involved interviewing each of the staff and listing all their key functions. This came to 13 pages and about 500 functions.
By analysing these functions, it was found that staff were overlapping in several areas of the company, leaving production gaps and unclear job details.
The MD went through the lists of functions and highlighted over 80 of them that he was also doing. No one, apart from the MD and company secretary were really taking responsibility for anything. Decisions were then made on which staff should be assigned to which specific positions.
This enabled further streamlining actions to be taken which resulted in each staff member, including the MD, knowing exactly what was required of them and further, how to go about doing the functions of their clearly delineated positions.
3. A streamlined system of internal communications was installed which sped up production as well as reducing wasted time and confusions.
4. A start was also made on the implementation of measuring productivity, allowing the MD and other executives to monitor and correct any area.
As a note, the above was accomplished on site in a mere two weeks.
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